TCU
Utah
No. 24 TCU Survives 4OT Thriller at Utah
2/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY - No. 24 TCU survived four overtimes and a Mountain West Conference-record 45 points by Utah forward Kalee Whipple Wednesday during a 105-96 victory at the Utes' Huntsman Center. Wednesday's contest marked the third four-overtime contest in program history.
The Frogs improved to 18-5 on the season and 8-2 in Mountain West Conference play, keeping hold of its one-game lead in the conference standings over BYU.
Three Lady Frogs scored at least 20 points, while five players logged at least 40 minutes of game action for TCU. Three Frogs even reached 50 minutes of play.
A pair of guards led TCU's scoring attack with 25 points each in senior Eboni Mangum and junior Emily Carter. Both outputs marked career highs. Mangum totaled 13 points in overtime to help her team improve to 2-1 all-time in four-overtime contests, while junior guard/forward Helena Sverrisdottir, who finished with 21 points, had 15 in extra time. Sverrisdottir also notched eight rebounds and five assists on the evening.
Senior guard TK LaFleur also had a big game with 19 points, including a 3-of-5 effort from behind the arc. Freshman forward Starr Crawford recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in the third overtime.
TCU's offensive heroics were just barely enough to offset a career night by Utah's Whipple. The 6-0 senior scored 45 points on 15-of-27 shooting that included a 7-of-11 showing from 3-point range. Time after time Whipple hit huge shots in the extra periods, including an off-balance, falling-away 3-pointer at the third-overtime buzzer that somehow found the bottom of the net.
Center Taryn Wicijowski totaled 23 points and eight rebounds for Utah before fouling out in the third overtime.
Both teams appeared ready to claim victory in the overtime periods. Utah guard Halie Sawyer missed a free throw with 0.5 seconds left on the clock in the first overtime to keep the game alive before TCU blew four-point leads with 35 seconds or less remaining in both the second and third extra frames.
The most amazing play of the game came at the end of the third OT, as Whipple purposely missed a free throw at the end of the period and her team down by 3. The Ute senior regained the ball off an offensive board by teammate Rachel Messer and sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer after throwing up an off-balance shot near her own bench.
TCU finally put an end to the contest in the fourth overtime. Despite being the only extra frame where the Frogs did not score first, the squad outscored the Utes 15-6. Utah's Iwalani Rodrigues opened things up with a 3-pointer, but rattled off the next seven points off two layups by Mangum and three free throws by Sverrisdottir. The Utes managed a foul shot by Whipple and layup by guard Janita Bodon before the Frogs scored the final six points, mostly at the charity stripe.
TCU trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half before rallying in the second period to send the game to the first overtime. Junior guard Emily Carter hit a fadeaway shot with 29 seconds left to tie the game and start the extra frames.
TCU found itself down for most of the first half after Utah rattled off a 10-0 run midway through the period. Whipple terrorized the Frogs to the tune of 17 points in the first half, drilling 6-of-9 shots from the field. Her performance helped the Utes make 14-of-23 field goals in open 20 minutes, and otherwordly 60.9 percent from the field.
Mangum helped keep the Frogs in the game in the first half with 10 points, including eight on layups. TCU itself had a decent period from the field by shooting 46.2 percent, but it had problems matching up with Whipple.
TCU next returns home for a Saturday clash with Wyoming scheduled for Noon at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The matchup will serve as the Lady Frogs' annual Pink Zone contest. In addition to the team wearing pink and purple uniforms, TCU also will host a women's health fair on the DMC concourse one hour prior to tip-off. The game will be televised live by The MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.).
Players Mentioned
