No. 23 TCU Takes Four-Game Winning Streak to SDSU
2/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2010
GAME #25
#23/RV TCU (19-5; 9-2 MWC) at SAN DIEGO STATE (14-9; 6-5 MWC)
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Tuesday, Feb. 16 • 7:30 p.m. PT • San Diego, Calif. • Viejas Arena (12,414)
TV: The Mtn. (DirecTV Ch. 616) • Talent: Tracy Warren (pxp), Andrea Lloyd (color)
Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM; GoFrogs.com • Talent: Jeff Williams (play-by-play)
Internet (GoFrogs.com): Free Live Radio, Live Stats
Series Record vs. SDSU: 10-4 • Last Meeting: Jan. 16, 2010 in Fort Worth (W, 80-63)
TCU Coach: Jeff Mittie (Missouri West., '89) • Record: 235-111 in 11 years at TCU (386-170 overall)
SDSU Coach: Beth Burns (Ohio Wes., '79) • Record: 222-153 in 13 years at SDSU (303-218 overall)
FORT WORTH--TCU, which owns a one-and-a-half-game edge in the Mountain West Conference standings, takes a four-game winning streak to San Diego, Calif., for a Tuesday matchup with San Diego State. The contest, set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. PT from the Aztecs' Viejas Arena, will be televised live by The MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.).
The Lady Frogs, winners of 14 of their last 16 games, can clinch their ninth 20-win season in the last 10 campaigns with a victory against the Aztecs. The squad is prepared to face a tough road test against SDSU, which is 9-2 at Viejas Arena this season. TCU is 3-2 on the road in MWC play in 2010 and most recently ended a two-game road losing streak during a Feb. 10 four-overtime win at Utah.
San Diego State is in search of moving up in the league standings, as its current three-game losing streak has dropped it into a three-way tie for third place. The Aztecs are only 3-4 since a Jan. 16 loss to the Frogs in Fort Worth.
TCU will be making its 10th television appearance of 2009-10 and the seventh of eight consecutive telecasts. The Mtn. broadcast will feature the play-by-play tandem of Tracy Warren (play-by-play) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst).
Tuesday's matchup also will be broadcast live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on 88.7 KTCU-FM with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) calling the action. An Internet radio feed and link to live statistics will be available on game day via GoFrogs.com.
FROG QUICK NOTES
- A win would give TCU its ninth 20-win season in the last 10 campaigns. The program had never reached the 20-win plateau prior to head coach Jeff Mittie's arrival in 1999-2000.
- TCU's 19-5 record matches the second-best 24-game start in program history (20-4 in 2003-04; 19-5 in 2000-01 and 2001-02). The 2003-04 squad opened up 22-4.
- TCU is 15-0 when shooting 40.0% or better from the field, 15-1 when outshooting the opponent and 15-1 when committing fewer turnovers.
- Starr Crawford (209 rebounds) needs only four boards to enter TCU's single-season top-10 records. Her current average of 9.0 rpg would rank fifth in program history.
- Helena Sverrisdottir is the only individual ranked among the MWC's top-15 players in assists (No. 2), steals (No. 3), scoring (No. 7), rebounding (No. 8), and blocks (No. 15).
- Sverrisdottir's next 3FG will mark the 100th of her career.
- Sverrisdottir has totaled 20 assists over the last four games against only five turnovers.
- Emily Carter leads TCU averaging 16.6 ppg in MWC play, which ranks No. 4 in the league. She paces the MWC in 3FG shooting (43.6%) and FT shooting (85.7%) for all games, while coming in at No. 5 in scoring (15.0 ppg) for the season.
- Carter's 3FG percentage would rank No. 2 in TCU single-season history behind Amy Sutton (43.9% in 2000-01), while her FT rate would rank second to Amy Sutton (87.6% in 1998-99).
- TK LaFleur (10.2 ppg; five starts) is the only MWC player averaging double figures in points with fewer than six starts.
- TCU leads the MWC in scoring offense (73.7 ppg), scoring margin (+15.0), FG defense (35.6%), rebounds (40.7 rpg), steals (10.4 spg), turnovers forced (21.3 tpg), turnover margin (+5.3 tpg) and offensive rebounds (14.4 rpg).
- TCU ranked among the nation's top-50 teams in 12 categories Monday: turnover margin (20th), scoring margin (20th), 3FG defense (21st), assist-turnover ratio (22nd), FG defense (23rd), assists (26th), win-loss percentage (27th), scoring offense (27th), FT shooting (38th), 3FG made (40th), steals (41st) and 3FG shooting (43rd).
- TCU has made at least two 3-pointers in 59 consecutive games, at least one in 149 straight and at least five in all but one game in 2009-10.
SCOUTING THE SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS
San Diego State, the reigning MWC co-champions along with Utah and the league's preseason favorite this season, enters Tuesday's game tied for third place in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-4 record. The Aztecs, which fell to TCU in Fort Worth last month, 80-63, have dropped each of their last three games: vs. New Mexico (58-65), at Wyoming (51-63) and at UNLV (59-66).
Beth Burns, who earned her 300th career victory earlier this season, leads a squad that averages 63.0 points per game while giving up 57.4 per contest. The Aztecs currently rank No. 1 in the MWC in 3FG defense (27.0%) and blocked shots (5.3 bpg) and No. 2 in FG shoting (44.6%), blocked shots (5.0 bpg).
Most of the key players from last season's MWC title team return, including All-MWC First-Team honorees Jené Morris, a senior guard, and Paris Johnson, a junior center. Morris leads the team in scoring (15.4 ppg) and the MWC in steals (2.7 spg), while Johnson (11.0 ppg) and senior guard Quenese Davis (13.0 ppg) also average scoring in double figures. Davis leads the MWC in assists (5.0 apg), while junior forward Jessika Bradley is the team's leading rebounder (6.9 rpg).
INSIDE THE SERIES
TCU owns a 10-4 lead in the all-time series with San Diego State that began in 1997-98. The Frogs are 9-3 against the Aztecs in head coach Jeff Mittie's tenure. The two teams split last year's season series, with each squad winning on its home court, while the Frogs took the first meeting this season.
TCU vs. SAN DIEGO STATE ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS
Date Site W/L Score
Jan. 15, 1998 H W 83-68
Feb. 14, 1998 A L 66-72
Jan. 1, 2000 A L 51-63
Dec. 2, 2001 H W 75-49
Jan. 18, 2006 A W 77-60
Feb. 18, 2006 H W 80-49
Jan. 28, 2007 H W 83-57
Feb. 28, 2007 A W 78-61
Jan. 9, 2008 H W 86-63
Feb. 9, 2008 A W 73-54
Mar. 14, 2008 N L 67-69
Jan. 28, 2009 H W 65-62
Feb. 28, 2009 A L 63-68
Jan. 16, 2010 H W 80-63
LAST TIME WE MET: TCU 80, SDSU 63
FORT WORTH (Jan. 16, 2010)—TCU bounced back from its first league loss of the season with an 80-63 victory over San Diego State at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Frogs ended the Aztecs' seven-game winning streak and an eight-game conference winning streak dating back to last season.
The Lady Frogs came out firing from the start of the game before leaning on their defense to help turn away SDSU. TCU, which never trailed, opened up a 10-point lead in the first nine minutes and led by as many as 24 points late in the second half. The squad forced SDSU into 23 turnovers for the game, which TCU was able to turn into a 21-5 scoring advantage.
Helena Sverrisdottir and Emily Carter each broke the 20-point barrier for TCU. Sverrisdottir paced the squad with a game-high 22 points and added seven rebounds and four assists. She went 6-of-13 overall from the field and 8-of-9 at the charity stripe. Carter went for 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting while making each of her six free throws attempts.
Also reaching double figures was Eboni Mangum, who had 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting, although her most important contribution came on the defensive end of the court. Mangum pressured the Aztecs into a career-high five steals and often was the main defender guarding MWC Preseason Player of the Year Jené Morris. Morris scored only 12 points (5-of-19 field goals) and had eight turnovers. Mangum was not the only Frog who showed her defensive mettle. TK LaFleur collected four steals of her own, while DeLisa Gross had a career-best and TCU-season high four blocked shots. Starr Crawford reached double digits on the glass with 11 rebounds.
