TCU
BYU
Horned Frogs Rally To Down BYU Wednesday, 54-51
1/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2011
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The Horned Frogs, who have now won seven-straight and 31 of their last 32 games in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, moved to 13-6 overall and 5-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Overall, TCU, who trailed by two at intermission, is now the lone undefeated MWC team and in sole possession of first-place in the conference. BYU moved to 11-7 overall with the loss and 3-1 in league play.
Helena Sverrisdottir led the Frogs Wednesday with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep. The senior did most her damage after halftime, scoring nine second half points on 3-of-5 shooting. Fellow senior Emily Carter was the only other Frog in double figures with 15 points. Starr Crawford also had a solid game with eight points and 10 boards.
With time running down, BYU had a chance to tie the game at 54-54 in the closing seconds, but their three as time expired rattled out to preserve the TCU victory.
Sverrisdottir put the Frogs on the board early in the half, scoring a triple to bring TCU within three at 34-31 at the 15:18 mark of the second period. A few moments later, Micah Garoutte found the bottom of the net on a jumper and Sverrisdottir, who was part of a 20-10 run between the first and second half, did the rest, knocking down a triple to give TCU the lead at 40-38 with a little over 10 minutes to go in the game.
BYU continued to battle though, taking a 43-40 lead, but Garoutte came up with another big bucket to move the Frogs within one halfway through the period. Carter, who would score the next five points for the Purple and White, torched BYU at the 7-minute mark, draining a trey and a couple of free throws to give TCU a 47-45 advantage.
With the Frogs clinging to a 49-45 lead, sophomore Starr Crawford went to work, driving past BYU's Jennifer Hamson for a contested lay-up. Crawford's lay-up was part of an 11-4 run for TCU.
Briesha Wynn's step-through bucket from the top of the key bounced off the backboard and into the bottom of the net with about a minute left in regulation to move the score to 53-49 in favor of the Frogs. A key free throw by Sverrisdottir down the stretch helped preserve the 54-51 win.
With BYU up 9-3 early, Garoutte brought the Frogs within four, scoring a jumper from the charity stripe. Sverrisdottir's trey from the right side of the court a few moments later helped ignite a 7-2 run to bring TCU within one at 11-10.
Carter's lay-up with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the first half gave the Frogs a 14-13 advantage. The Frogs turned up the defensive pressure the next trip down the court when freshman Latricia Lovings swatted away BYU's Dani Peterson at the 10:39 mark.
The Cougars regained the lead at 21-14 with an 8-0 run, but Carter turned up the Purple and White defense at the 5 minute mark of the first half to make the score 21-15. Another block by Lovings' and a Wynn three-pointer made the score 24-18 with a little over 3 minutes to go in the half.
Carter scored a tough three-point play at the 1:12 mark of the first half and the Frogs pulled within five. A trey by Sverrisdottir the next trip down the court, which was part of an 8-0 run, moved the halftime score to 30-28.
TCU will next be in action at Utah on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CT and will be shown on CBS College Sports.
