TCU
Utah
Horned Frogs Upend Utah Saturday, 56-46
1/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - TCU had three players score in double-figures Saturday as the Horned Frogs downed Utah, 56-46, at the Utes' Huntsman Center.In a game that featured eight ties and five lead changes, Starr Crawford led the Frogs with 15 points and 8 boards, while Emily Carter and Helena Sverrisdottir added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Overall, TCU, who shot 85 percent from the charity stripe, did most of its damage from inside Saturday, out-scoring the Utes, 28-12, in the paint. The Frogs also held a 12-4 advantage in second-chance points Saturday.
Utah's Iwalani Rodrigues led the Utes with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-9 from deep.
With the win, TCU moved to 14-6 overall and 6-0 in league play, while Utah dropped to 10-10 overall and 3-3 in the MWC. The Horned Frogs have now won eight-straight and haven't lost since falling to Georgia on Dec. 22. The 6-0 league mark is the program's best start ever in the Mountain West Conference.
Crawford went right to work in the beginning of the half, scoring TCU's first three points of the second period. The Utes, who opened the half on a 10-3 run, climbed their way back into the game, tying the game at 31-31 until Carter connected on a turn-around jumper in the lane.
The Frogs' lead was short-lived though as Rodrigues drilled another three to give the Utes' a one-point lead at 36-35 with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the game.
A mini 4-0 run that was fueled by Crawford's hard work on the glass helped propel the Purple and White to a 39-36 lead at the 7:49 mark of the second half. DeLisa Gross put the Frogs up 41-36 a few moments later, scoring on a tough driving lay-up, but Utah tied the game back up at 41-41 with a 5-0 run of its own.
TCU once again answered with defensive pressure, forcing Utah into a shot-clock violation on its next trip down the court. Crawford's put-back and jumper on consecutive trips down the court moved the TCU lead back to six at 47-41 with 2 minutes, 52 seconds left to go in the contest.
A bucket by Crawford from Gross moved the score to 49-41 and the Frogs closed the game, connecting on some key free throws. Antoinette Thompson's three-point play at the end of the game secured the 56-46 victory for the Purple and White.
Carter put the Frogs on the board early, scoring a turn-around jumper from the left side of the lane. Sverrisdottir got into the act the next trip down the court, drilling a three from the left side of the floor to tie the game at 5-5.
The Frogs gained the lead at 11-10 with a little over 14 minutes to go in the half when Sverrisdottir drove baseline and connected on a beautiful reverse lay-up. The two teams continued to trade possessions the next few trips down the court until Utah went on an 8-2 run to make the score 21-15 at the 8:30 mark of the first half.
TCU halted the run about a minute later when Sverrisdottir found a cutting Thompson for an uncontested lay-up deep in the paint. Carter moved the Purple and White within one at 21-20, driving into the lane and finding the bottom of the net.
The Frogs then turned up the defensive pressure en route to closing the half on a 13-0 run on the offensive end of the court. During that run, the Frogs held Utah scoreless for over 8 minutes of play, while also forcing seven turnovers.
Sverrisdottir put the finishing touches on the half, knocking down a runner as time expired to make the halftime score 28-21 in favor of TCU.
The Horned Frogs will return home to face New Mexico on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Start time is set for 6:30 p.m. from the DMC.
