TCU
SMU
Horned Frogs Fall To SMU Thursday, 47-38
11/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2011
DALLAS, Texas - TCU battled back to take a two-point lead midway through the second half, but SMU was able to outlast the Horned Frogs Thursday night, winning 47-38 in a hard fought defensive tussle at Moody Coliseum.For a second-straight game, TCU, now 1-2 on the year, controlled its opponent on the defensive end of the court, this time limiting SMU, who is now 3-0 on the season, to only 24.6 percent from the floor on 15-of-61 shooting, including 3-of-12 from deep. When it was all said and done though, the Frogs and Mustangs combined for only 44 second half points, which is tied for sixth all-time in school history.
The Frogs, who couldn't overcome a slow start shooting the ball Thursday, finally found their stride late in the contest when junior Delisa Gross tickled the twine to give the Purple and White a 29-27 lead at the 9:40 mark of the second half. Despite constant Frog pressure, the Mustangs were able to run out the clock with some key free throws down the stretch to knock off TCU for the first time since 2008 and for only the second time at Moody Coliseum since 2007.
Freshman Natalie Ventress led the Frogs Thursday, just missing her first career double double with a nine point, eight board outing. Junior Delisa Gross followed with seven points, while Antoinette Thompson and Chelsea Prince both chipped in with six points, respectively.
Sophomore Latricia Lovings also had a solid night for the Frogs on the defensive end of the court, grabbing a career-high eight boards, while also blocking four shots for a third-straight game. She also tied a career-high in steals with two at Moody Coliseum. By posting her third-straight game with four blocks, Lovings became the first Frog since Sandora Irvin to have three-straight games with four blocks. In 2005, Irvin recorded 5 against Houston (1/30) and eight against Memphis (2/5) and Saint Louis (2/7), respectively, in consecutive games.
TCU opened the second half, corralling the Mustangs on the defensive end of the court as Lovings came up with one of her four monster blocks inside the lane early. A few moments later, Whitney Williams would strip SMU of the ball, but the Frogs couldn't connect on the other end.
Antoinette Thompson put the Purple and White on the board at the 16:12 mark of the second period to bring TCU within five at 25-20. Following a bucket by the Mustangs, Prince drilled a deep trey and followed up a Lovings' miss at the 12-minute mark of the second half to make the score 27-25 in favor of SMU.
Delisa Gross gave TCU its first lead of the day at 29-27 off a jumper at the 9:40 mark, but SMU's Alisha Filmore scored on a layup to tie the game at 29-29 halfway through the second half.
With SMU up four late, junior Whitney Williams tried to change the momentum for the Frogs, taking a charge on SMU's Krystal Johnson with a little over 3 minutes to go in the game, but the Frogs couldn't hit the bottom of the net until Ventress made the game a one-possession contest, connecting on three-straight free throws to move the score to 41-38.
Following some beautiful ball movement off a backdoor early, Thompson found a wide-open Lovings down low to bring the score to 6-2. SMU proceeded to push the lead to 11-2, but TCU went on a 7-2 run off a couple of free throws and a step-through by Williams at the 13:00 mark, which brought the Frogs within four.
With 3 minutes, 20 seconds to go in the half, Williams tried to light a fire under a sluggish Horned Frog offense, dropping a three from deep to make the score, 19-12. Two-straight triples by Ventress the next couple of trips down the court and the Frogs appeared to be in business, only trailing 19-18 late in the half. SMU closed the half on a mini 4-0 run to make the score 23-18 at the break.
TCU will next be in action Sunday against NC State. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. from Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and will be shown live on The Mtn.
