TCU Hosts Iowa State in Big 12 Home Opener
1/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU women's basketball team will play host to Iowa State in its Big 12 home opener at 7 p.m., on Wednesday at the University Recreation Center.
As part of the Holiday Hoops promotion, tickets can be purchased for just $5 on a walk-up basis at the Recreation Center ticket window prior to the start of the game.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans can listen to Wednesday's contest on the radio broadcast on KTCU 88.7 and FrogVision with Russell Scott and Ashley Robinson on the call, as well as viewing the contest on FrogVision.
For live updates, fans can follow @tcuwbasketball on Twitter or by viewing GameTracker.
THE OPPONENT
Iowa State comes to Fort Worth with a 10-2 record and is coming off a 60-55 victory over Kansas State in its Big 12 opener.
The Cyclones are one of the top offensive squads in the Big 12, leading the league in 3-pointers per game (10.2) and free-throw percentage (.765) while ranking second in assists (18.0) and third in scoring (77.8 ppg) and 3-point percentage (.367). Iowa State has connected on 36 more 3-pointers than the next closest team in the league.
The Cyclones have been tough on the boards as well, averaging 42.4 rebounds per game for a plus-6.7 margin, while committing just over 11 turnovers per game.
Sophomore guard Seanna Johnson leads Iowa State with 12.8 points per game, shooting 50 percent (56-112) from the field, while ranking second in the Big 12 in rebounds (9.8 rpg) and offensive rebounds (3.5 rpg).
Senior guard Nikki Moody is averaging 12.2 points per game and ranks second in the Big 12 in assists (6.9 apg) and fifth in 3-point percentage (.407), while senior guard Brynn Williamson (12.6 ppg) leads the league in 3-pointers per game (2.8).
THE SERIES
TCU and Iowa State will meet for the seventh time in the series that dates back to 1986, as the Cyclones hold a 4-2 advantage.
The Horned Frogs have claimed two of the last three wins, including a thrilling 61-60 victory over the 23rd-ranked Cyclones in Ames last season, where Donielle Breaux connected on the game-winning 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds remaining.
TCU dropped its home matchup with Iowa State last season by a 71-49 margin and is 1-1 against the Cyclones in Fort Worth.
UP NEXT
Following Wednesday's home opener against Iowa State the Horned Frogs stay home to play host to Oklahoma State at 6 p.m., on Saturday in a contest televised on FOX Sports Southwest Plus.
TCU then hits the road to take on Kansas on Jan. 14 before returning home to host Oklahoma on Jan. 17.
LAST TIME OUT
Shooting woes plagued TCU in a 52-37 loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference opener on Sunday in Lubbock.
TCU's cold shooting spoiled a defensive effort that saw the Horned Frogs limit Texas Tech to just 52 points, marking its third-lowest scoring output of the season.
Junior guard Veja Hamilton reached double figures for the third time in four games to lead TCU with 10 points, while senior forward Chelsea Prince just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.
Senior guard Donielle Breaux matched Prince's team-high rebounds with eight, while junior forward Caitlin Diaz added seven boards to go with two steals in 14 minutes.
TCU shot just 27 percent (14-of-52) from the field and connected on only three buckets from long distance on 15 attempts.
The Horned Frogs pulled even with the Red Raiders in the rebounding battle with 36 boards apiece, while turning the ball over 20 times compared to 16 Texas Tech miscues.
HAMILTON'S HOT HAND
Junior guard Veja Hamilton is currently in the midst of a career stretch, averaging 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists over the last seven contests.
The Spring, Texas, native rattled off a career-best 24 points against UC Irvine on Dec. 30, where she went 11-of-14 from the field, and followed up with 10 points at Texas Tech, marking her third double-figure game in the last four outings.
Hamilton, who enrolled at TCU at the age of 16, also hit a career milestone against Lamar on Dec. 11 with eight assists.
AT HOME IN FORT WORTH
TCU has enjoyed much success at home in Fort Worth over the last 15-plus seasons, earning a 200-51 (.797) record since the start of the 1999-2000 campaign.
TCU closed out the non-conference portion of its 2014-15 slate with a 7-1 mark at home, claiming double-digit victories in five of the seven wins. TCU's lone loss came to No. 5 Texas A&M.
The Horned Frogs earned a 13-4 mark at home last season, including a respectable 5-4 record against Big 12 opponents, featuring the program's first-ever win over Texas and a victory over Oklahoma on Senior Night.
MILESTONE WATCH
A trio of Horned Frogs currently appear in the top 10 of the program's career records and look to continue climbing the chart this season.
Senior guard Natalie Ventress, who competed in her 100th-career contest on Dec. 13, is currently eighth all-time with 1,224 points while surpassing Amy (Sutton) Porter for sixth spot for 3-pointers made with 163 treys. The Fort Worth native is ninth in field goals (408) and is three free-throws short of eighth spot all-time.
Ventress has averaged double figures in scoring in each of her three seasons in the Purple and White and looks to become just the second Horned Frog in program history to achieve the feat in all four years, joining TCU great Sandora Irvin.
Fellow senior Chelsea Prince, who led the Big 12 a season ago with 2.4 steals per game in league play, needs just two more steals to move into 10th place all-time. The Fort Worth product has averaged 2.9 steals over the last 24 contests.
Junior guard Zahna Medley, who entered the 1,000-points club on Nov. 19, needs 40 points to enter the top 10 while currently ranking fourth in 3-pointers made (185) and 10th in assists (292).
