TCU
SMU
TCU Builds Big Leads, Tops SMU 89-79
11/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery 
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU led by as many as 24 points and coasted to an 89-79 win over SMU on Wednesday night to improve to 3-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Senior All-American candidate Zahna Medley scored 15 of her team-high 17 points in the first half to lead five TCU players that reached double figures. Senior Veja Hamilton added 15 points while sophomore Toree Thompson had 13 points while shooting 5-of-7 on the night. Newcomers Jordan Moore and Destynee Hives-McCray each added 12 points.
TCU (3-0) built a 24-point lead in the second half at 67-43 en route to posting its second consecutive double-digit win over their cross-town rival. The Frogs shot 47.9 percent and hit 8-of-15 from behind the three-point arc.
TCU trailed 4-2 in the early going before pushing the pace with their press with a 6-0 run that included two baskets from Medley. The senior guard scored 10 of TCU's first 18 points to put the Frogs up 18-12. The lead expanded to double-digits late in the first quarter for the first time in the game at 22-12.
After the Mustangs cut the TCU lead to five at 31-26 with 8:29 left in the second quarter, TCU went on a 24-9 run to end the half to take the 20-point lead into the break. During the run to end the half, the Frogs hit nine of their final 10 shots.
The Frogs had the hot hand in the first half, hitting 55 percent of their shots including 6-of-8 from behind the three-point arc. The TCU advantage was also made thanks to a quality effort on the boards, outrebounding the Mustangs 24-13 in the first half for a 15-5 advantage in second chance points.
The Frogs finished the game with a 40-36 edge on the boards and forced 21 Mustang turnovers in the win.
STAT OF THE GAME
55 -- TCU's 55 points in the first half marked the seventh most that the Frogs have scored in the first half of a game in program history. It was the most for a TCU team since scoring 56 in the first half against Sam Houston State on Nov. 16, 2010.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
"Anytime you get a win on the road is awesome," said head coach Raegan Pebley. "We were able to build a lead but we knew they were going to fight back because they are a really good team."
NOTES
• The Frogs are 3-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2010-11 season and for just the seventh time in program history.
• TCU has won two straight and 11 of the last 16 in the series against SMU. It's the first back-to-back wins in the series for the Frogs since winning consecutive games in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
• TCU's 89 points were the second most ever scored by the Frogs against SMU behind the 125 scored in a 127-125 loss to the Mustangs in four overtimes on Jan. 25, 1997.
• TCU's 55 points in the first half marked the seventh most that the Frogs have scored in the first half of a game in program history. It was the most for a TCU team since scoring 56 in the first half against Sam Houston State on Nov. 16, 2010.
• The 3-0 start by Pebley's squad ties the best start to a season for a Pebley-led team. Her 2009-10 Utah State squad also started the season 3-0.
• Hives-McCray was making her return to Dallas and SMU, where she spent four years with the Mustang, before transferring to TCU to use her final year of playing eligibility.
UP NEXT
The Horned Frogs conclude a two-game road swing on Saturday when TCU travels to College Station to face Texas A&M at 12:30 p.m. CT. The game with the Aggies will be televised on SEC Network Plus through WatchESPN.
TCU returns home on Nov. 24 to face Prairie View A&M on Nov. 24 at the University Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. CT. Live video of that contest will be available through FrogVision on GoFrogs.com to subscribers.
All games will be available on the radio via KTCU 88.7 FM in the DFW Metroplex with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) on the call. The broadcast is also available via subscription on GoFrogs.com via FrogVision and also via the TuneIn App.
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