Frogs Go For 3-0 Against Unbeaten SMU
11/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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TwitterFORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU will look to start 3-0 for the second straight season when unbeaten SMU visits Schollmaier Arena for a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday.
The Frogs (2-0) have won their first two games by an average of 46 points, but will face a tough test against the Mustangs (2-0) who are coming off of a road win at Kansas on Wednesday.
Through its first two games, TCU has held its opponents to 17.8 percent shooting and 38.5 points per game, both the best mark in the NCAA. The Frogs held Sam Houston State under 16 percent (8-of-51) on Tuesday for the third lowest mark in program history.
How to Follow
Live video and live audio will be available via FrogVision at GoFrogs.com. Fans in the Fort Worth area can also hear the game on KTCU 88.7 FM with Jeff Williams calling the action. Live stats will be available at GoFrogs.com, and @TCUWBasketball on Twitter will also have live, in-game updates.
Special Events/Promotions
TCU will celebrate Superhero Day in honor of Rylan Macomb. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive free purple t-shirts.
Last Time Out
TCU turned up the pressure in the second half and ran away with an 81-37 win over Sam Houston State on Tuesday night at Schollmaier Arena.
TCU led by six at halftime, but amped up its defensive pressure and opened the second half on a 23-0 run that put the game away. In all in the third quarter, TCU used nine steals to outscore Sam Houston State, 38-5.
The Frogs held the Beatkats under 16 percent shooting on the night and had four score in double figures, led by 14 points from Toree Thompson. Amy Okonkwo posted her second straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and also added four steals.
Scouting SMU
The Mustangs come to Fort Worth looking for a second straight win over the Big 12 after beating Kansas, 75-63, in Lawrence on Wednesday. SMU scored the game's first 15 points and Kansas never got closer than within nine. The Mustangs led by as many as 25 in the third quarter.
SMU is under first-year head coach Travis Mays and has a very experienced roster, as 13 of the 14 players are juniors or seniors. The roster consists of eight transfers, including six Division I transfers. The Mustangs went 13-18 last season, including a 7-11 mark and a seventh place finish in the American Conference.
The Series
In its 40 years of women's basketball, TCU has played no team more than SMU, with Sunday's game marking the 59th meeting in series history.
SMU leads the all-time series, 40-18, but since 2001 (last time TCU and SMU were in same conference) TCU holds a 10-4 advantage. The Frogs have won each of the two meetings under Raegan Pebley by 10 points.
Last season in Dallas, five Frogs scored in double figures and TCU led by as many as 24 points on its way to an 89-79 win.
Starting Five
1) TCU leads the nation in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense through its first two games, holding opponents to 17.8 percent shooting and 38.5 points per game. TCU held UIW to 40 points on 11-of-56 in its opener, then held SHSU to 37 points on 8-of-51 on Tuesday.
2) The Frogs also lead the nation in assist-turnover ratio at 2.58. Against UIW, TCU had 25 assists and just nine turnovers. The Frogs followed that up with 24 assists and 10 turnovers against Sam Houston State.
3) The Frogs have won 18 straight, and 38 of their last 39, home games against unranked teams. Overall, TCU has won seven straight home games and has a 10-4 record inside Schollmaier Arena. The Frogs are 31-8 at home under Raegan Pebley.
4) Amy Okonkwo is the first Frog with back-to-back double-doubles since Starr Crawford did so against BYU and Utah in February 2011. She is the first Frog with double-doubles in her first two games with TCU since Sandora Irvin did so as a freshman in 2001.
5) TCU has been especially dominant in the third quarter in its first two games. The Frogs outscored UIW, 26-6, and Sam Houston State, 38-5, by large margins after the halftime break. In the two games combined, TCU is shooting 70 percent in the third, holding opponents to 12 percent shooting, and forcing 7.5 turnovers while committing just 1.0 turnovers itself.
Up Next
TCU will close its season-opening, four-game homestand on Tuesday when Grambling State comes to Schollmaier Arena for a 6:30 p.m. contest. Following that game, TCU will take its first road trip when it travels to take on No. 1 Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 26.
