Preview: Lamar (WNIT)
3/14/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
(19-12)
(22-7)
Tickets | WNIT Home | Complete Bracket
TwitterFORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU women's basketball begins its postseason on Thursday when Lamar visits Schollmaier Arena at 6:30 p.m. for the first round of the WNIT. The Horned Frogs are making their 15th postseason appearance, all in the last 18 seasons.
TCU (19-12) will have 10 days between games with its last action coming on March 4 in a loss to Baylor in the Big 12 Championship semifinals. Lamar (22-7) last played on Saturday when it was upset in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals by Nicholls.
The winner of Thursday's game will face the winner of Louisiana Tech and Missouri State in the WNIT second round. Dates, times and locations for second round games are expected to be announced immediately following first round games.
Tickets
Tickets are available through the TCU Ticket Office at GoFrogs.com or by calling 877-828-3764. Tickets are just $10 for adults, $5 for youth and $4 for groups. TCU students will be admitted for free.
How to Follow
The game can be seen for free on GoFrogs.com via FrogVision. It can also be heard on KTCU 88.7 FM in Fort Worth, as well as online via FrogVision, with Jeff Williams on the call. Live stats are available on GoFrogs.com, and live updates will be provided on Twitter by following @TCUWBasketball.
TCU in the WNIT
The Frogs are making their sixth appearance in the WNIT with four of those coming in TCU's six seasons in the Big 12. TCU is 5-5 all-time in the WNIT with eight of those 10 games being decided by eight points or less.
TCU is 4-1 at home in the WNIT, including two wins in their most recent appearance in 2016. The Frogs beat UTRGV in the first round, 97-73, and Eastern Michigan, 85-81, in the second round.
Raegan Pebley is coaching in her fifth WNIT as a head coach, having previously led TCU in 2015 and 2016 and Utah State in 2011 and 2012.
Scouting TCU
The Frogs enter the tournament after winning 19 games this season, their most since joining the Big 12. TCU also won its most Big 12 games with nine, played in its first Big 12 Championship semifinal and earned its first top-25 ranking since 2010.
TCU featured a trio of All-Big 12 selections, including Sixth Man Award winner and second-team selection Amy Okonkwo. The junior forward leads the Frogs in scoring at 15.5 points per game and leads the Big 12 in free throw shooting at 88.9 percent. Her 480 points this season are the 12th most in program history and just 11 away from breaking into the top 10. Okonkwo, Jordan Moore (12.6) and Amber Ramirez (11.0) all average double-figure scoring for the Frogs.
The Horned Frogs offense has been one of the best in the Big 12, ranking third in field goal percentage, third in 3-point percentage and first in free throw percentage. The Frogs' scoring average, assist average and assist-turnover ratio are also all on pace to rank in the top three in school history.
Scouting Lamar
Lamar, making its sixth postseason appearance in the last nine seasons, won the Southland Conference regular-season title, but was upset in the conference tournament semifinals by eventual champion Nicholls. The Cardinals posted a 17-1 record in Southland play, including a school-record 14-game winning streak.
Lamar leads the nation with a +13.1 turnover margin and 17.3 steals per game. Chastadie Barrs, the three-time SLC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the NCAA with 6.5 steals per game and is three steals away from tying the NCAA single-season record of 191. Barrs is also 12th in the NCAA with 6.8 assists per game.
Moe Kinard is Lamar's leading scorer at 16.0 points per game. Barrs (12.3), DeA'ngela Mathis (12.1) and Kiandra Bowers (10.6) all average double-figure scoring. Bowers also averages 10.1 rebounds per game.
The Series
TCU leads the all-time series against Lamar, 4-2. The last meeting was a 72-68 win by TCU on Dec. 11, 2014, in Pebley's eighth game at the helm at TCU.
The Frogs have won four straight in the series with Lamar's last win coming on Mar. 3, 1996 in Beaumont. That is the only meeting in Beaumont with TCU being 4-1 in Fort Worth against the Cardinals.
TCU is facing its third Southland Conference team this season. The Frogs beat Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 10), 112-62, and Northwestern State (Dec. 17), 89-51. The Frogs have won 34 straight games against opponents from the Southland. The last loss came on Dec. 6, 1996 at No. 25 Stephen F. Austin.
Up Next
The winner of Thursday's game will face the winner of Louisiana Tech and Missouri State in the second round. The Lady Techsters and Lady Bears are playing at Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La., also on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Dates, times and locations for second round games are expected to be announced immediately following first round games.
