TCU Women Capture 3rd-Straight With 63-56 Victory Saturday

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FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU continued its winning ways Saturday afternoon by downing New Mexico at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, 63-56.

With the win, the Horned Frogs, who have now won three-straight, moved to 11-10 overall and 4-2 in the Mountain West, while the Lobos dropped to 6-14 and 0-6 in league play.

For a majority of the day, the Frogs used a balanced scoring attack, which helped them shoot 50 percent from the field for the game, including a season-high 58.3 percent in the first half. In all, freshman Ashley Colbert carried the way for the Frogs Saturday, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Senior Antoinette Thompson was also in double-figures with 10 points, while Natalie Ventress, Briesha Wynn and Chelsea Prince each added nine apiece, respectively.

The scrappy Frogs did most of their damage down low Saturday as TCU overwhelmed the Lobos inside the paint to the tune of holding a 38-18 advantage in points in the paint.

TCU, who led by as many as 12 Saturday, saw their substantial lead dwindle to two points with 2 minutes to go in the contest, but the Frogs closed the game on a 10-3 run to capture their fourth victory in five tries over New Mexico. Thompson spearheaded the Frog attack down the stretch as she scored six of her 10 points in the final minute of the game, including a running three-point play, which seemingly put the game out of reach.

Sophomore Latricia Lovings got the Frogs rolling in the second half by powering home a tough three-point play in the opening minutes of the half. On the very next possession, Whitney Williams connected on a jumper and the Frogs were in business, now up 38-29 early in the second.

UNM would continue to battle though, scoring four-straight to make the score 38-33 with a little over 15 minutes to go in the game. Colbert would have nothing of it though as she halted the Lobo attack, scoring a three-point play of her own at the 14:34 mark of the second half. Wynn made it a 10-point game the next trip down the court, connecting on an uncontested jumper right outside the paint to put the Frogs ahead, 43-33.

The sophomore then found Colbert open in the lane who proceeded to kiss it off the glass with contact to power TCU to a 12-point advantage at the 12:49 mark. The freshman would continue her offensive production a few moments later, scoring four-straight to make the score 51-39 with nine minutes to go in the game.

With TCU up 51-41, Wynn took it to the hole and drove home another jumper, but UNM would rattle off 10-straight to deny the Frogs offensive rhythm and pull within two at 53-51. Prince had had enough though as she put an end to New Mexico’s 10-0 run in the

 

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closing minutes of the game. The freshman scored a jumper as time expired on the shot clock and then forced a Lobo turnover by leaping onto a loose ball to give TCU possession at the 1:31 mark of the game.

Thompson tried to put the game out of reach with 1:06 left to go in the contest, connecting on a three-point play, to make the score 58-51, but just as they did all day, the Lobos continued to keep the game within reach.

New Mexico answered with its first triple of the second half to pull within four with 48 seconds left, but that was as close as the Lobos would get as Ventress and Thompson were able to put the game on ice down the stretch, scoring some late free throws to make the final score 63-56.

Wynn gave TCU a 6-4 lead early in the game, scoring on two-straight jumpers following offensive boards. The next trip down the court, Thompson got by her defender and powered home a floater in the lane to bring the score to 8-4 at the 16-minute mark of the opening frame.

The Frogs would jump out to an 11-8 advantage a few moments later when Ventress tickled the twine from the corner. Prince then scored an old fashion three-point play on the following possession to push the Frog lead to 14-10 at the 12:42 mark of the first half.

Following a triple by UNM, Ventress answered right back with one of her own to make the score 17-13 with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the opening frame. Williams would continue the Frogs barrage from deep a few moments later, but the Lobos answered with five-straight to bring the score to 20-18 halfway through the first half.

With UNM up 25-21 at the 5-minute mark, Wynn drove the lane and dished it to Lovings who dropped it in from down low to pull TCU within two. The Lobos continued to fight though, jumping on top 29-22, but Colbert got free in the lane and Prince stole the rock and drove coast-to-coast to make the score 29-27 in favor of TCU down the stretch.

Delisa Gross tied the game at 29-29 at the 3:13 mark of the first half as the Frogs once again turned defense into offense, forcing two-straight turnovers by stealing the ball and getting out in the fast break lanes. Prince gave TCU a 33-29 advantage a couple of trips later as the Frogs would close the half on a 10-0 run, holding New Mexico without a bucket for over 4 minutes of action.

TCU will travel to Wyoming next Wednesday for an 8:00 p.m. CT contest.

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