Harvard Whips TCU Women
FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU rallied to pull within nine Saturday night, but Harvard was able to knock down some timely free throws to escape Daniel-Meyer Coliseum with a 56-44 victory.
The Horned Frogs (7-8) used a 20-6 run midway through the second half Saturday to pull within nine, but couldn’t complete the second half flurry. During that stretch, TCU picked up the defensive intensity to the tune of holding Harvard, now 7-6 on the season, without a field goal from the field for over 6 minutes of action. The Horned Frogs stifling defense down the stretch also limited the Crimson to only two made field goals on 12 attempts in the last 11 minutes of Saturday’s contest.
For a fourth-straight game, Natalie Ventress led TCU in scoring, netting 16 points, while also securing six boards. Fellow freshman Chelsea Prince also had a solid return to the TCU lineup Saturday with seven points, four rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Harvard had three players score in double-figures as Brogan Berry scored a game-high 17 points, which included several key three-pointers in the first half. Victoria Lippert and Christine Clark both tallied 13 points apiece, respectively.
Ventress got the Frogs rolling on the very first possession of the second half, scoring on a jumper to pull within 10 early, but Harvard would answer with two-straight buckets and push the score to 44-21 on a 10-0 run halfway through the period.
Prince followed a Meagan Henson miss and powered home a tough three-point play to try and
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rally the Frogs midway through. A few moments later, Antoinette Thompson, a senior from Fort Worth, continued to keep the Frogs within striking distance, tickling the twine from deep off a cross from Henson, who helped spark TCU in the second half with some key passing. The sophomore would get into the act the next trip down the court, scoring from deep to post a new career-high in points, while Ashley Colbert connected on a jumper inside to inch TCU closer at 49-32.
In what was part of a 12-2 run for TCU in which the Purple and White displayed marvelous defensive pressure, Ventress and Colbert proceeded to score on consecutive trips down the court with a little over 7 minutes to go in the game, to make the score 49-36.
Following a heads up play by Henson to force a turnover, Prince found the bottom of the bucket with a little over a minute to go in the game off a tear dropper, which brought TCU within nine at 53-44 at the 1:01 mark, but that was as close as the Frogs would get.
Harvard jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the contest, but Delisa Gross nailed a jumper from the corner to halt the Crimson’s opening run early. A couple of free throws by Briesha Wynn a few moments later pulled the Purple and White within 10 at 16-6 halfway through the opening frame, but Berry would nail consecutive three’s and Harvard moved the score to 24-8 at the 6:31 mark of the first half.
Ventress helped the Frogs whittle away at the Crimson lead with a little over 6 minutes remaining in the first period, knocking down a three of her own to make the score 24-11. The freshman would fire and connect from mid-range a couple of trips later and catch fire, scoring from downtown at the 3-minute mark to make the score 27-16 down the stretch.
A running floater by Henson helped pull TCU within nine, but like she did all first half, Harvard’s Berry answered with another three to take the air out of a 10-1 run by the Frogs to bring the halftime deficit to 30-18 at the break.
TCU will open conference play at San Diego State next Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 10:00 p.m. CT and will be televised on The Mtn. Calling the game will be Tracy Warren and Krista Blunk.
