TCU head coach Jeff Mittie thought UTSA senior guard Simong Young was a drive-first player. 

Sometimes, things aren’t always as they seem, though.

After all,Young had only shot 20 3-pointers over the team’s first eight games this season.

Mittie said he even turned to assistant coach Ebony Gilliam and asked if they had scouted her correctly. 

“I think she had 7.8 points (Young’s season average) on her first three shots,” he said.

Young had a career-high 29 points Wednesday on 7-for-16 three-point shooting, which made what was looked like a TCU blowout into a narrow win over the Roadrunners, 73-64.

TCU sophomore guard Natalie Ventress started the second half confidently with a trio of threes, which extended the TCU lead to 61-33. 

Ventress finished the game with a team-high 17 points and her two late free throws stopped the Roadrunners’ late flurry.

UTSA’s late run cut the Frogs’ lead to 68-60 with 2:28 left in the half.

“We wanted this thing to be easy,” Mittie said. “We got lackadaisical with the basketball [in the second half].” 

Young scored a career-high 20 points in the first half. The Frogs held Young to nine points in the second half, all on threes.

Mittie said he told his players to trap on the ball screens that were giving Young opportunities. 

Even though TCU lost momentum at about the 13-minute mark, Mittie waited until just before the 6-minute mark to call a timeout.

“I could have called a timeout earlier, but I wanted them to learn it on their own,” he said.

Freshman forward Veja Hamilton and senior forward Delisa Gross were physical on the trap on Young, which prevented her from getting her feet set.

For the first time this season, TCU also had a size advantage over its opponent.

TCU outrebounded UTSA and TCU centers Latricia Lovings and Ashley Colbert had more than five rebounds each. 

Hamilton found the high post throughout the game for a handful of mid-range jumpshots. She finished with nine points and seven rebounds.

Every TCU player saw game time in the win and 11 Frogs scored. All 15 Roadrunners played, as well.
Freshman point guard Zahna Medley did a little bit of everything in the win—she had nine points, six rebounds and six assists. 

As for Young’s performance, Mittie said he got a good laugh at the end of the game when he complimented the guard on her career game.

“She apologized after the game,” he said, laughing. 

TCU plays Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday at 3 p.m.