The TCU Lady Frogs posted a 65-44 victory over the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Wednesday night at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, improving to 5-2 on the season.
Senior Guard TK LaFleur was the star against the Warhawks, scoring 19 points on 7-12 shooting. Helena Sverrisdottir added 17 points. Jesse Carrier was the high scorer for ULM with 10 points.
Defense was the strongpoint for TCU all night, as the Warhawks shot only 23.0% from the field. The Lady Frogs also outrebounded ULM 49-39. Forward Starr Crawford led the way with ten boards, and Sverrisdottir added eight.
The Lady Frogs looked to build momentum off their biggest game of the season, a 74-69 comeback win over No. 18 Kansas on Saturday. TCU didn’t back down, holding the lead for all 40 minutes against ULM (4-3). Despite the big win, the Lady Frogs certainly felt the impact of this weekend’s victory.
“I think anytime you come back from a long trip, particularly a big win, you can be a little sluggish. I think we were a little tired tonight,” said head coach Jeff Mittie.
TCU showed the effects on offense, shooting only 40.0% from the field and turning the ball over 19 times.
“We’re really out of sync right now, we knew we would be. I thought we worked through some things so.hopefully we can get the offense going again,” said Mittie.
The Lady Frogs were able to score 65 points due to contributions from the bench and their low post game. Ten players recorded over 16 minutes of play, and the bench accounted for 28 points. TCU also outscored ULM in points in the paint 26-6.
LeFleur’s 19 points were the most for her this season, and tied Crawford against Oklahoma for the highest scoring game of any Frog.
“I just needed to come out with a new mindset and be more confident in my shot, and just know that my teammates are going to get me the ball when I need it,” LaFleur said.
The Warhawks didn’t help themselves, shooting only 55.0% from the free throw line and turning the ball over 18 times. ULM appeared to get desperate early on, throwing up 14 3-pointers in the first half and connecting on only four. The Warhawks attempted a total of 22 three-pointers all night, hitting 36.4%.
Both teams shot poorly to start the game. The Warhawks went 0-10 from the field before recording their first field goal over six minutes into the game. TCU struggled to score in the first ten minutes, but its offense opened up soon after. The Lady Frogs finished the half shooting 45.8%.
LaFleur, who came into the game from the bench, scored 14 points in the first half. ULM’s highest scorer after 20 minutes was Sumar Leslie with six points.
The win was the 11th in a row at the DMC for the Lady Frogs dating back to last year, and the first of 12 games that will be televised during the 2009-2010 season.
