The TCU Lady Frogs (21-6; 11-3 Mountain West) will face the New Mexico Lobos (17-10; 9-6 MWC) tonight for their final home game of the regular season. A win will allow the Lady Frogs to clinch the MWC title and mark the 22nd consecutive win in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Earlier in the season, TCU lost their lead midway through the second half and ended up falling to the Lobos on the road, 60-53. New Mexico travels to Fort Worth with a three-game winning streak.
TCU will be recognizing three seniors on their roster for the Lady Frogs’ annual Senior Night. TK LaFleur, Chantelle John and Eboni Mangum will all play their final regular season game at the DMC.
LaFleur, a senior guard for the Lady Frogs, has mixed feelings entering the game.
“It’s kind of sad, but kind of exciting,” LaFleur said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, but I’m going to leave a lot of people I’ve been playing with for the last three years.”
LaFleur reached her 1,000-point milestone this season. Although she has mainly contributed from the bench, she started the last two games and is the MWC’s current scoring leader with seven or fewer starts.
Fellow senior guard Mangum has been a defensive standout for the Lady Frogs this season. Mangum ranks third on the team in steals and is typically matched up with the opponent’s top offensive threat. Mangum also contributes on the offensive side of the ball, and ranks sixth in MWC play with a 47.0 field goal percentage.
John, a senior forward, played in her 100th career game during TCU’s win over Wyoming at home in February. John remains part of the team’s strong bench, which has outscored the opponent’s bench in 23-of-27 games this season by an average of 9.7 points per game.
The Lady Frogs feel optimistic about their play going into the game and want to emphasize playing one game at a time.
“We definitely feel really confident,” LaFleur said. “We just want to focus on New Mexico and come out with a win.”
TCU vs. New Mexico
When: 6 p.m. tonight
Where: Daniel-Meyer Coliseum
The action can be followed live on the Mtn. or KTCU FM 88.7 “The Choice.”
The first 1,000 fans at the game will receive free pizza, and specials for the night include $1 tickets for non-students and $1 hot dogs.