FORT WORTH—The 24th-ranked TCU women’s basketball team overcame some early offensive struggles Thursday to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2004-05 with a 70-45 victory over UT Arlington at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Sophomore Helena Sverrisdottir and junior TK LaFleur each scored in double figures for the third straight game to lead the Frog offensive attack.
Despite a first half that saw the Lady Frogs make only three of their first 27 attempts, TCU was able to keep itself in the game with a strong defensive effort. The Mavericks were forced into 25 turnovers for the game, which marked a season high for a Frog opponent, and TCU was able to turn the miscues into 28-3 points.
Sverrisdottir recorded her second straight double-double, and the third of her career, with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds, which matched her career high. The 6-1 guard shot 7-of-10 from the field to help overcome her nine turnovers on the night. LaFleur reeled in 13 points, with each of her three baskets coming from 3-point range. She added a 4-for-4 effort from the free-throw line and a career-high seven boards.
Freshman Tolu Omotola also gave TCU a lift with career-high totals of eight points and three rebounds in only 15 minutes of play, while sophomore forward Rachel Rentschler added seven points and five boards, both highs since she joined the Lady Frogs during the past offseason.
UTA was led by two players who notched double-doubles. Forward Erin Dixon scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, while fellow forward Candice Champion chipped in 12 points and a game-high 13 boards.
TCU struggled mightily on the offensive end early in the game and had scored only 11 points in the game’s first 13:30 before finding its offensive bearings. The squad shot only 3-of-27 from the field during the opening stretch and trailed UTA by five, 16-11, until finishing the half on a 12-0 run to take an eight-point halftime lead. The Frogs later extended the run to 18 points early in the second half.
Rentschler started TCU’s run inside the four-minute mark with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, while junior Chantelle John and sophomore Emily Carter later added layups on consecutive possessions. After a pair of free throws by junior Eboni Mangum, LaFleur drilled her second trey of the half with just under a minute remaining to push the score to 29-21 entering intermission.
TCU’s run reached 18 points at the start of the half. LaFleur buried another trey in the period’s opening minute off an assist from John, while John later posted a fastbreak off a nice downcourt pass from Sverrisdottir to put the Frogs up 14, 35-21, just under two minutes into the half.
While the Mavs were able to kill the run, the momentum was squarely in TCU’s favor. The Frogs outscored UTA 24-6 over the next 11-plus minutes to put the game far out of reach at 59-27. The lead grew to 31 points on a 3-pointer by Antoinette Thompson with 6:10 remaining in the contest.
TCU returns to action for the fourth game of their season-opening five-game homestand Sunday vs. Sam Houston State at 5 p.m.
