Miscues, bad shots hurt Lady Frogs
By Chad Murray
Skiff Staff

Sloppy play and poor execution were the theme of the night for the women’s basketball team, as the Lady Frogs lost to Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Despite leading through the majority of the contest, 26 turnovers and 36 percent shooting hamstringed the team and allowed the Phoenix to crawl back late and eventually win.

“I feel like we gave (the game) away all night,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We just got off to a great start and I think we felt things were going to be easy all night.”

For the first few minutes, it seemed as if the Lady Frogs were going to run away with the game.

TCU jumped out to a quick 16-0 lead in the first four minutes behind hot shooting. Senior forward Grace Gantt added five of those points as the Lady Frogs shot 6-for-7 during the run.

The Phoenix battled back however and chipped at the lead.

The Lady Frogs sent Wisconsin-Green Bay to the line 10 times in the first half, in which they converted eight. The Phoenix also forced 13 first-half turnovers as the Lady Frogs went into halftime with a 29-27 lead.

The two teams traded baskets for much of the second half, but the Lady Frogs still maintained a 55-45 lead with 5:25 remaining.

TCU could not close the game down the stretch though, and a 12-0 run gave the Phoenix their first lead, 57-55, with 1:38 left.

The Phoenix answered TCU’s go-ahead basket with a three and the Lady Frogs couldn’t convert again, losing by two.

“Our shots just weren’t falling,” senior guard Candace Baldwin said. “We were getting good looks but they just weren’t falling.”

Mittie did not agree with his player’s statement.

“I think we got awful looks down the stretch,” he said.

The game saw the return of senior forward Tricia Payne, in her first game since March 17, 2001, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The 2000-01 Team MVP, who has been battling to return to the court since her torn ACL, scored two points in five minutes.

“It was good and it was fun,” Payne said with tears in her eyes. “I just wish I could contribute more.”

The Lady Frogs will look to break their two-game losing streak against rival SMU Thursday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Chad Murray