By Danny Horne staff reporter The Lady Frogs basketball team had lost 17 games in a row to both Southern Methodist and Rice when the season started in November. Going into the final regular season game, the SMU streak was at 19 and the Rice streak had been stretched to 18 in a 67-65 home loss on Feb. 3. On Saturday afternoon in Houston, TCU had another chance to end the losing streak to Rice. The Lady Owls were sporting a 10-1 home record this season while TCU came in at 2-7 on the road. Despite facing a losing streak that dates to 1991, the Lady Frogs came away from Autry Court with a 63-62 victory. "The players have been hearing about these losing streaks all season so it was great to get one out of the way," head coach Jeff Mittie said. "This game was one of our most complete performances of the season." TCU (16-13, 7-7 Western Athletic Conference) held the Lady Owls to 40 percent shooting for the game. Senior Marla Brumfield equaled her previous game's output and led all scorers with 23 points, but she was the only Lady Owl to reach double figures. Rice senior forward Kim Smallwood and senior forward Kirra Jordan combined this season for almost 21 points a game. In the first meeting, they posted 35 points. On Saturday, the two combined to shoot three of 16 for just eight points. "Our defensive performance was one of our best of the season," Mittie said. "We were able to keep them on the perimeter with our pressure, but our rebounding was the real difference." The Lady Frogs out-rebounded Rice 48-25 including a 21-9 margin on the offensive end. Despite trailing by 11 points at halftime, Rice was not going away without a fight. The Lady Owls chipped away at the TCU lead until finally taking the lead at 48-47 with 8:45 remaining. "I felt we came out a little tight in the second half, and Rice took advantage of that," Mittie said. "We were still playing good basketball, but we were just not as aggressive." Rice (18-9, 10-4 WAC) took the lead as TCU was struggling from the field. The Lady Frogs shot just 27 percent for the second half. "Our rebounding was the main reason why we hung on to win," Mittie said. "On the offensive glass, we created second chances for ourselves. Defensively, though, we never let them get any extra chances because we were so strong on the glass." TCU junior forward Janice Thomas led all rebounders with 14 and chipped in 11 points for her seventh double-double of the season. After going back and forth for about five minutes, the Lady Frogs found themselves down by three points with 2:30 left to play. A free throw by Thomas and a jump shot by junior guard Jill Sutton tied the score at 59 with 1:17 left. "Jill (Sutton) hit a huge shot toward the end, and our free-throw shooting was very good down the stretch," Mittie said. "Our aggressiveness throughout the game allowed us to get to the line more. I have been wanting to see that all season, but it is not something we have done consistently." TCU sophomore guard Tricia Payne hit two free throws to give the Lady Frogs a 61-59 lead. With 16 seconds remaining, Brumfield went to the foul line with a chance to tie the game, but she missed both. Thomas then secured the win with two more free throws, and TCU held on for the one-point win. TCU next plays Tulsa in the first round of the WAC tournament on Wednesday in Fresno, Calif. "The team is playing with great confidence right now," Mittie said. "We will take this win into the tournament where we know that anything can happen."
Danny Horne
By Matt Stiver assistant campus editor After he scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, senior forward Marquise Gainous found himself on the receiving end of an age-old sports tradition. While celebrating an 85-62 victory over the Rice Owls, Gainous got drenched with water. "I don't even know who it was," said Gainous, who played his last regular season game in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. "All I know is that water was cold." Gainous and the rest of the Frogs said they hope there is more celebratory water throwing in the near future. With the win, TCU kept its hopes of postseason play alive. To secure a bid in the National Invitation Tournament, head coach Billy Tubbs said the Frogs will need to win one or more games in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. To receive NCAA Tournament consideration, the Frogs likely will need to win the WAC. TCU opens the WAC tournament at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against San Jose State. Tubbs said the Frogs will head into the WAC tournament with confidence. "It's no joking matter that tournaments are strange," Tubbs said. "There's a lot of people in our conference that can win this tournament, and I think we're one of them. If we win the tournament, it might be more than the NIT." After TCU struggled to a 38-34 half-time lead, the Frogs switched defenses and were able to force the game into a faster tempo. Following a Rice layup that tied the game at 40 with 17:37 left to play, Gainous and junior forward Derrick Davenport (six points, nine rebounds, 11 blocks) keyed a 24-3 TCU run. When Rice cut the lead to 49-43, Gainous connected on back-to-back layups to push the lead to 53-43. On the Owls' next possession, Davenport blocked Erik Cooper's layup and then finished a fast break with a one-handed dunk. Junior guard Ryan Carroll said the Frogs turned the game around when they started running. "Their game isn't running up and down the court with us," Carroll said. "They stopped running their offense and just started playing. Once they started taking quick shots, we were getting rebounds and got the ball down the floor." Davenport came within one block of the school record of 12 he shares with Kurt Thomas. In the midst of the run, Rice guard Michael Walton ran down with a one-on-one fast break opportunity against Davenport, who was standing near the basket. When Walton pulled up for a 13-foot jumper, Davenport leaped and swatted the ball behind press row. Tubbs said the Frogs are peaking at the right time of the season. "I think we're playing the best that we've played all year," Tubbs said. "What we've got to do is leave these two games alone. I think we're physically and mentally strong right now."
Matt Stiver
By Rusty Simmons staff reporter For the majority of the season, junior right fielder Tom Bates was hitting above .500, and the TCU baseball players and coaches were seeking others to step up offensively. When Bates missed a week of action with a strained muscle in his back, the players and coaches stopped seeking offensive production from other sources. They began to demand it, and senior left fielder Mark Hamilton responded. Hamilton was named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week as he hit .667, crushed two home runs and drove in five runners, leading TCU to two wins in a three-game series with the San Jose State Spartans this weekend.
The Frogs scored in six of eight plate appearances as they beat the Spartans 13-5 in the series opener Friday. The Frogs scored nine of their 13 runs with two outs. Senior third baseman Levi Groomer doubled to lead off the first inning and scored on a single by Hamilton. TCU added a pair of runs in the second and had its most offensive production in the third and fourth innings. Hamilton led off the third inning with a solo home run. After recording two outs in the fourth inning, San Jose was unable to end the inning until the Frogs added three more runs. Junior catcher Jason Price accounted for all three TCU runs in the fourth inning on his first home run of the season. Hamilton, who went three for four on the day, picked up his third RBI in the seventh inning on a single. Groomer's streak of 11 consecutive times on base ended on a fifth inning strikeout. Junior center fielder Marshall Wilson said the entire team contributed at the plate. Eight of the nine starters recorded a hit in the series opener. Senior pitcher Shawn Thompson (2-1) allowed five runs in eight innings, and junior pitcher David Tombrella pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close the game. "Thompson walked a couple of runs in (during the middle innings), but then he was able to get out of trouble," Wilson said. "He came back out and threw some strong innings. He showed a lot of character." TCU compiled 13 hits en route to a 6-4 victory over San Jose in game two Saturday. The Frogs scored a pair of runs in both of the first two innings, highlighted by a Price triple and senior designated hitter Shaun Wooley's second home run of the season. The Spartans answered with three runs in the third inning on two hits and two walks. San Jose stranded five runners over the next two innings. TCU added insurance runs in the fifth and eighth innings on RBIs by Price and Wilson. Junior pitcher Chris Bradshaw (1-2) earned his first win of the season, allowing three runs in five innings. Tombrella allowed a run in two innings of relief, and junior Chad Durham struck out three Spartan batters in the final two innings. "Tombrella threw Friday and Saturday and kept us in the game," Macha said. "Durham threw Saturday and Sunday and was able to shut San Jose down. To have two guys with the ability to throw that on multiple days will be huge for us in WAC play." Looking for the sweep of the three-game series Sunday, TCU sent junior pitcher Chris Frazier to the mound. Frazier (1-3) gave up five runs on nine hits in three and 2/3 innings, taking the loss 5-3. "The way things have been going this season, the two wins were big," Wilson said. "But a sweep would have been big time. I think two out of three gets us going in the right direction though." Hamilton put the Frogs on the board in first inning with his third home run of the season, and his ground ball to second base in the third inning scored another run when San Jose's Brian Stream committed an error. But the Spartans scored a pair of runs in both the second and third innings to inch ahead of TCU. Although junior pitcher Stan Newton and Durham combined to throw five and 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, the Frogs could not take the lead back. "This weekend was the first time all the relievers threw really well," Newton said. "Our starters have been doing the job all year, and now the relievers are starting to put it together." TCU opens an eight-game road trip at 2:30 p.m. today against the Texas Longhorns.
Rusty Simmons
By Chris Ray skiff staff The TCU women's tennis team came off a loss to unranked Central Florida to upend the No. 37-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in a 5-4 win Saturday at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The Frogs took four of six singles matches, and one of three doubles matches to improve to 8-3. Senior Lucie Dvorakova knocked off the No. 60-ranked player Martina Nedorostove in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Dvorakova improved her current match winning streak in singles competition to seven. Freshman Dorrit Huppes extended a singles match streak of her own to six as she defeated No. 85-ranked Olivia Karlikova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Senior Daria Zoldakova made her return to the Frogs' lineup following a reccurring shoulder injury to upset the No. 99-ranked Lisa Dingwell, 6-4, 6-1 in straight sets. The Frogs picked up their fourth singles win of the day from sophomore Leoni Weirich. Weirich improved to 11-4 on the year with a straight set win over A&M's Cassia Haas, 7-6, 6-0. "We had Daria (Zoldakova) back in our lineup and that allowed everyone to move back up a position in singles," Ingram said. "In doubles (Zoldakova) is ranked eighth in the nation with Lucie (Dvorakova) so that was a huge plus for us at the doubles end." "We have three new girls on the team," Dvorakova said. "They are starting to learn more and are a great helpto the team." The team returns to the court at 2 p.m. today at the Friedman Tennis Center against No. 17-ranked South Carolina.
Chris Ray
By Danny Horne staff reporter Junior forward Myron Anthony was suspended indefinitely from the men's basketball team for what head coach Billy Tubbs is calling a violation of team rules. "I will not comment further on the situation," Tubbs said. Anthony and Athletics Director Eric Hyman could not be reached for comment. Anthony transferred to TCU from the University of Kentucky last spring after admitting his role in a hit-and-run accident involving Kentucky teammate Wayne Turner's car. Anthony later plead guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Anthony was given technical fouls in each of his last two starts against Fresno State on Jan. 20 and Rice on March 3. He has been charged with three technical fouls this season. |
"Hamilton's seeing the ball really well right now,
and every time he swings the bat, the ball seems to be hit hard somewhere,"
sophomore shortstop Erick Macha said. "The whole team really hit the
ball well with men on base and two outs. Then we don't have to rely on
big rallies."| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |