WBK: Horned Frogs Hold Off Challenge From Cowgirls

FORT WORTH, TX - The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team closed out the regular conference season with a ten point loss, 58-48, against the TCU Horned Frogs on Tuesday night. The Cowgirls are now 11-16 overall and 7-7 in Mountain West play while TCU moves to 16-13 overall and 9-5 in league action.

"I thought we executed well at times tonight," said head coach Joe Legerski. "Our zone defense helped us stay in the basketball game. With us playing TCU in the first round of the MW tournament next week, we will have to cut down on turnovers and shoot better from the field. I thought Chaundra played very well tonight leading us with 15 points and seven rebounds. We will get back to work for next week."

Chaundra Sewell led all scorers for the Cowgirls with 15 plus seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Ashley Sickles and Alison Gorrell each added eight points, while Sickles also finished with seven boards. Wyoming shot 17-51 (.333) from the field and 9-12 (.750) from the free throw line.

TCU was led by Natalie Ventress with ten points and five rebounds while Chelsea Prince recorded nine pints. The Frogs were 22-49 (.449) from the field and 10-13 (.769) from the free throw line.

The Horned Frogs got on the board with a basket from Latricia Lovings while a free throw from Alison Gorrell put Wyoming in the scoring column. Another basket by TCU put them ahead by three, 4-1. The Cowgirls answered with four straight points to give them their first lead of the game 5-4. They would increase their advantage to six, 10-4, with a 5-0 run. Free throws from Antoinette Thompson ended the run for the Frogs and they would score the next 9 of 11 to regain a one point advantage, 13-12, with 7:41 left in the first half. For TCU they would pull ahead by 15 points, 27-12, as that completed a 21 point run for the Frogs. Finally a three-point field goal by Gorrell ended a nearly seven minute scoring drought for the Cowgirls. She would hit a basket on the next basket for Wyoming to bring them to within ten, 27-17. After a three-point field goal by Meagan Henson, the Cowgirls ran off the final 8 of 11 points to close out the half but they still went into the lockerroom down 33-25.

Chaundra Sewell finished with a team high nine points along with three rebounds. She was followed by Alison Gorrell with six points and three boards. Wyoming was 10-28 (.357) from the field but just 3-6 from the free throw line. The Horned Frogs were led by Natalie Ventress with ten points and three assists. Chelsea Prince added seven points. TCU shot 11-21 (.524) from the field and 10-11 (.909) from the free throw line.

The two teams combined for six points in the first four minutes of the second half as the Frogs extended their lead to ten, 37-27. Out of the media timeout, the Cowgirls tried to close the gap with a 9-3 run to make it a four point game, 40-36. A running layup from Chelsea Prince ended a three minute drought for TCU followed by a Whitney Williams three-point field goal increased the lead back to nine, 45-36. Kayla Woodward answered back with a three-point basket of her own to once again make it a six point game, 45-39. The Frogs got the lead back to nine with a 7-4 run, 52-43, with four and a half minutes to go in the game. Wyoming tried to chip away as they scored five of seven points to pull within six, 54-48. Two straight baskets by Wynn and Lovings gave TCU a double-digit lead with two minutes remaining. The next couple of possessions came up empty for the Cowgirls as TCU would come away with a 58-48 victory. ,P. The Cowgirls will now have about a week before heading to the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas. They will face the same TCU Horned Frogs, on Wednesday, March 7.