Daily Skiff

Following Saturday's game against Air Force, women's head basketball coach Jeff Mittie said the Lady Frogs need to do a better job of maintaining their focus if they hope to build on the early success they have had in conference play.

If the team lacks focus at times, it didn't show it against Air Force, as the Lady Frogs won 79-43.

"The first half I thought was just kind of up and down," Mittie said.

The Falcons, who fell to 4-13 overall and 0-4 in the Mountain West Conference, had trouble matching the Lady Frogs' athleticism, but TCU, who now holds an 11-6 overall record and a 3-1 mark in conference play, kept Air Force in the game by virtue of its own errors. TCU overcame a sloppy start on both halves of the court, as the team failed to secure rebounds and had trouble handling the ball.

The Falcons' only lead came in the first minute of play. The Lady Frogs began to pull away early benefitting the speed of junior guard TK LaFleur and a complementary performance from sophomore guard Helena Sverrisdottir, who added 15 points, six rebounds and a team-high six assists in 28 minutes of work.

Mittie said he was mostly happy with the team's ability to pass the ball.

"I think we got [the ball] to the right person, but I think we're still a hair late," Mittie said.

LaFleur, who finished the game with 18 points and nine rebounds, said her teammates helped her have a successful night on the court.

"I was just playing and feeding off my teammates," LaFleur said. "It was a team effort and good timing from my teammates."

TCU moved its lead to 34-24 by halftime, with Air Force unable to close the gap and the Lady Frogs unable to put the game away. A guard-heavy lineup quickly changed that in the second half.

"We were playing with essentially five guards [in the second half]," Mittie said. "I'm not very happy right now with our inside play and the rebounding and the toughness that they are capable of giving us is very spotty right now."

In the second half, TCU's small lineup came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders.

"We just moved the ball really well, and when we're hitting our shots it's going to be hard to beat us," sophomore forward Emily Carter said.

TCU's lead grew to a 45-24, and Air Force would never get within 20 of the Lady Frogs again.

"I just talked at halftime that we were going to fly around and be active and get loose balls, and we saw more hustle plays in the second half," Mittie said.

The Falcons were held to only 22.6 percent shooting in the second half, while TCU improved to 48 percent shooting in the game, allowing coach Mittie to give some of his starters an extended break in the second half.

Up next for the Lady Frogs are two games on the road against the University of Wyoming and the University of New Mexico.

The Lady Frogs will return Jan. 28 to face San Diego State University at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

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