TCU women meet road struggles head-on in WNIT second round
The celebration after TCU’s 85-80 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the opening round of the Women’s NIT on Thursday was slightly bittersweet.
The Horned Frogs accomplished the goal of advancing in a postseason tournament for the first time since 2008, but soon found out they would have to travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for their second-round game against Southern Miss (2 p.m. Sunday).
“We were hoping we would be able to host the first two rounds, and we were really proud of the environment that we had,” TCU coach Raegan Pebley said.
The road hasn’t been good to the Horned Frogs this season. TCU has three wins away from the University Recreation Center, one of which came against Missouri State in the neutral-site Omni Classic in November.
For this go-round, the TCU coaching staff met the challenge head-on, talking through their season of road woes before heading to Hattiesburg.
“We just talked about the toughness we need to show and the real focused effort,” Pebley said. “It needed to start today and understanding we haven’t done it yet.”
On the road, it starts with defense, Pebley said, because possessions can be hard to come by.
“We really need to make sure that we’re valuing that end of the floor and we need to take care of the ball,” Pebley said.
TCU (18-13) must also cut down on turnovers, which Pebley believes her team is prone to away from home.
Possessions could be at a premium due to the offensive efficiency of Southern Miss, which is shooting 45.1 percent from the field this season.
Leading the charge is senior forward Tamera Jones, who averages a team-high 16.3 points per game and shoots 49.5 percent from the field.
The Eagles (23-10) only have two scorers averaging in double digits, but they still present a well-rounded challenge, Pebley said.
“They run so much stuff,” Pebley said. “Probably one of the most set-heavy teams that we’ve played against so far. They’re a challenge to prepare for in only two days.”
They also play an aggressive defense, forcing nearly 20 turnovers per game, 9.7 of which come via steals.
The game marks the first meeting between the schools in 10 years, with TCU running up a 4-0 record against the Eagles when they were members of Conference USA.
Quick turnarounds are a big part of tournament season, of which TCU is glad to continue to take part.
“Getting that first win in the tournament was huge for them because it gives them that taste of March Madness and survive-and-advance,” Pebley said.
This story was originally published March 21, 2015 at 9:48 PM with the headline "TCU women meet road struggles head-on in WNIT second round."