TCU women enter Big 12 play with versatility on offense

There’s a reason junior guard Zahna Medley reached 1,000 career points faster than any other player in TCU women’s basketball history.

For the past two seasons, the Springfield, Ill., native has carried the majority of the offensive burden.

With a new coaching staff that emphasizes scoring in transition and getting to the free-throw line, coach Raegan Pebley said Medley has had some weight lifted off her shoulders as TCU (8-3) enters conference play.

“I think the team in general has built a lot of confidence that we can win with Zahna playing as we all know Zahna can play,” Pebley said. “There has also been a lot of confidence that she doesn’t have as much pressure on her that the team goes as Zahna goes. I don’t think that’s the case any more.”

TCU opens Big 12 play at Texas Tech (10-2) on Sunday. Pebley said that when the Frogs players sat down in recent days to assess the first portion of their season, their discussion landed on the success of having a diversity of scorers throughout nonconference play.

Last season, only two TCU players averaged double digits in scoring: Medley (17.1) and senior guard Natalie Ventress (11.6).

This season, four Horned Frogs are averaging double-digit scoring: Medley (17.1 again), senior guard Donielle Breaux (11.2), Ventress (10.5) and senior forward Chelsea Prince (10.3).

That list does not include junior guard/forward Veja Hamilton (7.9), who has found her scoring touch in the final few nonconference games, including a career-high 24-point performance Tuesday against UC Irvine.

“I feel like our team, we have such good chemistry,” Hamilton said. “And they get so happy and excited when someone else is doing good and sparks them also and makes them want to push and bring more energy to the table. and find more opportunities to score for themselves as well.”

Energy is the catalyst for TCU’s offensive versatility, but that all starts at the defensive end.

Pebley has installed an extensive defensive package that aggressively looks for deflections and steals, whether it be a full-court press, half-court man-to-man or a zone defense. Those steals turn into transition buckets or a chance to run a half-court offense with the opponent on their heels.

In 11 games this season, TCU is averaging 22.1 points per game off 226 turnovers. Twice TCU has posted a season-high 36 points off turnovers, against SMU and Texas Southern.

Last season, the Horned Frogs forced 581 turnovers in 33 games, a mark TCU is on pace to break in 29 games this season.

Pebley, however, continues to stress their work on the defensive end and the ability to defend at different speeds.

That is key at the center position, at which Pebley has rotated a committee of players through nonconference play, including sophomore Klara Bradshaw, freshman Taylor Manning-Drake, sophomore Carol Willie, freshman Sydney Coleman and junior Aiche Ndao. Pebley will continue to do so until one player rises above the rest.

“We don’t complicate the game very much, so really it’s about a lot of confidence and assertiveness from the defense and offense,” Pebley said.

The Horned Frogs have confidence after winning four of their last six meetings against Texas Tech heading into Sunday’s game. Ventress has averaged 15.6 points on 57 percent shooting in five games against the Red Raiders.

Confidence is exactly what Pebley wants to see out of her team.

“Whether we’re in conference play or nonconference play, we want to make sure we’re prepared and confident for every single game,” she said. “We want to make sure we’re getting better deep into February. It will be one game at a time.”

This story was originally published January 3, 2015 at 8:50 PM with the headline "TCU women enter Big 12 play with versatility on offense."