Tennessee is 3-0 all-time against the Horned Frogs
THE GAME
The Lady Vols have won two straight games to climb to 6- 2 on the season, after a tough 70-59 road win at Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. Tennessee returns home to the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena to play host to the TCU Lady Frogs on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The Lady Frogs started the season 6-1 before dropping two of their last three games, ending TCU's two-week stay in the top 25. TCU has had an eight-day layoff since an 85-72 loss at Utah in its last game.
Earlier this season, TCU upset then-No. 3 Georgia, 64-63, on Nov. 27. The win was especially gratifying for TCU, as Georgia ended the Lady Frogs' 2003-04 season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 85-71.
The Orange faithful have been in high spirits at Rocky Top of late, as the Lady Vols have won two consecutive games to improve their season mark to 6-2 as the holiday break approaches.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle has been doing all she can to lessen the blow of Loree Moore's loss, leading the Lady Vols to two consecutive victories while averaging 16.0 ppg, with six rpg, two apg, three spg, and 1.5 bpg in the past two games as the starting point guard. In the first six contests of the season, Hornbuckle had scored just 36 points.
Hornbuckle was at her best on Wednesday versus Louisiana Tech, scoring a career-high 17 points in the 70-59 win. When the Lady Techsters crawled to within five, at 57-52, with just over five minutes to play, the freshman guard hit a 10-foot jumper and then knocked down a free throw to put the game out of reach. Shanna Zolman contributed 15 points, while three players chipped in nine points each.
In the Lady Vols' last home game, Tennessee overcame a 15- point first-half deficit with a 47-point second half, while holding DePaul to just 23 after halftime, in the 78-63 win. Shyra Ely posted her second double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds as five Lady Vols reached double figures.
Tennessee outscored DePaul, 42-16, in the paint. The three prong attack at center, Sybil Dosty, Nicky Anosike, and Tye'sha Fluker, combined to score 14 points and grab 15 rebounds.
The TCU Lady Frogs started the year 6-1 but have had a Jekyl and Hyde-type season to date, posting wins over then-No. 3 Georgia and then-No. 13/14 Michigan State, while suffering three losses to non-ranked foes Utah, Arkansas State and Miami.
Saturday's setback at Utah dropped the squad to 7-3 on the season, knocking the Lady Frogs from the top 25, where they had been ranked the previous two weeks.
Senior forward Sandora Irvin has led the team in just about every single statistical category en route to setting numerous career marks at TCU. Sophomore forward Ashley Davis has pitched in 11.8 points and 5.9 rpg.
The Lady Frogs are 3-0 at home and 4-0 at neutral sites, including winning the 2004 Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team is winless on the road, however, posting an 0- 3 record.
Part of the reason for the tough road record is a lack of perimeter defense, as the team is surrendering 52 percent threepoint shooting (28-54) on the road, including an astonishing 15- of-21 by Utah. In all other games, the Lady Frogs surrendered three-pointers at a 31 percent rate (46-149). TCU will have its hands full today with Lady Vol three-ballers Shanna Zolman 12- of-35 (.343) and Brittany Jackson 9-of-28 (.321).
COACHING STAFFS
Pat Summitt is in her 31st year as head coach of the Lady Vols. Her overall career record stands at 858 wins and 169 losses, and she has led UT to six national championships. Summitt is assisted by Holly Warlick, Nikki Caldwell and Dean Lockwood. The TCU Lady Frogs are coached by Jeff Mittie, who is 117- 53 in his sixth season at the helm of the program. Mittie is assisted by Larry Tidwell, Tonya Benton and Yolanda Wells- Broughton.
TIDBITS
Loree Moore underwent a tonsillectomy on Dec. 10, and will likely sit out a month...Junior guard Shanna Zolman tied the Lady Vol record for consecutive free throws made, hitting 45 straight, including her first 11 this year, before missing her 12th attempt on the season...The miss was her first since Jan. 29, 2004...Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt needs just 22 wins to pass Dean Smith as the NCAA's all-time winningest coach...Freshman center Sybil Dosty was `huge' in the win over DePaul, setting career highs with 11 points and 11 rebounds, in just 14 minutes of action...Dosty has connected on 15 of her 20 shot attempts this season...The Lady Vols will have some added depth this weekend, as freshman guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is expected to be available for the first time this season...Gatewood had been suffering from patella tendonitis in her left knee...The team has shot 44.5 percent from the field over the last two games...The Lady Vols are 242-14 all-time at Thompson-Boling Arena, giving UT the best winning percentage (94.5%) for any Division I women's basketball venue in the nation. Senior forward Sandora Irvin broke the Lady Frogs' all-time scoring record on Dec. 11, as her 20-point effort in an 85-72 loss to the Utah Utes gave her 1,451 for her career, breaking the previous mark of 1,448, set by Janice Dziuk in 1990...Irvin already holds the TCU records for rebounds (1,112) as well as blocks (359)...Irvin is tied for ninth in blocks on the NCAA career list, with a chance at the all-time record of 428, held by Cal State Fullerton's Genia Miller (1987-1991)...This season, Irvin is second in the nation in rebounding and seventh in scoring...Sophomore guard Adrianne Ross is out for the season with a torn ACL...Ross was third on the team in scoring at the time of the injury, averaging 11.8 ppg...TCU is 0-3 all-time versus Tennessee...Sophomore guard Natasha Lacy is 22nd in the nation, averaging 6.1 apg...Earlier in the season, the Lady Frogs stunned then-No. 3 Georgia, 64-63, giving TCU its first win over a top-five squad and only its second ever over a top-10 squad.
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