Jan. 18, 2006
SAN DIEGO - In the two schools' first meeting as members of the Mountain West Conference, the visiting TCU Lady Frogs used their quick transition game and plus-12 margin on the boards to defeat the San Diego State women's basketball team, 77-60, Wednesday evening at Cox Arena. With the loss, the Aztecs dropped to 3-12 overall and are 0-5 in league action, while the Lady Frogs improved to 9-6 overall and 3-1 in MWC play.
SDSU got a team-high 10 points from both sophomore Shanna Demus (Palmdale, Calif.) and junior Desiree Johnson (Kahuku, Hawaii). The Aztecs' leading scorer, junior Michelle Strawberry (Corona, Calif.), was limited to only eight points, which was seven off her season average of 15 entering the night. Freshman LaSandra Dixon (Azusa, Calif.) also had eight points, while Demus recorded a team-high six rebounds.
San Diego State started the night off well, as Strawberry drained a three-pointer to open scoring just 23 seconds into the game. TCU quickly caught up, recording the next four points, before a Demus lay-up put the host back ahead, 5-4. The lead changed hands three more times with an Adrianne Ross three-pointer giving the Lady Frogs the lead at 9-7. The Aztecs tied the game at 16 at the 11:58 mark, but were down by eight at 41-33 heading into the locker room.
The SDSU offense hit a dryspell in the second half, as the Aztecs managed just six points in the first 10 minutes, while TCU increased their lead to 28 at 67-39. The Lady Frogs were up by as many as 29 points, before SDSU closed out the evening with a 10-0 run, before falling 77-60.
TCU had four players in double-figures with Ross leading the way with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor. Forward Lorie Butler-Rayford logged a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Frogs.
SDSU's schedule doesn't get any easier as the Aztecs take on conference leader and 23rd-ranked Brigham Young on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (MT) at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.