Undefeated in Mountain West Conference play and riding a 10-game winning streak, Utah’s string of tough outings continues Wednesday when the Utes face off against the TCU Horned Frogs, 13-7 (5-2).
This will be Utah’s third consecutive game against a team with a winning record in conference. Unlike the New Mexico game last week, when the Utes went up against a terrific defensive team, the Utes will now take on the most potent offense in the MWC. The Horned Frogs lead the conference in points per game at 72.3 per contest.
Utah has already faced several tough tests. There was the trip to Provo where the Utes took on an impressive BYU squad, as well as the trip to “The Pit” to take on the New Mexico Lobos.
But thanks to what was a brutal non-conference schedule, the Utes are 7-0 in MWC play and on a roll.
“Our non-conference schedule was really huge for us,” said head coach Elaine Elliott. “I think because we were so competitive early, we didn’t let the early losses get to us. It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, it was about being competitive with Top 25 teams on the road. It gave our kids a lot of confidence.”
Forward Kalee Whipple also commented on how beneficial the loaded non-conference schedule was for the team’s recent success.
“We played a lot of great teams,” Whipple said. “We were in all of those games too. We were able to win a few here and there. We did lose a lot but I think we took a ton from each game. Those were great teams we played.”
After facing all those tough opponents early on in the season, Utah’s experience will help out in containing TCU’s lights-out shooting ability. Three players on the team are currently shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc, including TK LaFleur, who has made a team-high 42 treys on the season. LaFleur is averaging 15 points per game.
TCU’s leading scorer, Helena Sverrisdottir averages 15.5 points per game, and can knock down 3-pointers, as she has averaged 41 percent from the behind the arc. TCU has already been able to use its tremendous 3-point shooting ability to help pull off some upsets this year. In their season opener against then-No. 5 Maryland, the Horned Frogs shot 50 percent from 3-point range to knock off the powerhouse Terrapins, 80-68. It will be imperative that Utah stays alert on defense and makes sure that TCU doesn’t go off from the 3-point line.
Another interesting aspect of Wednesday night’s game, and what is sure to become a running story for as long as it lasts, is Utah’s win streak. The 10-game streak, which is sixth-best in the country, stems from the Utes’ regular season conference win streak that dates back to March 3, 2007. Both streaks are getting hard to ignore at this point, but Elliott thinks her team has handled the pressure that comes with such success very admirably.
“There’s a natural amount of pressure that you can’t really pretend away,” Elliott said. “But we aren’t doing anything to add to it. It’s not about being undefeated or never losing.”
The Utes will attempt to push their winning streak to 11 against the Horned Frogs, and further expand on their impressive win streak.
John StaffordKalee Whipple remembers the though losses that the Utes suffered at the beginning of the season and thinks there?re helping them now. Utah will have to play solid defense to stop TCU?s conference leading offence.