After snapping a two-game skid, the women’s basketball team welcomes an opponent Sunday that holds a lot of tradition, the head coach said.Following an impressive performance from senior guard Adrianne Ross, the Lady Frogs will go head-to-head with state rival Texas A&M on Sunday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Head coach Jeff Mittie said this game is big for his team because they are competing against a respected, in-state opponent with the Aggies.
“The rivalry between us and A&M is not just about women’s basketball,” Mittie said. “It’s this way with anything you play the Aggies in. We have been playing each other for 100-plus years.”
TCU is coming into the game following a 75-63 win against 0-4 Fresno State on Wednesday, bringing its record to 3-3 for the season.
The No. 12 Aggies have gotten off to a solid start this season with a 4-1 record.
The last time these two teams played each other was in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Women’s Division I tournament where the Lady Frogs beat the Aggies, 69-65.
Coming off the win against Fresno State, Mittie said Sunday’s test against A&M presents a similar challenge on defense, much like FSU did Wednesday.
“This team presses a lot,” Mittie said. “We need to handle that pressure and hopefully get some points on the board.”
Senior guard Moneka Knight said she remembers A&M as being a quick team, but one that has a playing style similar to TCU.
“This is a big pressure team and, hopefully, should turn out to be a good game,” Knight said.
Senior forward Lorie Butler-Rayford said the team is really excited about taking on an opponent with the stature of A&M.
“Two years ago when we played them, we won,” Butler-Rayford said. “I’m sure they want revenge, so we have to come out with our A-game Sunday.”
Mittie said this game is not just about the opponent, but about how to get the team to play better.
In Wednesday’s game, Ross scored a season-high 23 points, leading three players who scored in double-figures, including Butler-Rayford and sophomore guard Danielle Nunn.
Knight said as a team they are working on remaining focused on the game and continuing to build the necessary confidence in each other and as a team.
