FanPost

WBB | Big 12 First round Preview: Winless Texas Tech

Who: TCU Horned Frogs (17-13, 9-9) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-23, 0-18)
When: 8:30 p.m.
Where: Oklahoma City, Okla. - Chesapeake Energy Arena
TV: Fox College Sports

The TCU Horned Frogs have a chance to make a push for the NCAA tournament, and that starts tonight versus the Texas Tech Red Raiders. To make the tournament, they'll most likely have to make the championship. Taking it one game at a time will be the key for TCU.

Led by Zahna Medley and Natalie Ventress, TCU comes into the tournament with a lot of momentum after big wins against Oklahoma and Kansas State. TCU's top defense has been the spark to their back-to-back wins. They held their last two opponents to just 56.0 points per game. They also forced 39 turnovers in the two games.

For the Horned Frogs to win this ball game, they'll have to rely on Latricia Lovings ability to defend the paint, as the Red Raiders will try to be aggressive and not setting for outside shots. They're ability to attack the paint isn't as quality of attempts as Baylor or even Kansas State, but they do have someone in Amber Battle who knows how to score points in bunches.

Tonight will be the 43rd meeting between the Horned Frogs and Red Raiders since 1980. Texas Tech owns the dominating 39-4 series advantage. However, TCU was able to sweep the season series win the Red Raiders with a 72-57 win in Fort Worth and the first-ever road Big 12 win for TCU as the 65-54 victory.

TCU's top defensive backbone is Lovings. She's helping the Horned Frogs to hold opponents to just 57.7 ppg. Lovings is also the Big 12's leader in blocked shots per game. She's averaging 3.9 blocks per game this season, 4.2 blocks during Big 12 play. She's also a top rebounder for TCU at 8.0 rebounds per game.

While the Horned Frogs swept the Red Raiders this season, don't take this game lightly. Texas Tech has absolutely nothing to lose and would love to play spoilers tonight. TCU just needs to come out, play the sound, defensive game that head coach, Jeff Mittie, has drawn up. If they do that, they might just get a chance to take out the #2 seeded West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday, March 8th.

Follow @OKCChuck for game play-by-play and the rest of the 2014 Big 12 Women's Tournament throughout the weekend.

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