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Frogs Head to OKC for Big 12
TCU Horned Frogs (16-13, 8-10) vs. Kansas (5-24, 0-18)
2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Championships
Date (Time)Â Friday, March 4, 2016 (8:30 p.m. CT)
Location Oklahoma City, Okla. | Chesapeake Energy Arena
TV Fox College Sports Ron Thulin (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (analyst) KTCU 88.7 FM in the DFW Metroplex Jeff Williams (play-by-play)
Live Stats GoFrogs.com
Game Notes TCU Game Notes
FORT WORTH, Texas –Â No. 7 seed TCU faces No. 10 seed Kansas for the second straight game as the Horned Frogs open play in the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championships at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The Frogs face the Jayhawks on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. in the second of two opening round games to be televised by Fox College Sports with Ron Thulin (Play-by-Play) and Brenda VanLengen (Analyst) on the call. The game is also available on the radio via KTCU 88.7 FM in the DFW Metroplex and through GoFrogs.com with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) on the call.
The consecutive matchup with the Jayhawks marks the fourth time in five seasons that TCU will open the league tournament with the same team that they concluded the regular season. The Frogs faced Kansas in 2012-13 and Texas in 2014-15 as members of the Big 12 Conference and Wyoming in 2011-12 as a member of the Mountain West Conference in consecutive games to close the regular season and open a league tournament.
Senior All-America candidate Zahna Medley leads the Frogs into the Big 12 Championships after averaging 16.4 points per game during the regular season while shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range. Her 16.4 points per game average would rank eighth in the TCU record book for a single season and mark the third time in Medley’s career that she has posted a top 10 single season average. Medley is coming off a 21-point performance on Senior Night against Kansas that allowed her to break Sandora Irvin’s TCU career scoring record of 1,892 points. Medley’s free throw in the first quarter gave the senior her 1,893rd point to break the record. Medley already held the TCU career three-point mark and ranks in the top five of 10 TCU career statistical categories.
TCU fans are encouraged to send the team off at a pregame pep rally in Oklahoma City as the team heads to the bus to depart for their opening round game. Fans can meet the team at 7:00 p.m. CT at the Courtyard Marriott on West Reno Avenue near the arena as they enter the bus.
2015-16 HIGHLIGHTSÂ
• Zahna Medley became the all-time leading scorer in TCU Basketball history, men’s or women’s basketball, during TCU’s Senior Night win over Kansas on Feb. 29, 2016, passing TCU great Sandora Irvin’s previous mark of 1,892 career points.
• Zahna Medley was named the a first team All-Big 12 Conference selection for the third consecutive season, becoming the first player in program history to earn first team honors three times. AJ Alix took home honorable mention honors, her first career all-conference honor.
• TCU began play in the new Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena on Dec. 20, 2015 with a win over Southern Utah. The $72 million renovation gives TCU one of the nation’s premier basketball venues.
• The Horned Frogs have signed one of the best recruiting classes in program history and one of the nation’s top 10 classes this year with the November 2015 signings of Amber Ramirez, Mikayla Christian, Kianna Ray, Ella Hellessey and Danielle Rainey. Ramirez is the top signee in the class and is ranked among the top 15 players nationally, making her the second highest rated player to sign with TCU in program history behind Sandora Irvin (ranked 6th prior to joining Frogs).
• Ramirez has taken home slew of honors throughout the 2015-16 season including being named the first McDonald’s All-American Game selection in program history and a Naismith Trophy finalist.
• TCU ended its two-year tenure in the University Recreation Center on Dec. 12, 2015 when the Horned Frogs hosted No. 3/3 Notre Dame. The Frogs went 21-4 in 25 games in the venue with three of the four losses coming at the hands of teams ranked in the top five nationally. The tenure in the venue included a 12-game home winning streak that was the third longest in TCU history for home games.
TALKING POINTS AND NOTABLE STATISTICSÂ
• Zahna Medley became the all-time leading scorer in TCU Basketball history, men’s or women’s basketball, during TCU’s Senior Night win over Kansas on Feb. 29, 2016, passing TCU great Sandora Irvin’s previous mark of 1,892 career points.
• Medley ranks in the top 10 of 14 TCU career statistical categories, including points, assists and three-point field goals made.
• TCU was 4-2 in its final six regular season league games entering the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championships.
• Senior Zahna Medley was a first team All-Big 12 selection for the third time in her career and the first time as a unanimous selection. Sophomore AJ Alix earned honorable mention honors.
• TCU has won at least eight games in Big 12 Conference play in each of the last three years and in three of the four years it has been a member of the Big 12 Conference.
• TCU has used eight different starting lineups this season, including five different lineups in conference games. 10 players on the TCU roster have at least one career start to their name, including nine different players this season.
• TCU is in its second season under the leadership of head coach Raegan Pebley. Pebley led TCU to 18 wins in 2014-15, the most wins in a coaches’ first-year at TCU in program history. Pebley is looking to become the first coach in program history to lead a team to the postseason in their first two seasons as the Horned Frogs’ head coach.
RECENT NOTABLESÂ
• TCU’s game with Texas on Feb. 27, 2016 was its 10th against a ranked foe in 2015-16, tying the TCU school record for most ranked foes faced in a season. TCU faced 10 ranked foes during the 2005-06 season. It faced nine ranked foes in 2012-13 and 2013-14. TCU has previously faced seven or more ranked foes in 1994-95, 2005-06, 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
• Over a recent 130 minute stretch during the fourth quarter of the most recent Baylor game plus wins over Iowa State, Kansas and No. 17 Oklahoma State – TCU outscored its opponents by 69 total points.
• TCU’s 37 fourth quarter points against Baylor on Feb. 10, 2016 were the most by the Frogs this season and the most by a Big 12 Conference team in a game this year. It was the third time this year TCU has scored 30 or more points in a single quarter after scoring 30 in the third quarter against New Orleans and 34 in the fourth quarter against West Virginia on Jan. 24, 2016.
SERIES NOTABLESÂ
• TCU leads the all-time series with Kansas 6-4.
• TCU has won five of the last six games between the teams, including an 70-44 decision in Lawrence and a 55-52 decision in Fort Worth earlier this season.
• TCU and Kansas will meet in a Big 12 tournament opener for the second time in four seasons.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT NOTABLESÂ
• Since the start of the 2001 WAC Tournament, TCU is 17-12 in league tournament games.
• TCU is 1-3 in Big 12 Conference tournament games, including a 1-1 mark in Oklahoma City at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
• TCU is 4-1 all-time in league tournament games played in the state of Oklahoma, winning the 2011 WAC Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., at Reynolds Coliseum in its final year as a WAC-league member.
• TCU has won tournament crowns in the WAC and Conference USA and has also reached the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament.
PEBLEY AND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT NOTABLESÂ
• Raegan Pebley lost her Big 12 Championships debut last season in the quarterfinals in a 67-61 loss to Texas.
• Pebley is 6-1 in league tournament games since the start of the 2012-13 season with two Mountain West Conference Tournament championships.
• Pebley’s teams have not suffered back-to-back losses in league tournament games since her Utah State teams lost consecutive games in 2009 and 2010.
• Pebley coached teams are 10-11 all-time in league tournament games.
• Six of Pebely’s 11 all-time league tournament game losses have come by seven points or less with the last three losses coming by just six points or less.
MEDLEY TAKES OVER TCU CAREER SCORING RECORDÂ
Zahna Medley became the all-time leading scorer in TCU history with a free throw in the first quarter of a 55-52 win over Kansas on Senior Night on Feb. 29, 2016. It was her 1,893rd career point, passing the 1,892 points by TCU great Sandora Irvin. Irvin was present for the game, as was Medley’s mother – who was seeing Medley play in a home game for the first time during Medley’s collegiate career.
Medley moved into second place on the career scoring list on Jan. 30 at Oklahoma State. Medley passed TCU great Helena Sverrisdottir on the all-time scoring list with a jumper in the lane with 8:46 to go in the game that pushed her past Sverrisdottir’s 1,764 career total.
WE MEET AGAINÂ
TCU is meeting Kansas for the second time in five days this week after closing the regular season against the Jayhawks at home on Monday.
The game marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that TCU will open the conference tournament against a team it faced to close out the regular season having faced Kansas in 2012-13 and Texas in 2014-15 as members of the Big 12 Conference and Wyoming in 2011-12 as a member of the Mountain West Conference.
SENIOR NIGHT LEFTOVERSÂ
• Medley’s record-setting night was the highlight of a notable Senior Night for TCU in the 55-52 win over Kansas.
• TCU won its last home game of the regular season for the 12th consecutive season, a streak that dates to the final home game of the 2005-06 season when the Frogs beat UNLV 82-77 in overtime.
• TCU is now 4-0 on Senior Night since joining the Big 12 Conference.
• TCU won its final three home league games this year, finishing the year 5-4 at home in league games.
• TCU finished the regular season 12-5 at home, including a 6-5 mark in the inaugural games in the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.
TCU AND THE POSTSEASON
TCU is likely to advance to the postseason for the third straight season in 2016.
TCU has previously reached the postseason in 13 of the last 15 seasons. The 13 appearances are the fourth most in that span among Big 12 programs, trailing only Baylor (15), Oklahoma (15) and Iowa State (14).
The Horned Frogs earned their first-ever postseason bid in 2001 and has made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. The program has a 5-9 record in the NCAA Tournament.
MEDLEY, ALIX EARN LEAGUE HONORSÂ
Senior All-America candidate Zahna Medley was named a first team All-Big 12 selection for the third time in her career, it was announced on March 2 by the league offices. In addition, sophomore AJ Alix was named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. The All-Big 12 honors are chosen by head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes. Medley was a unanimous selection, signifying that all nine opposing coaches in the Big 12 Conference had Medley on their ballot.
MEDLEY BECOMES FIRST WITH THREE FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
With her selection as a first team All-Big 12 player for the third straight year, Zahna Medley became the first player in program history to earn three First Team All-Conference honors during their TCU career. Sandora Irvin (2004 and 2005 Conference USA), Emily Carter (2010 and 2011 Mountain West Conference) and Helena Sverrisdottir (2009 and 2010 Mountain West Conference) are the only other players in the history of the program to earn multiple First Team All-Conference honors during her TCU playing careers.
MEDLEY NAMED BIG 12 POWÂ
On 2-15-16 TCU senior All-American candidate Zahna Medley was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on Feb. 15, 2016. The honor is selected via a vote of a media panel that covers the Conference.
Medley was honored for the sixth time in her career and the second time as player of the week. It is the 33rd time a TCU player has earned a Conference Player of the Week and 37th time a TCU player has earned Conference Player or Conference Freshman of the Week honors since the start of the 2005-06 season for the Frogs.
It came following a big week for Medley, totaling 43 points for a 21.5 average in TCU’s two games last week to move into the Big 12 top 25 in career points. She connected on seven three-pointers and is now just three away from tying the TCU career record. Additionally, Medley needs 73 points to tie Sandora Irvin for TCU’s all-time scoring mark.
She had 16 fourth quarter points against No. 4 Baylor and finished the game with 24 as TCU whittled a 25-point lead down to six points in the final minute with a Big 12 Conference record 37-point fourth quarter. Medley hit four three’s in the game and made all five of her fourth quarter shots for the Frogs. Against Iowa State, the senior guard had a game-high 19 points, hitting 3-of-6 from three-point range in helping TCU secure its second sweep of the season. The effort versus Iowa State gave Medley her 90th career double-figure game and 19th of the season.
MEDLEY MOVING UP BIG 12 LISTÂ
Senior Zahna Medley passed TCU assistant coach and Texas legend Edwina Brown on the all-time Big 12 Conference scoring list on Jan. 20 against Texas with her three-point field goal early in the first quarter that gave Medley her fifth point on the day.
Medley joined elite company on Nov. 24, 2015 against Prairie View A&M when she became the 45th player to score 1,500 career points as a player in the Big 12 Conference. The list includes current TCU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Edwina Brown.
• Medley became the 5th player in TCU women’s basketball history to reach the 1,500 career point mark.
• Medley became the 14th player in the combined history of TCU women’s basketball and TCU men’s basketball to reach the 1,500 career point mark when she surpasses the mark.
THREE FOR ZÂ
TCU All-American candidate Zahna Medley has joined elite company of the top three point shooters in Big 12 Conference history. Medley currently ranks 4th on the all-time list. Medley became the fourth player in Big 12 Conference history to record 300 or more career three-point field goals when she nailed a second quarter three at West Virginia on Feb. 24, 2016.
MEDLEY MILESTONESÂ
• Medley is quickly approaching the 500 assist mark for her career is trying to become just the second active player in the nation alongside Rachel Banham of Minnesota to post 1,500 career points and 500 assists.
• Medley reached the 100 assists mark for the 2015-16 season during TCU’s game at West Virginia on Feb. 24, 2016. It made Medley the only player in TCU history to post 100 assists in four consecutive seasons.
• Medley became the 26th player in Big 12 Conference history to reach the 1,800 point mark in a career during TCU’s 81-75 loss to No. 4 Baylor on Feb. 10, 2016.
• Medley became the 23rd player in Big 12 Conference history to reach 1,900 career points during TCU’s Feb. 29, 2016 win over Kansas.
• Medley entered the top 25 in Big 12 Conference history in career points on Feb. 13, 2016 against Iowa State.
MEDLEY AND THE RECORD BOOKÂ
• Medley’s 121 career starts rank 2nd in TCU history behind Helena Sverrisdottir who started 127 games from 2007-11.
• Medley’s 123 career appearances are close to placing her in the top 10 in program history for career games played. The school record is 135 by Adrianne Ross from 2003-08. If she appears in the remainder of the regular season games and TCU’s first Big 12 Conference Tournament game, she would have 124 career appearances and rank ninth on the all-time TCU list.
MEDLEY STREAKSÂ
• Medley has scored in double figures or had at least three assists in every game this season and in all but four games of her career (119-of-123).
• Medley has knocked down at least three three-point field goals in 20-of-29 games this season. She accomplished the feat nine times last season and has done it 53 times in her career.
BIG 12 SWEEPSÂ
TCU has three league sweeps in 2015-16, beating Texas Tech, Iowa State and Kansas.
The Frogs had previously secured two league sweeps in each of the last three seasons, including a sweep of Oklahoma State last year that included a win over Oklahoma State when they were ranked 16th in the nation.
FROGS’ 3-POINT SUCCESS AMONG BEST IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE HISTORY
TCU’s 39.0 percent shooting clip in 2015-16 is among the best in Big 12 Conference history. The Frogs are trying to finish among the top 10 in the nation in three point shooting to become the first team since Oklahoma in 2012-13 to finish in the top 10 nationally in three-point field goal shooting.
Overall, 14 teams have finished in the top 10 nationally in three-point field goal percentage from the Big 12 Conference.
HAMILTON JOINS 500 REBOUND CLUBÂ
TCU senior Veja Hamilton became the 12th player in TCU history to reach the 500 career rebounds mark when she grabbed her first rebound against West Virginia on Feb. 24, 2016 in the first quarter. Hamilton became the 6th player in TCU history to reach 900 career points and 500 career rebounds once she surpasses the rebounding mark.
HAMILTON LEFTOVERSÂ
Hamilton needs 56 points to become the 15th member of TCU’s 1,000 point club.