FORT WORTH, Texas — In a battle for sole possession of third place in the Mountain West Conference, BYU fell to fourth place with a 73-54 loss at TCU on Tuesday. BYU is now 11-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play. TCU improves to 13-9 and 6-2 in conference.
Senior guard Mallary Gillespie-Carling scored in double figures for the 15th time this season and the 62nd time in her career with 11 points. Freshman guard Mindy Nielson earned her sixth double-digit performance with 14 points. As a team, BYU shot 48.1 percent from the floor and brought down 29 boards in comparison to TCU's 41.3 percent shooting and 37 rebounds.
"We got out-hustled; we didn't have our defensive intensity that we've had in the past," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "We have to want it more. We have to realize that we're a good team when we play hard."
The Cougars incurred an early deficit and struggled to make up the distance. BYU shot 50 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes of the game, but only had 10 points to combat its eight turnovers. TCU had a 10-point lead with a 39 percent mark from the field and five offensive rebounds.
The Lady Frogs led by 16 at one point, but the Cougars cut the deficit to single digits, 24-31, with 4:21 left in the half.
Trailing 38-29 at the break, BYU could only muster four points 10 minutes into the second half as TCU increased its lead to 48-33.
Judkins' team will have a week off before resuming conference play Feb. 13 at home against last-place Colorado State.