The semifinalists in today’s Mountain West Conference women’s tournament are known for their exceptional team ball, whipping passes around the perimeter, setting hard picks and rescuing each other on defense.
Yet if the quarterfinal games were any indication, a dominant player will make the difference before the final buzzer today at the Pepsi Center.
Texas Christian coach Jeff Mittie ran plays through 5-foot-10 junior guard Natasha Lacy on every possession in the last four minutes of the Horned Frogs’ 63-55 victory over Wyoming on Wednesday. Along with Lacy’s low-post scoring, her physical strength on the dribble to get out of traps allowed TCU to milk the shot clock down the stretch.
She also made the play of the game, a steal and a three-point play.
“I think what ends up happening is great players make great plays,” Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said.
When Lacy and TCU face Brigham Young at 1:30 p.m. they will have to deal with Ambrosia Anderson, the most versatile offensive player in the MWC and an underrated defender.
Anderson, a 6-1 left-handed senior from Colorado Springs’ Doherty High, launches 3-pointers at will, powers to the rim from the paint, and uses her quickness and ball-handling to score off drives. Anderson is so talented she admits to the occasional need to rein herself in.
“Sometimes when the lights go on in my head, you know, I think differently and try to do it all,” she said. “But you’ve really just got to play like you practice every day.”
Utah’s Kim Smith, the player with whom Anderson shares MWC player of the year honors, is so smooth she appears to “quietly” pour in 20.3 points per game. Perhaps it’s because the 6-1 senior from Mission, British Columbia, doesn’t take many shots. She makes 55.2 percent of her field-goal attempts.
When Smith and the Utes clash with Nevada-Las Vegas at 11 a.m., Rebels forward Sherry McCracklin is likely to have an impact.
The 6-2 forward is a tremendous leaper and ranks second all-time in the MWC with 877 rebounds and third with 127 blocks.
McCracklin also is an aggressive defender, part of a smothering effort that limited New Mexico to one free throw in the last 5:45 of the Rebels’ 57-45 quarterfinal upset of the Lobos.
