Hailey Van Lith scores 26 points to lead TCU to its first Elite Eight in win over Notre Dame
The No.2-seeded TCU beat No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament. South Jersey’s Hannah Hidalgo finished with 15 points in the loss.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Hailey Van Lith scored 12 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to help No. 2-seeded TCU beat No. 3 seed Notre Dame, 71-62, on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Sedona Prince added 21 points for the Horned Frogs (34-3), who advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Next up is Texas or Tennessee on Monday night.
With the game tied, 52-52, early in the fourth, Van Lith took over. She scored five of the next six points as TCU took the lead. For every run the Fighting Irish made, Van Lith and the Horned Frogs had an answer.
Van Lith, who started her career at Louisville before transferring to LSU last season and then TCU this past year, is on her way to a regional final for the fifth time.
Notre Dame (28-6) was trying to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.
Liatu King scored 17 points for the Irish. Hannah Hidalgo, a South Jersey native and Paul VI graduate, had 15, and Olivia Miles finished with 10. But the star backcourt was a combined 6 for 29 from the field.
Notre Dame got off to a slow start before rallying for a 35-33 halftime lead. Neither team led by more than four points in the second quarter.
The teams met in November at a Thanksgiving tournament in the Cayman Islands, and the Horned Frogs came away with a victory after rallying from a 14-point deficit. The Irish were missing Maddy Westbeld and Liza Karlen for that game.
Takeaways
Their season now over, the Irish will need to find replacements for Sonia Citron, Westbeld, and most likely Olivia Miles next season.
The Horned Frogs continue the best season in school history with the oldest team in the tournament. Their average age: 22½ years old. There are only two players on the roster under 21.
Key stat
TCU made 22 of 24 free throws, including all 16 in the second half.
Key moment
Notre Dame looked as if it would blow the game open early in the third quarter as it scored nine straight points. Miles was a big part of the run. She went behind her back while dribbling up the court in transition before throwing a no-look pass for a layup. Then she hit a three-pointer before waving her arms in celebration as she made her way down the court.
TCU wasn’t rattled though. Van Lith made a couple of key defensive plays to keep the Horned Frogs in the game, and they trailed, 52-50, entering the fourth.