They say if you stay ready, you never have to get ready. That’s what Hailey Van Lith and the TCU Horned Frogs did in Sunday night’s battle with the Louisville Cardinals.
At the Walsh Family Court in Fort Worth, Texas, Van Lith faced off against her high school senior signing day team, and she did not disappoint.
Hailey Van Lith Moves TCU to the Next Round of March Madness
The senior star guard scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists as the Horned Frogs beat the Cardinals 85-70. Though Van Lith was the center of attention, this was won because the starting five of TCU stayed ready.
Each starter totaled at least 9 points, led by senior guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu, who had a season-high 23 points.
Louisville did not go down without a fight, primarily from senior guard Jayda Curry. Curry channeled her inner Steph Curry as she dropped a tournament-high 41 points, including six threes. She was the only primary source of scoring as her teammate Olivia Cochran was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 15 points.
This game was lost in the second quarter for the Cardinals. TCU outscored Louisville 27-9 in the second quarter. The Horned Frogs put the shackles on the Cardinals as they went on a 24-5 run that spanned from the 1:59 mark at the end of the first quarter to the 2:03 mark of the second quarter.
Outside of this brutal stretch, The Cardinals outscored TCU 65-61 for the game.
TCU Makes School History
TCU players, staff, and faithful must stand up because the Horned Frogs did something that hasn’t been done in school history: advance to the Sweet 16. Neither the men’s nor women’s programs have ever advanced to the Sweet 16 before this moment, and one of the biggest reasons was the addition of Hailey Van Lith.
Van Lith has gotten back that swagger and flash that made her a top-7 recruit in her recruiting class per ESPN and had her high on WNBA draft boards. There was one moment during the game that stood out.
It was small but showcased the Hailey Van Lith that has made her an excellent basketball player. It was midway through the first quarter, and Van Lith missed her first shot of the game and had turned the ball over in the previous possession.
On her next possession, she got a big to switch out on her off of a screen, hit her with an in-out-out crossover, got to the nail, and threw a no-look pass to Madison Conner in the right corner. Conner missed the shot, but this play showed confidence that she was not playing with last season.
During her time at LSU, when Van Lith turned the ball over, she would become seemingly frustrated, causing her to press. Today, despite making mistakes, she remained calm and played to her talent and skill level. There were moments during the game when she laughed, smiled, and danced in the TCU huddle after the game.
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TCU is a team that can make some serious noise in this tournament, and the catalyst for this team will have to be Hailey Van Lith. If she can keep this swagger and confidence rolling through the rest of the tournament, the Horned Frogs will be as dangerous as any team left.
TCU is set to play Notre Dame in a blockbuster match for a chance for the school to make its first Elite 8 in program history. Hailey Van Lith vs Hannah Hildalgo. That is a treat for the women’s college basketball world, and all eyes will be on this Sweet 16 matchup.
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