Hailey Van Lith's emotional reaction to TCU clinching Sweet 16 spot
03/24/2025 10:07 AM
For the first time in program history, TCU women's basketball is headed to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 2-seeded Horned Frogs defeated No. 7 Louisville 85-70 in front of a record-setting home crowd of 7,494 at Schollmaier Arena on Monday night, extending their undefeated home record to 21-0 and continuing a historic turnaround season.
Graduate guard Hailey Van Lith delivered a double-double against her former team, posting 16 points and 10 assists. The Big 12 Player of the Year was visibly emotional following the game, reflecting on her personal journey.
"I have endured a lot over my career," Van Lith said, via ESPN. "I keep a lot of it close to my chest, but I’ve been through a lot, and to see myself reap the harvest of the hard work I’ve always put in and to be in an environment where I feel joyous every day, it does make me emotional."
Van Lith spent three seasons at Louisville before transferring to TCU after one season at LSU. She scored over 1,500 points for the Cardinals and helped lead them to multiple deep tournament runs. On Monday, she helped eliminate her former team while helping TCU continue theirs.
TCU women's basketball coach Mark Campbell, named Big 12 Coach of the Year, praised the team's resilience and the fan support.
"Schollmaier was electric for 40 minutes and we needed all of it," Campbell said, per ESPN's Katie Barnes. "So proud of this group to accomplish something that’s never been done here, men or women."
The Frogs had four starters score in the double digits, led by Agnes Emma-Nnopu with 23 points. Donovyn Hunter added a critical 3-pointer late in the game — the same play that marked Van Lith's 10th assist.
Louisville's Jayda Curry scored a career-high 41 points in a standout game, setting a program record.
“She was the best player on the floor,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “She had an unbelievable game. I’m just really proud of her. They couldn’t stop her, and it didn’t matter what they did.”
TCU women’s basketball will face No. 3 seed Notre Dame on Saturday in the Sweet 16. The Horned Frogs previously defeated the Fighting Irish 76-68 in November during the Cayman Islands Classic.
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