TCU Beats Notre Dame Again, Advances to Elite Eight

Saturday, March 29

Birmingham, Ala.

Noon

TCU

34-3,16-2Big 12

Notre Dame

28-6,16-2ACC

Notre Dame

TCU

TCU Beats Notre Dame Again, Advances to Elite Eight

3/29/2025 5:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Postgame Press Conference

Van Lith scores 26 to lead Horned Frogs past Fighting Irish, 71-62

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – TCU's Cinderella story is far from finished.

Facing off with one of the titans of college basketball, and two seasons removed from finishing 1-17 in Big 12 play, the Horned Frogs booked their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

Hailey Van Lith scored 26 points to lead No. 2 seed TCU past third-seeded Notre Dame 71-62 on Saturday at Legacy Arena in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Van Lith accounted 12 of the Horned Frogs' 20 points in the fourth quarter and single-handedly outscored the Fighting Irish. She tallied five straight with TCU nursing a 53-52 lead. A driving layup from the 5-9 guard with 1:10 to go widened the Frogs' advantage to 69-60.

She became the first player in NCAA history to lead three separate schools to the Elite Eight. Van Lith is also one of only five players since 2000 to reach an NCAA Regional final five times.

TCU (34-3, 16-2 Big 12) now faces No. 1 seed Texas at 6 p.m. on Monday on ESPN for a ticket to the Final Four. The Longhorns (34-3) ousted No. 5 seed Tennessee, 67-59, to set up the Lone Star State showdown.

Sedona Prince finished with 21 points, six rebounds and six blocks while Madison Conner added 13 points. The collective efforts marked the ninth time this season the TCU trio has combined for 60-plus in a game.

Prince recorded five of her rejections in the second half and was 11-12 at the foul line.

The Horned Frogs were a perfect 16-16 at the charity stipe out of the intermission and 22-24 for the game.

Notre Dame (28-6) rattled off nine straight points to begin the second half and assume a 46-39 edge. TCU countered with an 8-0 run of its own to ignite its comeback. The Horned Frogs outscored the Irish 32-16 over the game's final 14 minutes.

TCU muscled its way into the bonus with 2:56 remaining in the third and shot 10-10 at the foul line. The Frogs briefly led 51-50 before a buzzer-beater from Liatu King (17 points) staked Notre Dame to a one-point lead.

Van Lith's 26 points were her most ever in a Sweet 16 game. She stretched TCU's fourth quarter lead to seven at 62-55 off a midrange jumper with just over five minutes to go. In doing so, Van Lith broke Sandora Irvin's 2003-04 program record for most points scored in a season. She delivered a dagger at the 4:11 mark that made the score 65-57 in favor of the Frogs. Van Lith's final layup swelled her season points tally to 663.

TCU hit seven of its first eight field goals and raced out to a 16-9 head start entering the first media timeout. Notre Dame bridged an 11-0 run between the first and second quarters to regain the advantage. Neither team led by more than four points in the second quarter.

The Horned Frogs held Notre Dame to a season-worst 31 percent clip (22-69) from the field. TCU limited guards Hannah Hidalgo (15 points) and Olivia Miles (20 points) to 6-29 shooting and just eight combined points in the second half.

Notre Dame's three 3-pointers were its fewest in a game all season.

Van Lith came one rebound shy of recording her second straight double-double. She led TCU with nine rebounds while Agnes Emma-Nnopu paired seven boards with as many points.

TCU held the Fighting Irish to their second-fewest points in a game.

Team Notes

TCU improved to 9-2 vs. the AP Top 25.
The Horned Frogs nine ranked victories are the fifth-most of any team in America.
TCU has now won five straight games over ranked teams and is one of just six programs nationwide to do so in 2024-25.
The Fighting Irish entered Saturday's game ranked eighth in The Associated Press poll. The victory is good for the Horned Frogs' seventh all-time win over a top 10 team and is the third-highest ranked win in program history.
TCU's 34 wins are tied for the fourth-most in a season by a Big 12 Conference team.
The Frogs are the first Big 12 team besides Baylor to win 34 games or more in a season.
TCU trailed at halftime for the first time in 27 games and just the third time all season.
The Horned Frogs' 13-game winning streak is the second-longest in program history, trailing only their run of 14 straight victories to begin the Mark Campbell era in 2023-24.
TCU shot 50 percent from the field (22-44). The Horned Frogs have connected at or above a 50 percent clip in three straight games and 18 times this season.
TCU's 22 free throws were its most in a game all season.
The Frogs recorded 10-plus blocks for the third time.
TCU increased its NCAA-leading 3-pointers tally to 349, putting the Frogs eight shy of matching Iowa State's 2021-22 Big 12 single-season record for threes.
TCU has yet to lose when Conner, Prince and Van Lith team up for 60-plus points.
TCU held Notre Dame to its two worst shooting percentages in a game this season.
TCU has now kept 30-of-36 teams and 10 consecutive opponents below their season scoring average.
Notre Dame became the 25^th team to make five-or-fewer 3-pointers vs. the Horned Frogs' defense this season.
TCU outscored the Fighting Irish by a combined 51-22 margin in the fourth quarter of its pair of victories.
TCU is now 4-0 vs. the ACC this season. The Horned Frogs are the first team in Big 12 Conference history to play four games against ACC foes and win them all.
TCU improved to 8-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
TCU did not receive a single bench point for the second straight game.

Individual Notes

Van Lith notched her NCAA-leading 16^th NCAA Tournament victory.
Van Lith's 26 points were tied for her second-most in an NCAA Tournament game.
Van Lith scored in double figures for the 13^th time in March Madness. Only Paige Bueckers of UConn has reached double figures in more NCAA Tournament games (17).
Van Lith's 26 points are the most-ever by a Horned Frog in an NCAA Tournament game.
Van Lith improved to 7-1 all-time vs. the Fighting Irish.
Prince averaged 20.5 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks vs. the Fighting Irish across the teams' two battles.
Prince notched her 20^th multi-block game of the season, the most of any player in America.
Prince has finished with three-plus blocks in four of her seven career NCAA Tournament games.
Prince has scored at least 20 points in six of TCU's 11 games vs. ranked teams.
Conner has now knocked down 127 threes this season, four shy of matching the Big 12 single-season record.
Emma-Nnopu snagged seven rebounds for the 32^nd time in a TCU jersey.
Five of TCU's 14 players have now advanced to the Elite Eight at least twice in their careers. Conner and Emma-Nnopu, along with Taylor Bigby and Donovyn Hunter, are making their second appearances in an NCAA Regional final.
Campbell has now reached the Elite Eight on five occasions in his coaching career. He first reached the Regional finals during his second-and-final season as an assistant coach at Saint Mary's in 2009-10. Campbell then helped guide Oregon to three consecutive Elite Eight appearances from 2017-19.