Hailey Van Lith’s redemption tour continues as ‘Miss March’ pushes TCU right into a historic Elite Eight

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With the shot clock winding down, Hailey Van Lith appeared a bit helpless as she looked for a teammate to move to. Nobody appeared to be open because the fifth-year guard for the second-seeded Horned Frogs spun round and retreated to the 3-point line.

After which, she determined to only end the possession herself.

The 5-foot-8 guard rose and fired, swishing a shot from behind the arc that felt like a dagger going into the intestine of third-seeded Notre Dame. For TCU – enjoying within the Candy 16 for the primary time ever – it capped off a 14-5 fourth quarter run that gave it an eight-point lead with about 4 minutes to play.

“Clearly, one among their defensive methods was to go beneath on all (ball screens) with me. That’s okay. I positively can shoot the three, but additionally I can get to the rim on lots of people,” Van Lith stated. “For those who depart me huge open, I’m going to stay it. It felt one hundred pc pure, one hundred pc in rhythm. I simply stayed composed, pulled again and shot it, and I knew it was in as quickly as I let it go.”

Minutes later, Van Lith twisted that knife once more, connecting on a layup in-traffic to push her Horned Frogs’ benefit to 9 factors with lower than 70 seconds to play.

Weeks in the past, Notre Dame was the No. 1 group within the nation. Now, for the fourth consecutive season, their marketing campaign has ended within the Candy 16. The kryptonite within the Preventing Irish’s story this 12 months was Van Lith, the previous Louisville guard who clashed with the Irish a number of occasions within the ACC. She was pleased to fill that function as soon as extra.

“I’m naturally aggressive, so that you don’t should do an excessive amount of for me to wish to compete. I’ve a ton of expertise with Notre Dame, and I do have a chip on my shoulder about some issues,” Van Lith stated. “I don’t personally really feel any further hostility in the direction of them… I’ve received most of these battles. I like to win.”

Certainly, she is now 7-2 all-time towards Notre Dame.

And Van Lith will now play within the Elite Eight for the fifth time in her collegiate profession.

In Birmingham’s Legacy Enviornment on Saturday afternoon, Van Lith powered TCU to its first-ever regional last within the NCAA match by pouring in 26 factors, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block in a 71-62 victory for the Horned Frogs over the Irish.

Her level whole additionally pushed her into TCU’s historical past books, making her essentially the most prolific single-season scorer in program historical past.

“She is simply able to go to struggle and provides it every part she’s received,” TCU coach Mark Campbell stated of Van Lith. “I believe that’s what allowed this group to maintain on doing stuff that’s by no means been performed.”

When the buzzer sounded, Van Lith balled-up her fists and raised her arms in victory. She slapped Sedona Prince’s hand and chest-bumped her, then hugged Madison Conner. As she did an on-court TV interview with ESPN, her teammates ran over to their band and cheerleaders, leaping, screaming and celebrating. As she completed that interview, her teammates sprinted again over and mobbed her, she yelled within the ESPN microphone: “THIS IS WHY!”

Van Lith is the primary participant within the historical past of school basketball — males or ladies — to seem within the Elite Eight with three completely different colleges. She did it with Louisville and LSU, and now she has the Horned Frogs’ on the cusp of the Ultimate 4. Van Lith has had an unimaginable season for TCU, however March is the place she thrives essentially the most.

“I really feel like she noticed the ball getting in and she or he sort of rose. You possibly can inform her vitality, her confidence was getting stronger, play by play,” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey stated of Van Lith. “I believed she made some actually good defensive performs as properly. Yeah, that is that stage the place nice gamers emerge, I believed and she or he had a very full recreation.”

Beating Notre Dame was no simple process although. Van Lith emerged from the sport wanting like a warrior who had been in a battle. She had numerous cuts on her arms and blood trickling out from her proper knee. However the 23-year-old from Wenatchee, Washington, performed practically 40 minutes with contagious confidence and an exuberant quantity of toughness — as if she was able to taking up hell with a water-gun.

“My coach is aware of I’m going to bleed at the least as soon as a recreation. I’ve scars all down my physique from cuts that haven’t healed. And I’m okay with that. I’m a troublesome lady,” Van Lith stated. “I grew up with an older brother and my dad was extraordinarily arduous on me, so it’s alright. I don’t thoughts. I sort of prefer it. I’m all bandaged up. I sort of really feel like a badass.”

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Picture by Greg Fiume/NCAA Photographs through Getty Pictures

There was a second the place it felt like TCU’s storybook season was near coming to an finish. Halfway by the third quarter, Notre Dame was flexing all of its muscle groups as one of many sport’s signature applications because it took a nine-point lead.

However the skilled Van Lith by no means flinched. She hit a stepback jumper, then she related on a layup, then she stole the ball from Sonia Citron, after which she blocked Hannah Hidalgo’s layup try and briefly stared her down earlier than feeding Prince a move that led to 2 free throws. Van Lith then flushed two free throws of her personal close to the top of the body, finishing a 14-4 run that was steered by her.

“Hailey is a canine, regardless if it’s the offensive finish or defensive finish,” Conner stated. “She goes to do something it takes to win. She has a aggressive edge. She’s talked about it loads and you may see it in her recreation.”

After Notre Dame briefly retook the lead, Van Lith stored pouring fuel into TCU’s tank. Early within the Horned Frogs’ game-sealing fourth quarter run, Van Lith took a dribble handoff from Donovyn Hunter, curled to the highest of the important thing and fired from deep vary as Prince’s display successfully held up Hidalgo. After the ball swished by the web, Van Lith’s dad slapped arms and chest-bumped her boyfriend, former Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs, within the stands.

Certainly, March is Van Lith’s month. She’s now 25-8 all-time in postseason play in her profession — convention tournaments and the Large Dance — giving her a 75.7 successful proportion when the video games matter most.

This win for Van Lith is the newest cease on her redemption tour. A 12 months in the past within the Elite Eight, she was frolicked to dry by LSU’s coaches as they refused to make defensive changes and continued to permit Caitlin Clark torch her. Narratives scapegoated her, and Van Lith bolted from Baton Rouge in seek for a greater match.

She discovered it in Fort Value, Texas, at TCU. After a visit to the Olympics the place she was the one school athlete on the group and helped the USA 3×3 group safe a bronze medal, she went to work on bettering her recreation. She’s now having fun with her finest statistical season, capturing career-highs from the ground and 3-point vary whereas additionally averaging a career-best 5.5 assists per recreation.

And Van Lith isn’t only a heralded offensive participant. She’s improved as a defender too.

“I imply, gosh dang, she is an elite defender… She laces them up and she or he needs to protect the opposite group’s finest participant and she or he does it,” Campbell stated. “The child’s aggressive spirit, DNA and the guts that’s inside her chest is unmatched.”

Take into account that, within the fourth quarter, Van Lith outscored Notre Dame’s trio of All-American guards 12-5. Olivia Miles, Hidalgo and Citron mixed for 1-of-13 capturing within the last body whereas Van Lith flourished, capturing 4-of-7 and making each of her makes an attempt from past the arc.

On this present day, Van Lith was the very best participant on the court docket. The Preventing Irish left the ground with their heads hanging in disappointment. Van Lith marched off along with her teammates round her in tears of pleasure. For the ultimate time in her profession, she felt the candy feeling of beating the Irish on an enormous stage.

“Notre Dame is a faculty that has a ton of nice guards. Ever since I’ve been in school, they’ve all the time had a very stellar guard, and so, you realize, I’m prepared to indicate up for that problem,” Van Lith stated. “Once I play one other actually good guard, my purpose of the sport is to win that battle.”

There is no such thing as a debate as to who received that struggle on Saturday.

Van Lith received the final giggle.

Miss March marches on.