Notre Dame had national championship aspirations months before the 2024-25 season began. The roster was stacked with enough talent to make those aspirations a reality.
Instead, for the fourth straight year, the Irish's NCAA Tournament run ended in the Sweet 16. Led by led by a longtime nemesis, TCU won, 71-62, in Birmingham, Alabama for its second win over the Irish this season.
For three quarters, the Irish (28-6) showed they could compete with the Horned Frogs (34-3). They went up by as much as nine near the midway point of the third quarter. Even after the Frogs took the lead near the end of the quarter, Liatu King put the Irish back in front with a layup at the buzzer.
The fourth quarter was a different story though as the Irish shot only 3 of 18 from the field. Hailey Van Lith, who now has a 7-2 record against the Irish going back to her days at Louisville, took advantage by scoring 12 of her game-high 26 points and grabbing three of her nine rebounds in the frame. By the end of the game, she was being praised by everyone:
Sedona Prince scored 21 points for the Frogs, and Madison Conner added 13. While their defense also factored into the decision, they also were part of a collective effort in which they had far more efficient shooting than the Irish. Both teams made 22 field goals, but the Frogs attempted 25 fewer shots.
King achieved a double-double in her final college game with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Hannah Hidalgo had 15 points and four steals.
Olivia Miles, perhaps also in her last game with the Irish, scored seven of her 10 points in the second quarter. However, she and Hidalgo collectively missed all eight of their field-goal attempts in the fourth.
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