Van Lith leads TCU past Notre Dame to first Elite Eight

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — TCU is in unchartered territory thanks to Hailey Van Lith, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time.

It sure seems like business as usual for the dynamic guard.

Van Lith scored 12 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to help second-seeded TCU beat No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Sedona Prince added 21 points for the Horned Frogs (34-3), who advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Next up is Texas or Tennessee on Monday night.

With the game tied at 52 early in the fourth, Van Lith took over. She scored five of the next six points for TCU to give the team the lead. Every run that the Fighting Irish made, Van Lith and the Horned Frogs had an answer.

Van Lith, who started her career at Louisville before transferring to LSU last season and then TCU this past year, is on her way to a regional final for the fifth time.

Notre Dame (28-6) was trying to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.

Liatu King scored 17 points for the Irish. Hannah Hidalgo had 15 and Olivia Miles finished with 10. But the star backcourt was a combined 6 for 29 from the field.

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TEXAS 67, TENNESSEE 59

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Madison Booker scored 17 points and No. 1-seed Texas outlasted fifth-seeded Tennessee in a tight battle in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Taylor Jones added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Longhorns, who advanced to face TCU in the Elite Eight. The Horned Frogs beat Notre Dame earlier Saturday to advance to it first Elite Eight in school history.

Booker scored seven in the fourth, including four straight with the game tied at 54 with five minutes left. Tennessee pulled back within one on a jumper from Ruby Whitehorn, who led the Volunteers with 16 points. Zee Spearman added 13.

After pushing the lead back to four, Texas depended on what got it to the regional semifinal: defense.

The Longhorns forced four Tennessee turnovers over the final five minutes, and held the Volunteers to no makes on their final five shots. Booker knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to seal the win.

SPOKANE REGIONAL 4

UCONN 82, OKLAHOMA 59

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 40 points, rescuing UConn from its first-half doldrums and single-handedly turning a tight game against Oklahoma into a rout that sent the Huskies to the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Bueckers had 29 points after halftime for the Huskies, who trailed 36-33 at the break. The likely No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft eclipsed her previous career best of 34 points, set Monday in UConn’s second-round victory over South Dakota State, her final home final game at Gampel Pavilion.

The electrifying senior guard matched her career high with six 3-pointers before checking out of the game with 3:06 left and UConn ahead 80-51.

The second-seeded Huskies (34-3), winners of 13 straight, will face the winner of Saturday’s late game between Southern California and Kanas State in a regional final on Monday.

Ashlyn Shade added 12 points and Sarah Strong had 11 points and 11 rebounds for UConn, which is seeking to extend its record by winning a 12th national title. The Huskies reached their fourth Elite Eight in the past five years, but coach Geno Auriemma’s team hasn’t won it all since 2016.

Payton Verhulst scored 16 points for third-seeded Oklahoma (27-8), which was playing its first Sweet 16 game since 2013. The Sooners have never beaten the Huskies in a series that includes the 2002 national title game.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 67, KANSAS STATE 61

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Kennedy Smith stepped into the void left by injured star JuJu Watkins, scoring 19 points to help Southern California hold off Kansas State in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

The top-seeded Trojans (31-3) were considered title contenders before Watkins tore her right ACL during a second-round victory over Mississippi State. Now they’ll be underdogs in an Elite Eight rematch on Monday with Paige Bueckers and second-seeded UConn. The Huskies knocked the Trojans out of last year’s March Madness in Watkins’ first season.

Avery Howell, another freshman, scored 18 points for USC, which went on a 12-0 run during the third quarter to take a 46-39 lead, matching its biggest advantage of the day.

Sundell scored 22 points and Lee had 12 for the fifth-seeded Wildcats (28-8), who fell short of the program’s second Elite Eight appearance and first since 1982. They beat Kentucky 80-79 in overtime to reach their first Sweet 16 since 2002.

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