Hailey Van Lith during a game. – Source: Chris Jones, Imagn
On Wednesday, the TCU Horned Frogs defeated the Colorado Buffaloes by 13 points, 63-50, to start 2025 on a high. The team was led by fifth-year star Hailey Van Lith, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
This was a much-needed victory for Van Lith, as she is looking to soak in success in her fifth and final year of college basketball. Although TCU have since won their last five games, the combo guard is still reeling in the lessons she learned after a tough 85-52 defeat to defending champions South Carolina Gamecocks last Dec. 8.
Van Lith detailed on the lessons she learnt from losing to the Dawn Staley-coached squad and how she has been able to apply them, such as in the Colorado triumph, during the post-game press conference.
“One of the things for us in the South Carolina game was lack of experience in those kind of environments. Now that we’ve been through it, and honestly, it can’t get worse than that game. We know that we can only go up from here,” Van Lith sharedn(6:58 onwards).
“We kind of have like an underdog mentality still, and we thrive off of that energy. So, we’re going to keep that mindset and make sure that our team is thriving off of how we’re approaching the game,” she added.
The Horned Frogs have a 14-1 overall record in the 2024-2025 season. The team is looking more and more poised for a deep run in the campaign, much to the delight of Van Lith.
As Big 12 Conference games approaches, TCU is projected to stay atop the division and will be a formidable force to topple for conference opponents. Their next test will be the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday, as they will need to win more big games to prove their worth against powerhouse programs such as the Gamecocks.
Hailey Van Lith says that the team has found their defensive identity
For Van Lith, the main thing that the team has improved on from the start of the season is their defense. She shared her thoughts on this during the presser, crediting her teammates for being more united when defending the basketball both on the perimeter and inside the paint.
“Defensively, we’re a lot more a ‘team.’ We move collectively. Our scrambles are much more smooth. We communicate better. I think we know each other a little bit better. What I’ve seen the biggest improvement in is defensively and effort and intensity to guard other people,” Van Lith explained. (5:20)
“I’m happy with our growth defensively,” she concluded.
If Van Lith and the rest of the Horned Frogs can avoid a repeat of the dismantling they suffered from South Carolina, then expect the team to focus on maintaining the same defensive tenacity that the graduating sensation was talking about.
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