logo
Van Lith has double-double and TCU women going to 1st Sweet 16 in after 85-70 win over Louisville

Van Lith has double-double and TCU women going to 1st Sweet 16 in after 85-70 win over Louisville

NBC Sports24-03-2025

Agnes Emma-Nnopu scored 23 points with four 3-pointers, Hailey Van Lith had a double-double against her former team and second-seeded TCU advanced to its first NCAA Sweet 16 in the women's NCAA Tournament with an 85-70 win over seventh-seeded Louisville on Sunday.
Van Lith had 16 points and 10 assists after going to a Final Four and two other Elite Eight games with Louisville from 2021-23. She played in her 19th tourney game, the most among active players, after going to another Elite Eight with LSU last season.
Sedona Prince had 19 points and Donovyn Hunter 18, including three 3-pointers in a 17-0 run that put the Horned Frogs (33-3) ahead to stay.
Jayda Curry had a career-high 41 points for the Cardinals (22-11). She already had 15 of those when when she made a jumper that put them up 17-13 with 2:57 left in the first quarter. before TCU's game-turning run when Van Lith made the go-ahead basket.
Before winning twice at home when hosting for the first time, the Big 12 champion Horned Frogs hadn't even made the NCAA field in 15 years — and last won a tourney game since 2006. They were 1-17 in conference games two years ago before Mark Campbell became their coach and has since brought in 11 transfers, most with NCAA experience.
They are now headed to Birmingham, Alabama, and a rematch with third-seeded Notre Dame (28-5). TCU beat the Fighting Irish 76-68 in the Cayman Islands on Nov. 29, an early indication of what could be a special season for the Frogs.
Curry opened the game with a steal and a breakaway layup after a bad pass by Van Lith. After her fast start, the Cardinals missed 13 shots in a row before finally score again nearly six minutes into the second quarter.
Olivia Cochran finished a five-season career with Louisville by scoring 15 points.
Hunter, who was on Oregon State's team that beat Notre Dame in last year's Sweet 16, made her first 3 with 1:59 left in the first quarter to start that run. She made consecutive 3s to open the second quarter.
Emma-Nnopu was part of Stanford's national championship as a freshman in 2021 and went to another Final Four with the Cardinal as a sophomore.
Takeaways
Louisville, now with five freshmen playing regular minutes, had made it to at least the Elite Eight in five consecutive seasons before losing a first-round game last year, its only time doing that in 16 tourney appearances for coach Jeff Walz. The Cardinals would have faced Van Lith and LSU in the second round last year had they not lost to 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee.
TCU finished 21-0 inside Schollmaier Arena this season, and have won 24 home games in a row overall. The Frogs led 47-26 at halftime, matching their largest lead. They shot 70% (19 of 27) in the first half while not missing consecutive shots and twice making six in a row.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Two Lowcountry natives returning to coach basketball at The Citadel
Two Lowcountry natives returning to coach basketball at The Citadel

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Two Lowcountry natives returning to coach basketball at The Citadel

Courtesy of The Citadel Athletics CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel Head Men's Basketball Coach Ed Conroy is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrew Glover and Brady Schuck as assistant coaches. Conroy, entering the fourth season of this second stint with the Bulldogs, welcomes these two accomplished coaches to the staff, bringing a variety of experiences, local ties and a passion for student-athlete development. 'We feel fortunate that we were able to attract and hire Andrew and Brady as they will be terrific coaches to our staff,' said Conroy. 'I have known them both for a long time and watched them progress throughout their careers. Andrew and Brady are the perfect additions to help us keep building our program to the level we all want for The Citadel basketball.' Glover, a Charleston native and Wando High School alumnus, joins The Citadel after spending the past season as the head coach at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., where he led his squad to a conference championship and Elite Eight finish while earning Conference Coach of the Year honors. Prior to Myers Park, Glover spent four years as the inaugural Head Boy's Basketball Coach at Lucy Beckham High School, leading the team to the Elite Eight in 2022-23 and Sweet Sixteen in 2023-24, earning Coach of the Year honors along the way. A captain of Wando's 2014 State Championship team, he has a proven track record of success and deep roots in the Lowcountry. Glover's coaching journey includes experience at both the college and high school levels. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach at USC Aiken, contributing to player development and game strategy. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach on state championship teams in 2018 and 2019 at Grey Collegiate Academy. As a player, Glover competed at USC Aiken, Spartanburg Methodist and Hargrave Military Academy. 'I'm honored and grateful for the opportunity to join The Citadel basketball program,' said Glover. 'As a Charleston native, it means the world to me to be able to represent my hometown and be a part of a program built on discipline, tradition and respect. I want to sincerely thank Coach Conroy for trusting me and welcoming me to his staff. I'm excited to get to work with our student-athletes and our staff, helping to build something special.' Schuck, another Charleston native, brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and leadership to The Citadel. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Flagler College, being a part of two winning seasons with the Saints, including a 20-win campaign in 2023-24 that culminated in trip to the Peach Belt Conference Championship game. He broke into the collegiate coaching ranks after two successful seasons as the head coach at James Island Charter School, leading the Trojans to the Sweet Sixteen in 2023 and Region Championship in 2024, earning Region Coach of the Year honors in the process. Schuck played four seasons at Furman University and was a member of the Paladins 2016-17 SoCon Championship team. 'I'm grateful and excited for the opportunity to become an assistant coach at such a prestigious institution as The Citadel,' said Schuck. 'I'm excited to work with a great group of student-athletes and learn from Coach Conroy, someone I have a profound respect for. Getting the chance to do all of this while coaching college basketball in my hometown of Charleston makes it even more special.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Front and center, Brookline boys' volleyball blocks Newton North to clinch trip to Division 1 final
Front and center, Brookline boys' volleyball blocks Newton North to clinch trip to Division 1 final

Boston Globe

time2 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

Front and center, Brookline boys' volleyball blocks Newton North to clinch trip to Division 1 final

Related : With six blocks and three kills, Gallucci was part of a Brookline brigade in the middle with junior Liam Raybould (nine kills) that helped handle senior Simon Vardeh, who cranked out 18 kills for the No. 4 Tigers (18-6). Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Brookline will take on No. 3 Needham in Friday's state final at Xaverian (6:30 p.m.). Advertisement First-year coach Lexi De La Cruz coaches Vardeh at SMASH Volleyball Club and knew what to expect, calling upon his middles for more after the first set. 'My team fights,' he said. 'I always told them we're Brookline Warriors. Until the other team doesn't get to 25 points, we always have a chance. That's been our motto the whole season, and I think they live up to it.' Senior Kris Vaivars (24 kills) increased the intensity, with junior Amir Tomer (10 kills, 1 block) and Conor Christopher (6 kills, 1 block) also finishing points at the net. Advertisement De La Cruz called upon Vaivars to close out the match, and he delivered five of his kills in Brookline's final eight points. 'I think that everyone in the front row did a great job, whether we were blocking them straight down, getting touches, setting up a good block, forcing them to tip,' Vaivars said. 'That made a huge difference. Once we were able to get that stop or get that dig, we were able to score a lot of easy transition points and I think that's the difference maker.' Junior Alec Smagula dished 47 assists, but also extended the first set with a block and showed his abilities with three kills in the first two sets. When the Tigers had to put up a block opposite him, he pushed the ball to the pins where lanes were open. 'I could have dumped more, but my team is so strong,' he said. 'I have so many weapons that I want to give the balls to my guys . . . but they still know I'm a threat. When I show them that early, get them jumping, it's one of my favorite things.' North played a terrific season despite graduating some of the state's best players and enduring injuries leading up to the playoffs. 'It was a really good season. A lot of kids got better,' said North coach Nile Fox. 'We went through a few things, but we were able to come back and make it to the Final Four. We didn't get to where we wanted to be, but it was a good season.' Needham 3, Natick 1 — Seeded third in the bracket, the Rockets (22-5) played with the poise and fury of a confident group in its semifinal win against Bay State Conference rival Natick (19-4), the No. 2 seed. Advertisement Junior Andrew Kurdziel delivered 10 kills, 3 aces, 3 digs, 2 blocks and classmate Matty Cloonan had 14 kills, 5 digs, and 1 ace as the Rockets dominated from the first serve, taking the first two sets, 25-14 and 25-14, on their way to victory at Concord-Carlisle, the program's fifth straight trip to the state final. 'It just lit a fire in us,' Cloonan said. 'People didn't think we were going to win, and that just fueled us.' Down 2-0, and with the season on the line, Natick (19-4) held its own against the Rockets (22-5) to win the third set 25-19. Branch Barnes and Cody Gibendi combined for 20 kills, 1 ace, and two blocks. But it wasn't long until the Rockets added fuel to their engine, pulling ahead ahead midway through the fourth set and win 25-14 once again. 'No one wants to go to a fifth set,' Needham coach Dave Powell said. 'There was a sense of urgency from our guys and [we played] some crisp volleyball.' For Natick, the loss was devastating. Acting coach Brendan Carroll described the team's wins over No. 1 Brookline and No. 4 Needham during the regular season as 'null and void.' 'But, to get back to this point after last year, [losing] against Newton North, it was a big, big difference,' he said. 'So, I'm proud of the boys for how they fought all season.' Kurdziel earned the final kill that punched the Rockets' ticket to the final. Advertisement 'It feels amazing,' he said. 'Natick's a great team, but we were prepared for them. We used all of our resources, so we came in here and did what we knew we could do.' Division 2 State Wayland 3, Westfield 1 — With the Warriors ahead, 2-0, senior Liam Frenzel had a flashback to last year's final, when Westfield pulled off a reverse sweep to stun Wayland. In the rematch, Westfield again charged back to claim the third set, but third-seeded Wayland (16-8) slammed the door in the fourth set en route to a 25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 25-18 triumph at Worcester North. Wayland will play top-seeded Agawam in the state final Thursday at Shrewsbury High (6:30 p.m.). Junior standout Finn Bell powered the Warriors with 27 kills and five digs, and seniors Cooper Szeremeta (8 kills, 3 digs) and Liam Frenzel (22 digs, 1 ace) also provided key supporting efforts. 'We came into it knowing [Westfield] had the heart and the firepower from last year,' Frenzel said. 'Knowing we won the first two sets last year too, but then they came back, we knew that we had to just put the pedal out to the floor.' A key sequence came in the opening set, after Westfield racked up straight points to take a 23-19 lead before Wayland won six straight points on the serve of sophomore Mason Lee to close out the frame. Despite stumbling in the third set, Wayland returned with energy in the fourth and received key blocks from both freshman Alex Pearlman and junior Max Walsh to regain momentum. 'We luckily get to play a really tough schedule throughout the season, and I think that really helps prepare us,' George said. 'We get used to getting hit in the face and coming right back out and getting after it.' Advertisement Alexa Podalsky also reported from Concord-Carlisle. Alexa Podalsky can be reached at

For the first time in 35 years, Concord-Carlisle girls' lacrosse will play for a Division 1 girls' lacrosse title
For the first time in 35 years, Concord-Carlisle girls' lacrosse will play for a Division 1 girls' lacrosse title

Boston Globe

time4 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

For the first time in 35 years, Concord-Carlisle girls' lacrosse will play for a Division 1 girls' lacrosse title

Concord-Carslisle's Karleigh Mutch was pumped after scoring one of her four goals. Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe Denver-bound senior Karleigh Mutch added four goals and Teagan Morrissey netted two for the top-seeded Patriots (22-2), who are one win from the first state title in team history. It happened to be Mirak's night, but the beauty of the Concord-Carlisle roster is that it can be anyone in a given game. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Advertisement Junior Madelyn Callahan paced the No. 4 Lions (18-5) with two goals, and Merrimack-bound senior Jill Martin was sharp, but the Patriots simply had too much firepower. 'There's no ego anywhere on this team,' said Concord-Carlisle coach Erin Cash. 'They all just want to be successful. They want each other to be successful. They want the program to be successful. They're willing to do whatever they need to do in order for that to happen.' Concord-Carslisle defenders Lindsay Cain (10), Scarlett Mirak (6), and Karleigh Mutch (22) knock the ball away from Chelmsford's Jill Martin. Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe The Patriots won each of the first two quarters by a 5-2 score, taking a commanding 10-4 edge into the break. Concord-Carlisle, which has won 14 straight, leaned on a heavy dose of Mirak and Mutch. Related : Advertisement Mirak got just about wherever she wanted, consistently slithering past the Lions and delivering in one fluid swoop. Morrissey and Alissa Bono orchestrated a strong defensive effort for the Patriots, who played the game on their terms. 'They don't ever let up,' Cash said. 'They don't let up on the field. They don't let up at practice. They always want to know they can get better. They're really good at taking feedback.' Related : It was another successful year for the Lions, who advanced to their first semifinal since 2021 before running into a buzzsaw. 'Nobody expected us to get here,' said Chelmsford coach Ashley Rokas. 'Making it to the Final Four is phenomenal for our program.' Concord-Carslisle's Scarlett Mirak (right) was fired up after scoring one of her game-high five goals. Winslow Townson for The Boston G Concord-Carslisle coach Erin Cash calls out to her players during their Division 1 semifinal win over Chelmsford. Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe Jill Martin scored for Chelmsford. Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe Concord-Carslisle's Scarlett Mirak used lessons learned playing with her three older sisters to help the Patriots reach their first Division 1 semifinal since 1990. Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe Trevor Hass can be reached at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store