TCU WBB: TCU Takes Down FDU For First NCAA Tournament Win in 19 years; Will Face Louisville in Second Round

Nearly two decades have passed since TCU women’s basketball last won an NCAA Tournament game. That stat hit the reset button Friday as No. 2-seed TCU took down No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson 73-51 in the first round at Schollmaier Arena. 

“They're resilient, they continue to find ways to win,” TCU head coach Mark Campbell said of his squad. “This group doesn't want this journey to end. I don't want this journey to end.”

Guard Madison Conner paced TCU (32-3) with 23 points and grabbed six rebounds. Center Sedona Prince posted a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Hailey Van Lith added 13 points and seven assists, while forward Agnes Emma-Nnopu had 10 points and seven rebounds. Van Lith also set the TCU single-season record for assists with dish number 188 of the season. 

TCU, making its first tournament appearance since 2010, led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter and held Northeast Conference champion FDU (29-4) to 35% shooting for the game, including 1-of-11 from three-point range. The third quarter proved particularly brutal for the Knights, as they shot 25% from the field and went 0-of-4 from three. 

“We decided to start dictating things,” Van Lith said. “We didn't just let them run the actions they wanted to run. And that's been a common theme for us. I think when you see us in any game that we've played turn it up, we start dictating a little bit more and deciding what we're gonna let them do.” 

Early on, it looked like the Horned Frogs might be on upset alert as they traded leads with the Knights nine times. FDU held a three-point lead after the first quarter, cut down to a 21-19 edge with 8:28 left in the second quarter. Prince had also picked up two fouls and FDU forward Tenesia Brown had 10 of her 18 points. 

Conner scored 10 second-quarter points, including a three-pointer to take back the lead at 22-21, to provide a spark. A 14-4 scoring run starting midway through the second quarter through the first few minutes of the third quarter helped TCU pull away. 

“I was kind of just taking what they were giving me,” Conner said. “I forced a few shots early, and then I feel like I kind of settled into a rhythm in the second quarter.”

When Conner’s three bounced around the rim and eventually fell in for a 40-29 edge with 7:56 left in the third quarter, the home crowd exploded and any remaining hint of a first round upset faded away. 

Nerves and rust from nearly two weeks off since the Big 12 Conference tournament showed throughout the first half. But a combined 50 games of tournament experience on the active roster from nine transfer players ultimately kept TCU undefeated at home (20-0) and extended its winning streak to 11 games. 

“There were all sorts of emotions,” Campbell said. “But at the end of the day, they've been hard to kill all season.”

The Horned Frogs will get one last shot to defend their home court on Sunday against Van Lith’s former team, 7-seed Louisville. If TCU can win the Fort Worth region, it would secure the program's first trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

Louisville defeated 10-seed Nebraska 63-58 led by 16 points from guard Tajianna Roberts, a second team All-ACC honoree. Teammate Jayda Curry nailed a pair of free throws and drew a foul in the final minute to seal the win. Curry, a first team All-ACC selection, had 13 points and six assists in the win. 

The Cardinals entered the tournament with a 21-10 record and finished sixth in the ACC (13-5). During head coach Jeff Walz’s 18-year tenure, Louisville has made the tournament 15 times and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen or beyond 12 times. With Van Lith on the roster for three seasons from 2020-2023, the Cardinals made two Elite Eights and a Final Four. 

Tipoff time and television coverage for the Round of 32 game between Louisville and TCU will be announced after the conclusion of Friday’s first round action.