Hailey Van Lith says TCU has a target on its back and it triggers her competitive fire

Hailey Van Lith and the TCU Horned Frogs extended their winning streak to 10 games on Friday night, beating the Utah Utes 81-73 in their Big 12 showdown at Schollmaier Arena in Texas. Four players scored in double figures for the Horned Frogs, who improved their overall record to 19-1.

Van Lith led the Horned Frogs in scoring with 24 points. She shot 7-for-19 from the field, including 3-of-10 from beyond the arc. Van Lith made a living at the free-throw line, knocking down seven of her eight attempts at the charity stripe. She also had four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 39 minutes of action.

During the postgame press conference, a reporter asked Van Lith and Madison Conner about their upcoming showdown against Oklahoma State and the lessons they could apply from their previous Big 12 road games to Wednesday's crucial matchup. Van Lith embraced the challenge posed by the Cowboys:

"We got a target on our back now," Van Lith said (Timestamp 8:03). "You know, we’re ranked 10th in the country according to AP so we got a target. Everyone’s going to give you their best shot."

"The best players on the other team, they want to go out and hoop against us like that is their WNBA. Like that’s their proof they can go play at the next level if they play well against us. We know that and we’re going to match the intensity."

Hailey shared the secret behind the Horned Frogs' success on the road this season:

"I love when girls think they can come in and score on us. It ignites my competitive fire so we have to be willing to match teams’ intensities and I think so far, we have done that," Van Lith said.

"That’s why we’ve pulled out all those road wins and Oklahoma State’s another one. We got to go play really well. They’re a great team so we’re excited for that and it’s an opportunity to prove why we are who we are."

Hailey Van Lith gets offensive help from Sedona Prince in win over Utah

It wasn't just Hailey Van Lith who wreaked havoc against the No. 23 Utah Utes. Sedona Prince also dominated for the No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs, scoring 23 points, dishing out four assists and grabbing two rebounds. She also displayed her defensive prowess, recording two steals and two blocks.

TCU Horned Frogs center Sedona Prince (13) and UCF Knights forward Adeang Ring (22) position themselves for a rebound during their game on December 21, 2024 at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. Photo: Getty

Madison Conner also contributed by adding 13 points and six assists. Donovyn Hunter provided some much-needed production off the bench as well, scoring 10 points and collecting five boards.