Major upset reaction: Hailey Van Lith takes accountability, re-emphasizes aggressive approach as TCU succumbs to Kansas State

Hailey Van Lith and the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs suffered a surprising loss to the No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats on Wednesday. At Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, KS, the Wildcats secured a 59-50 victory to be the sole leaders of the Big 12 conference.

Van Lith, the leading scorer for the Horned Frogs, had an uncharacteristically low-scoring game, recording just 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. It was also her second-lowest scoring output of the season, only behind the 7 points she recorded in a win over Cincinnati in January.

In the aftermath of the upset loss, Hailey Van Lith took full responsibility for the defeat, as reported by Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Steven Johnson. She acknowledged that she needs to be more aggressive against teams that employ a blitzing pick-and-roll defense strategy.

The 5-foot-10 guard said she did not assert herself enough in the second half, leading to several turnovers that ultimately proved costly for the Horned Frogs.

TCU gave away 17 turnovers in the loss, well above their season average of 11.2 per game, with Kansas State capitalizing on these miscues for 15 points.

Moreover, Van Lith noted that her team must find a way to adapt and remain consistent when facing the physical style of play that opponents have been utilizing against them.

Kansas State's defense shuts down Hailey Van Lith, TCU records season-low points

Hailey Van Lith was not the only Horned Frog who struggled offensively on the road loss to Kansas State. TCU recorded their season-low point total, scoring just 50 points as a team.

The Wildcats' defense deserves a lot of credit for the upset victory, as they could limit the Horned Frogs to just 40.0% shooting from the field. Jeff Mittie's squad also did an excellent job of protecting the paint, holding TCU to only 20 points in the paint.

Sedona Prince, TCU's second-leading scorer, was held to 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds. Besides, Van Lith and Prince, no other Horned Frog reached double-figures scoring. Madison Conner added 9 points, while Agnes Emma-Nnopu contributed 7 points.

Before this game, TCU's previous season-low point was 52, which came in their loss to South Carolina in December. They had been averaging 81.0 points per game before coming to Bramlage Coliseum.

Hailey Van Lith, who averages 18.4 points and 5.9 assists per game, will be looking to bounce back in the Horned Frogs' next game against Texas Tech on Saturday.