Top 10 Hannah Hidalgo memes cracking up the internet as TCU's Hailey Van Lith sends Notre Dame packing
On Saturday, Hannah Hidalgo and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell short of the Final Four again. Notre Dame lost to the TCU Horned Frogs 71-62 in the Sweet 16 game played in Birmingham.
Hidalgo struggled throughout the game, as she went 3-for-19 and got nine of her 15 points at the free-throw line in what was a heartbreaking defeat for the Irish.
In contrast, Hailey Van Lith scored 26 points and had nine rebounds for the Horned Frogs. Van Lith finished the game with some bruises and a cut in her right knee, but she seemed to outwork and outmuscle the Irish consistently under the basket.
Senior center Sedona Prince also answered the call for TCU and finished the game with 21 points, six rebounds and six blocks. Prince's defensive performance seemed to rattle Hannah Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish, as they were sluggish in the paint down the stretch.
Notre Dame held a nine-point lead midway into the third quarter but couldn't keep the pace and scored only 10 points in the final frame, with Hannah Hidalgo and the Irish consistently missing drives and layups late in the game.
Hidalgo averaged 24.1 points, five rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season, but just couldn't get on a roll against the Horned Frogs.
Of course, fans on social media made the most of the situation and filled the internet with memes about Hannah Hidalgo, Hailey Van Lith and the Horned Frogs upsetting Notre Dame and advancing to the Elite Eight.
Top 10 Hannah Hidalgo memes that had fans laughing after TCU beat Notre Dame
TCU coach details strategy to stop Hannah Hidalgo
After the game, TCU Horned Frogs head coach Mark Campbell detailed what his team did to slow down Hidalgo and make life difficult for her in their Sweet 16 encounter.
"She's one of the most explosive scorers in college basketball. But we have a team. It was Taylor Bigby, Donovyn Hunter, Hailey [Van Lith] and Agnes [Emma-Nnopu]. All four of those kids had different opportunities to guard and defend her.
"And then on the back end of our defense, you got the best shot blocker in college basketball that's hanging out around the rim and impacting shots. Even when [Sedona Prince] doesn't block it, she changes a lot of shots," Mark Campbell said per CBS Sports.
Another aspect to consider is that, at 5-foot-6, Hidalgo had a considerable size disadvantage against TCU and their physical squad. The Horned Frogs will now face top-seeded Texas on Monday for a spot in the Final Four.