Hunter
04/01/23
Caitlin Clark scored 41 points and carried the Iowa Hawkeyes to a stunning 77-73 win over undefeated #1 South Carolina in the Final Four Friday night.
It’s the first time an Iowa women’s basketball team knocked off a top-ranked team.
Clark, who either scored or assisted in all of Iowa’s 4th-quarter points, broke the Hawkeye record in career three-pointers made, going 5 of 17 on the night. The Hawkeyes were a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line, with Clark making clutch free-throws at the end of the game to seal the victory.
Monika Czinano added 18 points; Kate Martin had 7.
The much-hyped matchup between Clark and Aliyah Boston didn’t materialize; Boston got into foul trouble early and only played a little over 8 minutes in the first half and did not score. She finished the night with 8 points. Clark became the first player in Division I women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season.
Iowa has shot 50% or better from the field in in 19 of its last 24 quarters. They shot over 56% in the first quarter to take a 22-13 lead; Iowa led for nearly 36 minutes on the night.
The Hawkeyes play in their first-ever NCAA Championship game Sunday afternoon against LSU. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30pm and the contest will be televised on ABC.