Iowa star Caitlin Clark knew what to anticipate from her opponent on Monday night. Speaking to reporters on the eve of the No. 1 Hawkeyes’ Thirty second-round matchup with No. 8 West Virginia, Clark cited the Mountaineers’ defensive prowess as the very first thing that jumped out at the tape.
“They’re going to want to turn us in,” Clark said. “They’re certainly one of those teams that basically thrives on turnovers. One loss can turn into five for the team.
However, even the best player in the sport, knowing full well what awaits him, may be outed by the glorified press. In the first half, Clark had more turnovers (4) than assists (three), making only 4 of her 11 field goal attempts. Clark and the Hawkeyes, slowed by West Virginia’s physicality and full-court ball pressure (on each hits and misses), scored the fewest points in the first half all season (26).
However, the challenge of limiting Clark and her teammates is just not a 20-minute endeavor. Iowa won 64-54, giving Clark and teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall the win of their final home game. In the third quarter, Clark took advantage of the opponent’s smallest mistakes. She hit 4 of 5 shots and scored 13 points. In the last quarter, the two-point halftime lead increased to 10.
Although she also had six turnovers, Clark finished the game 32 points i eight collections. On Monday, she broke the NCAA single-season scoring record with 1,113 points in a season, passing Washington’s Kelsey Plum (1,109).
NEW RECORD 🤯@CaitlinClark22 sets the record for the most points scored in DI women’s basketball history in a single season!#MarchMadness X @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/ocDrVxsDdv
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 26, 2024
The sold-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena serenaded Iowa’s players during pregame introductions. He roared throughout the competition each time his seniors (or anyone else in the white uniform, for that matter) performed successful sequences. But the tension mounted in the fourth quarter when West Virginia opened the final set with a 10-0 run to tie the rating at 48 with 5:18 left. Just over two minutes later, a pair of free throws by Clark, her first points of the quarter, gave Iowa a two-point lead. However, West Virginia tied the rating at 52 points with just 2:55 remaining.
West Virginia is just not withdrawing from Iowa 👀
📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/wdgKSgGMWw
— ESPN (@espn) March 26, 2024
It was not Clark, but junior Sydney Affolter who scored the most significant basket of Monday’s victory. With 2:03 left, the 6-foot-7 guard spotted an open lane and made a sharp left turn before capitalizing on the go-1 opportunity.
The Mountaineers never got any closer, and the Hawkeyes closed out the win with a 12-2 run. With the victory, Iowa returns to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. Just like last yr, they may face Colorado with a probability to advance to the Elite Eight.
Defense ➡️ Attack @GabbieMarshall X @sydneyaffolter1#Eyesofahawk
📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/vEEwW8UlLW
— Iowa State Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 26, 2024
West Virginia coach Mark Kellogg expected a raucous atmosphere on Monday, and residential fans expressed their displeasure when foul chants went toward the away team. Kellogg admitted: “We didn’t play in front of 15,000 people. This will be something new.” To prepare, he said, his team worked on some nonverbal cues as a substitute of talking (or shouting).
But it was foul trouble, not miscommunication, that plagued the entire second half. Six of West Virginia’s seven players committed 4 fouls or were fouled out. Although the Mountaineers held Iowa State to only 22.7 percent shooting from three, they made only 26.5 percent from three-point range, missing 25 of 34 attempts.
Like West Virginia in the Round of 32, No. 5 Colorado is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the sight of Clark and the Hawkeyes. In last yr’s Sweet 16 game, the Buffaloes led by one point at halftime, but surrendered a 15-2 Iowa lead in the first five minutes of the second half. Iowa didn’t relinquish that advantage.
Moments after Iowa State’s final home game of the season, Clark and her teammates watched the adoring crowd.
“I remember running into our first sold-out crowd and getting chills,” she said Sunday. “Now I can do it every night. It’s never something that gets old.”
DEEPER
Will Caitlin Clark and Iowa’s second-round struggles be the key to Sweet 16 victory?
DEEPER
Thank you for the memories, Caitlin. Iowa fans are savoring Clark Carver’s latest classic
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