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'This is definitely the hardest one': Caitlin Clark leads Iowa to Big Ten tourney title
Caitlin Clark had 35 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds to lead Iowa to its third straight Big Ten championship with a 94-89 win over Nebraska in overtime on Sunday.
The Hawkeyes were down 46-35 after two quarters, its largest halftime deficit of the season. At that point, Clark had only scored four points on 2-of-13 shooting and was 0-for-9 from 3. With her frustration boiling over, the superstar guard punched a chair on the bench at the end of the half.
Nebraska was controlling the tempo, slowing down the pace and challenging Clark. But Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder preached boxing out and being more physical in the locker room at the break, and that’s what her team came out and did in the second half.
"I’m so proud of our perseverance," Bluder said on the broadcast after the game. "You know, we didn’t play very well in the first half, and we just kept believing, and I thought we played much better [in the second].
"We went through the smoke out there today baby."
Hannah Stuelke added 25 points and nine rebounds and Kate Martin scored 13 points, including four 3s, all of which came during the second half and overtime. Gabbie Marshall, however, had the play of the game when she came up with a massive block in overtime that willed the Hawkeyes to victory.
"I think our first half obviously wasn’t very good across the board, myself included," Clark said. "And you really have no choice but to figure it out at halftime and really respond and that’s exactly what we did. Even being down seven with two minutes to play, we never gave up.
"This is definitely the hardest one. Three in a row and this was by far the hardest. I’m just so proud of our group, so resilient."
Here are some takeaways from a thrilling conference championship game:
Play of the game:
With 29 seconds remaining in overtime and Iowa narrowly leading Nebraska, 91-87, Marshall, a fifth-year senior, made the play of the game when she blocked a 3-point attempt by Logan Nissley. As the game got down to the wire, Marshall’s energy suffocated the Huskers’ offense.
The play was preceded by a valiant effort by Clark and Martin, who combined to score 12 points in the first 4:30 of the overtime period.
After Marshall’s block, Iowa hit a few big free throws down the stretch to close things out.
"Nebraska put up a really great fight," Clark said. "But I just thought we always responded and always had an answer for them. It’s just special. I’m just really proud of our group. Each [win] gets better and better."
Turning point:
After a critical third quarter performance in which Iowa came out of halftime and outscored Nebraska 23-12, the teams entered the fourth tied, 58-58.
The game went back and forth in the final 10 minutes of regulation and, ultimately, was tied 77-77 with nine seconds remaining as Nebraska called a timeout.
When play resumed, Logan missed a jumper for the win and a fired-up Clark walked back to the Iowa bench shouting, "LET’S GO! FIVE MORE MINUTES!"
Key stat:
Even when you think Clark might be having an off night, she’s not.
Clark was named Most Outstanding Player and can now add three Big Ten Tournament titles to her overflowing résumé.
What’s next for Iowa?
By winning their conference tournament, it’s highly likely the Hawkeyes will be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which arguably gives the team the best chance of making another run to the Final Four.
Can they make it back to the national championship game? It won’t be easy. But at least Iowa can catch a break since the first round of the tournament does not start until March 22. This gives the team time to recover and rest its legs, and senior Molly Davis, who suffered an injury on Senior Day, has more time to get healthy.
What’s next for Nebraska?
Nebraska nearly knocked off the Hawkeyes, which could end up helping their seeding for the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers, a No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, entered the weekend projected to be a No. 8 seed on Selection Sunday. But they could potentially be better than that when the brackets are revealed on March 17.
Read more:
- Caitlin Clark shines in record-breaking performance as Iowa beats Ohio State
- Caitlin Clark breaks all-time NCAA scoring record, passing Pete Maravich
- Iowa standout Caitlin Clark declares for 2024 WNBA Draft
- Caitlin Clark moves past Lynette Woodard for major college women's scoring record
- 'It's unimaginable': Caitlin Clark's historic night and its impact on women's sports
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
