Clark pushes Iowa past Iowa State
The freshman point guard hit a shot with under 25 seconds to go to give her 34 points and her team a win.
Iowa Guard Caitlin Clark, who starts on Iowa’s women’s basketball as a true freshman, celebrates after an Iowa victory over Iowa State on on Wednesday, Dec. 9,2020. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones in a close game, 82-80. While walking into the tunnel after the win over the Cyclones, Caitlin exclaimed “this is a Hawkeye state.”
December 10, 2020
Freshman Caitlin Clark cemented her place in Iowa women’s basketball history Wednesday night.
The point guard hit a game-winning 3-pointer with under 25 seconds remaining on an assist from guard Kate Martin to propel Iowa to an 82-80 win over Iowa State.
“We weren’t trying to do anything special,” Clark said. “We were just trying to run our basic offense and trying to get a shot. Then I think it got down to about 10 seconds [on the shot clock], so we ran flat, which is just a ball screen play and I rejected it and hit a step-back 3.”
Clark lagged in the first half with eight points and four turnovers, but turned the tide in the second half, racking up a career-high 13 points.
“I don’t think we’re ever out of a game when [Clark] has the ball in her hands,” Bluder said. “Those are NBA 3’s. Those are not easy 3’s. But that’s a kid that will miss some and then have the confidence to step up and do it again. That’s what you want out of a shooter that short memory that you just believe in yourself so much as a shooter.”
“She believes in herself and that is a good thing,” Bluder said. “You want that confidence, swagger, out on the floor and you have to have it to compete at a high level. She has it as young freshman. That’s pretty impressive.”
Clark’s 34-point, seven-rebound, and six-assist performance gave her the accolade of being the only freshman in the nation with that statistic line since the 2015-16 season.
Clark’s 3-point shooting in the second half was excellent, as she went 4-of-7 from behind the line. Many of her shots came from the men’s 3-point line.
Clark made her first 3-pointer of the half with a few seconds remaining in the third quarter. She proceeded to hit another 3 with over 6:30 left in the game, pulling Iowa within eight points – a big momentum swing considering Iowa trailed by as much as 18 during the game.
“[Clark is] always competent in her driving,” Czinano said. “I really think that’s what we needed, that in and out action. She just kind of really turned it on in the fourth. Just started to hit shots all the time.”
Disappointed in her 23-point performance against Wisconsin, Clark said she took a lot of shots in the gym in between games, which clearly payed off.
The guard’s seven rebounds and two steals also significantly helped the Hawkeyes, as she got a rebound with about four minutes left when the Hawkeyes were down 75-72. Clark is known for being a scorer, but she knows she must be solid on defense to cut it at the Big Ten level.
“I think in the fourth quarter, especially when your offense is good, it gives you that energy to play defense knowing that you can get back on offense,” Clark said. “I think that’s when it’s at our best, but I’ve definitely improved since high school and it’s a work-in-progress every single day and I just want to keep getting better at it.”
The facet of Clark’s performance that she may consider to be unsatisfactory was her seven turnovers that accounted for roughly 35 percent of the Hawkeyes’ 20 giveaways.
With her 34 points against Iowa State, Clark is averaging 28.5 points per game. She scored 27 points against Northern Iowa on Nov. 25 and 30 points at Drake on Dec. 2.
Clark and her teammates will showcase their talents against Michigan State in East Lansing Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be streamed on BTN+.
