Iowa women’s basketball won its Crossover at Kinnick exhibition match versus DePaul at Kinnick Stadium on Sunday. A total of 55,646 fans were present, setting the all-time attendance record for a women’s basketball event.
Hawkeye star guard Caitlin Clark logged a triple-double with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists along with three steals. Fifth-year guard Molly Davis finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and one assist while third-year center Addison O’Grady followed up with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
The first quarter started off as a back-and-forth scoring battle as DePaul led by three a little less than three minutes into the game. This would be the last time the Blue Demons would lead at any point in the contest. Clark dominated as she was responsible for 17 of Iowa’s 24 points in the quarter.
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Iowa went into the second quarter with a six-point lead and continued to extend it further as the quarter went on. Clark had Kinnick Stadium rumbling as she hit her first three about two minutes into the quarter. She continued to dominate as she scored back-to-back and-one layups within a minute. The Hawkeyes went into halftime with a 52-37 lead over the Blue Demons.
The third quarter saw more of a defensive dominance from Iowa. Coming out of halftime, both teams struggled to score throughout the quarter. Davis took over as she got a backdoor layup from second-year forward Hannah Stuelke, and then finished a putback off an offensive rebound the very next possession. DePaul was held to 14 points to Iowa’s 25 points for the quarter.
DePaul went into the fourth quarter facing a 77-51 deficit. The Blue Demons went on a 12-0 run to start the quarter. They cut the lead down to as close as 11 until Davis got a steal and assist to a Clark layup. This would start a 12-0 run for the Hawkeyes to push the lead back up to 26. Iowa went on to defeat DePaul, 94-72.
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder was emotional talking about the meaning of this game.
“Hawks fans showed up today. I mean, 55,000 people breaking the record, getting to play outside at Kinnick. It was like a dream,” Bluder said. “You were a part of history. I’m thankful for our administration, our facilities crew, our ticketing people, and our marketing people for how hard they worked.”
Along with all of the fans who showed up for the game, fifth-year guard Gabbie Marshall took the time to thank the people who put in the work to make the event possible.
“It speaks to the people behind the scenes. They did everything they could to make the day as good as could be,” Marshall said. “We had heated benches, hand warmers. We had the opportunity to wear long sleeves and pants if you wanted. So all of that was very helpful.”
Clark, who hails from Iowa, was grateful to be a part of such a historic event in her home state.
“It’s hard to kind of imagine yourself playing basketball in front of 55,000 fans. Seeing people react to your shots, it’s really cool just the way people support women’s athletics here in the state of Iowa,” Clark said. “I’m just lucky that I get to play here and put on an Iowa jersey every day. They’re not just coming here to be a part of a historic moment. They’re invested in the game. They’re cheering, they’re loud, and that’s what only adds to the fun for all of us.”
Bluder couldn’t leave without praising Iowa’s opponent for being a part of a historic game.
“I’m so thankful for DePaul for coming in,” Bluder said. “It’s not easy for DePaul to come in and play in front of 55,000 people in a football stadium. I knew [DePaul head coach] Doug Brunner was the right guy to do this with.”
