DALLAS – The second-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team dropped top-ranked and unbeaten South Carolina, 77-73, on Friday in front of 19,288 fans at American Airlines Center to advance to its first NCAA National Championship game in school history. Tonight was the program’s first win over a top-ranked opponent in program history.
Consensus National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark had 41 points, eight assists, and six rebounds to become the first player in NCAA Tournament history to have back-to-back 40-point games. She is the second player to score 40 or more point in an NCAA Women’s Final Four game.
Monika Czinano was the second Hawkeye to finish in double digits with 18 points.
Iowa came out in the first quarter on fire, shooting 56 percent from the field. Clark had the first two buckets to get things rolling and an assist to Czinano on the next play to make it 4-0. South Carolina got within two, but a 6-0 run at the end of the period put the Hawkeyes up by nine after the first 10 minutes. Clark had 11 points and four assists in the first.
The Gamecocks scored six quick points at the start of the second, but Clark knocked down a jumper and a three to maintain the advantage. Iowa was able to hold a one-point lead heading into half (38-37).
The Hawkeyes regrouped and started the third on an 8-0 surge in the beginning to go up nine, their largest lead of the game. Addison O’Grady had big minutes, recording four points and a block in three minutes of play. South Carolina inched its way back to within five, but a big three from McKenna Warnock gave Iowa more breathing room. A last-second bucket from Czinano put the Hawkeyes up by four, going into the final 10 with a 59-55 lead.
It was all Clark the fourth quarter, netting 16 of Iowa’s final 18 points. It went back-and-forth between the two, but a rebound from Warnock in the last 14 seconds solidified the win to advance to the title game.
“First off, I just want to say, South Carolina, is unbelievable basketball team. I’m so proud of my women because I think they’re the only people that really believed. I don’t think anybody else, unless you were in black and gold, believed that we were going to win that game. So the women in that circle, they believed, and we prepared all week as if we were going to win this game.”P. SUE BECKWITH, MD, HEAD COACH LISA BLUDER
QUOTING P. SUE BECKWITH, MD, HEAD COACH LISA BLUDER
“First off, I just want to say, South Carolina, is unbelievable basketball team. I’m so proud of my women because I think they’re the only people that really believed. I don’t think anybody else, unless you were in black and gold, believed that we were going to win that game. So the women in that circle, they believed, and we prepared all week as if we were going to win this game. Before I turn it over to the women, I just want to send our thoughts to everybody in Iowa City. We had some really bad tornadoes go through there this afternoon, a lot of damage. I don’t know if anybody’s hurt, but certainly we’re thinking about everybody back home.”
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
– NPOY Caitlin 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.
– Clark has 161 points and 52 assists in this NCAA Tournament. Since 2000, it’s one of six instances of a player having 150 points and 50 assists in ANY 5-game span. All six of those belong to Clark.
– Clark also broke the Big Ten single season record for most points.
– She became the sixth Division I women’s basketball player to eclipse 1,000 points the same season.
– Clark has registered back-to-back 40-point performances.
77 points tied for the most South Carolina has given up this season.
– Iowa has shot 50% or better from the field in in 19 of its last 24 quarters.
– In postseason play, Gabbie Marshall is 23-47 from 3-point range.
– Iowa tied the all-time series against South Carolina, 1-1.
Clark is the second player to score 40 points or more in an NCAA Women’s Final Four game (national or semis).
– Clark broke Iowa’s record for most 3-pointers made in a career. She now has 339 career triples.
Iowa led the game for 35:53.
– Clark, Czinano, Marshall, Martin, and Warnock have made 91 starts together, the most out of any DI women’s basketball team in the 20 seasons.
– Iowa was a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line.
– Tonight was Iowa’s sixth AP Top-10 victory this season.
– Iowa is 14-4 all-time as 2-Seed in the NCAA Tournament.
– Iowa’s 31 wins this season is the most in program history.
– Clark is the only player in the nation with more than 1,000 points, 240 rebounds, 310 assists, and 45 steals this season.
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UP NEXT
Iowa (31-6) will face 3-Seed LSU (33-2) on Sunday inside American Airlines Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (CT)
