West Virginia got here so near shutting down Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes on Monday evening.
However after a good fourth quarter, Clark managed to will No. 1 Iowa to a slender win in her closing contest at Carver-Hawkeye Area to safe a return journey to the Candy 16.
Clark and the Hawkeyes edged out No. 8 West Virginia 64-54 of their second-round NCAA match matchup in Iowa Metropolis on Monday evening. Although it was a really uncharacteristic sport for the Hawkeyes throughout — they had been held to only six factors within the second quarter, hit only one discipline objective within the fourth quarter and could not get a lot offense outdoors of Clark all evening — Clark dropped 32 factors to arrange a Candy 16 matchup with No. 5 Colorado subsequent weekend in Albany.
Clark additionally handed Kelsey Plum and broke the NCAA Division I single-season scoring document within the win, marking simply her newest accolade in what has already been a historic season. She’s now scored 1,113 factors this season alone.
Caitlin Clark, Iowa survive late West Virginia push
Whereas West Virginia got here out sizzling and landed the primary punch, it didn’t final lengthy. The Hawkeyes closed the primary quarter on a 15-4 run, and so they held the Mountaineers with out a discipline objective for the ultimate 4:30 of the interval to seize a five-point benefit on the first break.
The Mountaineers largely shut down the Iowa offense within the second quarter, nonetheless, and left Clark pissed off as she went to the bench simply earlier than halftime. West Virginia outscored Iowa 9-6 within the interval, which minimize Iowa’s result in simply two factors on the break. Iowa didn’t rating within the closing 4:50 of the quarter, and the Hawkeyes went simply 3-of-12 from behind the arc within the first half. All three makes belonged to Clark. It marked the bottom halftime rating the Hawkeyes have had all season.
However no matter points Clark and the Hawkeyes had within the second quarter stayed there. They opened the third on a 12-2 tear, and Clark put them again up by double digits virtually immediately on a deep wide-open 3-pointer.
The Hawkeyes then transformed back-to-back and-1s late within the interval, and Kate Martin drilled a pair of free throws to finish the quarter to fight a short West Virginia push.
However as soon as once more, Iowa’s offense stalled out. The Hawkeyes went greater than 4 minutes with out scoring within the fourth quarter, and West Virginia tied it up off an enormous Jayla Hemingway 3-pointer simply earlier than the 5 minute mark.
Lastly, virtually eight minutes into the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes made their first discipline objective of the interval. After a Gabbie Marshall block, Sydney Affolter transformed a clutch layup and subsequent free throw on the opposite finish to place the Hawkeyes up by three.
That was, remarkably, the one discipline objective the Hawkeyes made within the quarter. However they hit seven free throws the remainder of the way in which whereas holding West Virginia to a single bucket to seize the 10-point win.
JJ Quinerly led West Virginia with 15 factors within the loss. Kyah Watson added 13 factors and 7 rebounds, and Hemingway completed with 10 factors off the bench.
Clark had eight rebounds and three assists to go together with her 32 factors within the win. She shot simply 5-of-14 from the 3-point line, and was the one Iowa participant to hit from behind the arc. Affolter completed with 13 factors and 7 rebounds, and Hannah Stuelke added 12 factors and 11 rebounds. Marshall was held scoreless after going 0-of-4 from the sector.
The Hawkeyes will now transfer on to Albany, the place No. 5 Colorado shall be ready for them within the Candy 16 on Saturday. The Buffaloes upset No. 4 Kansas State in Manhattan 63-50 of their second-round matchup on Sunday to safe their second straight journey to the regional semifinals.