Caitlin Clark gets brutally honest on Iowa's 27-point win over Hoosiers

14/01/2024 18:50

Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark led the No. 3 Hawkeyes to a dominant 84-57 victory over No. 14 Indiana, securing the top spot in the Big Ten Conference. The game, which took place during a winter storm in Iowa, saw more than 13,000 fans gather to witness the matchup, showcasing the support of the Hawkeyes faithful.

Clark, the nation’s top scorer, averaging 31 points per game, contributed 30 points and 11 assists. The game also marked her 52nd career double-double. Despite a slow start, missing her first six 3-point attempts, Clark found her rhythm, starting the second quarter with consecutive 3-pointers, propelling Iowa to a lead they would not give up.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder praised Clark’s performance in critical moments: “I do know, she is almost at her best in the big moments,” Bluder said, via the Associated Press.

However, Clark maintained a a more humble perspective: It was just another game, she said. ”

You know, I think I've been through enough games in my career where there's all these wonderful highs but there's also lows too, and that's just competitive sport,” Clark said, “That's just basketball.”

The Hawkeyes’ success was not solely on Caitlin Clark’s shoulders. Molly Davis stepped up significantly, adding 18 points to the tally. When Clark had foul trouble in the second quarter, Davis’s contributions were critical in strengthening Iowa’s lead. In the second half, the Hawkeyes limited Indiana to a only 20 points, including a mere nine points in the fourth quarter.

Indiana coach says travel issues not to blame for loss

Indiana’s coach, Teri Moren, acknowledged the team’s struggles, particularly in the second half. Despite arriving in Iowa City on the morning of the game due to severe weather conditions, Moren refused to use this as an excuse for their performance. The Hoosiers were notably challenged offensively, managing only 27.3% shooting in the crucial third quarter.

"We were just turning the ball over too much (in the first half), but we were still in the game … And then we give Caitlin Clark that backdoor layup and all of the sudden we’re down (eight points), and from there it just got out of control … We weren’t very good. I’d love to be able to give you reasons why that was. We just looked out of sorts," Moren said. “We’re not going to use that (travel issues) as an excuse. That’s not the excuse why we lost."

Iowa’s victory was also a display of strategy from Bluder. Her decision not to make significant defensive adjustments but focus on offensive strategies paid off. This, combined with the team’s impressive 42% success rate from the 3-point line, underscored Iowa’s gameplay.

"The second half, I thought, was beautiful," Bluder said. "I thought our players played really well together, offensively and defensively."

For Indiana, Mackenzie Holmes led with 16 points and seven rebounds, but the team’s overall performance was hampered by 15 turnovers and inconsistent shooting.

Looking ahead, Indiana plays against Minnesota on Wednesday, while Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes, riding a 14-game winning streak, face Wisconsin on Tuesday.

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