Current:Home > ScamsCaitlin Clark leads Iowa rally for 71-69 win over UConn in women’s Final Four. South Carolina awaits-InfoLens
Caitlin Clark leads Iowa rally for 71-69 win over UConn in women’s Final Four. South Carolina awaits
View Date:2024-12-23 12:05:02
CLEVELAND (AP) — Caitlin Clark led Iowa back to the national championship game, scoring 21 points as the Hawkeyes rallied past Paige Bueckers and UConn 71-69 in the women’s Final Four on Friday night.
Next up for the Hawkeyes (34-4) is a rematch with unbeaten South Carolina, which lost to Iowa in last year’s national semifinals. The Hawkeyes then fell short of winning the school’s first championship, falling to LSU in the title game. Now Clark is one win away from bringing her home state its first women’s basketball title in the final game of her college career.
“It’s gonna take one through five. They’re so skilled. They played a great game today,” Clark said of South Carolina. “At this point anybody can take it. You’ve got to go prep, you’ve got one day to take care of yourself, so we’ll be ready.”
After a rough opening 30 minutes because of a swarming UConn defense, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer finally got going in the fourth quarter.
With the game tied at 51-all, Clark scored seven points in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the period to give Iowa a small cushion. UConn (33-6) got within 60-57 before the Hawkeyes scored six straight to take a 66-57 advantage.
Iowa led 70-66 before Nika Muhl hit a 3-pointer after a steal with 39.3 seconds left to get the Huskies within one.
Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke turned it over with 10 seconds left. UConn had a chance to take the lead, but Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul while setting a screen with 4.6 seconds left.
Clark made one free throw but missed the second. Teammate Sydney Affolter got the rebound and UConn tied her up, forcing a jump ball. The possession arrow kept the ball with the Hawkeyes, who sealed the win by throwing the ball in the air to run out the final seconds.
Stuelke scored 23 points to lead Iowa. Clark finished with nine rebounds and seven assists.
“I thought we started off the fourth quarter really good,” Clark said. “Came up with some big baskets. Hannah came up with some baskets. Kate (Martin) was tremendous. Just resilient.”
Bueckers and Edwards each scored 17 points for the Huskies, who were back in the Final Four after a one-year hiatus that ended their run of 14 straight seasons in the national semifinals. This might have been the best coaching job by Geno Auriemma. UConn had hopes of winning the 12th title in school history coming into the season, but those were quickly dashed by a series of injuries that sidelined nearly half of its roster.
But Bueckers, the national player of the year as a freshman in 2021 who returned to that form after missing an entire season and part of another with injuries, carried the Huskies back into title contention.
UConn got going early behind Bueckers and stellar defense by Nika Muhl and her teammates, who swarmed Clark every time she touched the ball. The Huskies led by 12 points in the second quarter.
“That’s what you’re going to see at this point. They’re gonna really sell out on me,” Clark said. “I thought my teammates stepped up did a really good job, made some big baskets when we needed it. I couldn’t be more proud of them. It takes all five of us.”
Iowa trailed by six at the half before getting going in the third quarter behind their star. She made her first 3-pointer of the game 2 minutes into the period, and then her four-point play got Iowa within one. The Hawkeyes then took their first lead later in the period right before Martin got hit in the face by Edwards, resulting in a bloody nose. She ran off the court, leaving a trail of blood behind her.
Martin was back on the Iowa bench before they had finished cleaning the court. She then hit three big baskets down the stretch and finished with 11 points.
“Couldn’t be happier with our performance tonight in the second half,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “First half was a little rough for us. We really kept believing.”
Clark had a tough first half, scoring six points while missing all six of her 3-point attempts. She barely got any open shots and at times looked frustrated. Iowa’s coaches kept shouting words of encouragement to their generational player.
Even though she wasn’t scoring, Clark kept the Hawkeyes in the game with six rebounds and four assists as the Hawkeyes trailed 32-26 at the break.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Falling scaffolding plank narrowly misses pedestrians at Boston’s South Station
- Who will US women's basketball team face in Olympics quarterfinals? Everything to know
- Team pursuit next for US cyclist Kristen Faulkner: 'Want to walk away with two medals'
- Why RHONJ’s Season 14 Last Supper Proves the Current Cast Is Done for Good
- Disney Store's Black Friday Sale Just Started: Save an Extra 20% When You Shop Early
- Recreational marijuana sales in Ohio can start Tuesday at nearly 100 locations
- American men underwhelm in pool at Paris Olympics. Women lead way as Team USA wins medal race.
- US conquers murky Siene for silver in mixed triathlon relay: Don't care 'if I get sick'
- Full House Star Dave Coulier Shares Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Diagnosis
- National Root Beer Float Day: How to get your free float at A&W
Ranking
- 2 dead in explosion at Kentucky factory that also damaged surrounding neighborhood
- South Dakota Supreme Court reverses judge’s dismissal of lawsuit against abortion rights initiative
- How Noah Lyles' coach pumped up his star before he ran to Olympic gold in 100 meters
- Kamala Harris is poised to become the Democratic presidential nominee
- Medical King recalls 222,000 adult bed assistance rails after one reported death
- Sha'Carri Richardson gets silver but no storybook ending at Paris Olympics
- Last Day to Shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Race Against the Clock to Shop the Top 45 Deals
- Australia's triathletes took E.coli medicine a month before 2024 Paris Olympics
Recommendation
-
Martin Scorsese on faith in filmmaking, ‘The Saints’ and what his next movie might be
-
Want to train like an Olympic champion? Start with this expert advice.
-
Is Olympics swimming over? Final medal count, who won, which Americans got gold at Paris
-
The Bachelorette’s Andi Dorfman Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Blaine Hart
-
College Football Playoff snubs: Georgia among teams with beef after second rankings
-
Too late for flood insurance? How to get ready for a looming tropical storm
-
You'll have a hard time retiring without this, and it's not money
-
Is Olympics swimming over? Final medal count, who won, which Americans got gold at Paris