Caitlin Clark led the No. 1 seed Iowa Hawkeyes to a 64-54 victory over the No. 8 seed West Virginia Mountaineers in a women’s NCAA Tournament second-round game, despite one of their worst offensive performances of the season. The Hawkeyes advanced to the Albany 2 Regional semifinal where they will face the No. 5 seed Colorado. Sydney Affolter played a crucial role in the game, contributing a key three-point play that helped Iowa secure the win. Clark, who recently became the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader, made a heart-shaped symbol with her hands as the sellout crowd cheered during her final home game of the season.
As time expired, Clark hit two free throws to break the single-season NCAA Division I scoring record previously held by Kelsey Plum. Despite being the nation’s highest-scoring team at 92.8 points per game, Iowa struggled offensively, shooting just 36.4% from the field in this game. Affolter and Hannah Stuelke contributed 13 and 12 points respectively to help secure the victory. After a strong 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter gave the Hawkeyes a 48-38 lead, West Virginia mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, tying the game with 5:18 left to play.
From the outset, it was apparent that defense would be a significant factor in the game. Iowa led by just two points at halftime, as both teams struggled to score consistently. The Hawkeyes went nearly five minutes without scoring in the second quarter, while the Mountaineers also had a scoring drought in the first half. Both teams combined for just nine field goals in the second quarter, highlighting the defensive nature of the game. JJ Quinerly led West Virginia with 15 points, while Kyah Watson and Jayla Hemingway contributed 13 and 10 points respectively.
Despite their offensive struggles, Iowa managed to hold off West Virginia and secure the win, thanks in part to their stellar performance at the free throw line. The Hawkeyes were 14 of 17 from the foul line in the final quarter, while the Mountaineers attempted just one free throw. Clark’s leadership and scoring prowess were crucial in guiding Iowa to victory, as she embraced the support of the home crowd in her final game of the season. Iowa’s experience and composure were evident in their ability to weather West Virginia’s comeback and come out on top in a hard-fought contest.
