Caitlin Clark capped off her season of breaking records with another standout performance as sixth-ranked Iowa secured a 93-83 victory over Ohio State in women’s basketball action at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, keeping the revolving door at the No. 2 spot spinning.
This win marked the ninth occasion this season that the second-ranked team, according to the Associated Press poll, suffered a setback. However, Clark emphasized that this outcome was no surprise. “This was a game we expected to win,” she remarked. “With the odds in our favor, Senior Day momentum, and our confidence, we were in control throughout. It was a dominant performance from start to finish.”
The regular season concluded with Iowa boasting a 26-4 overall record, 15-3 in the Big Ten, trailing behind league-champion Buckeyes (25-4, 16-2). As the 2-seed in the Big Ten tournament, Iowa will commence their quarterfinal game at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The atmosphere at Carver-Hawkeye Arena reached fever pitch, especially after ESPN aired College GameDay, sustaining the energy through postgame Senior Day ceremonies. The audience included notable figures such as Maya Moore, Lynette Woodard, Nolan Ryan, Travis Scott, and the famous Jake from State Farm.
Clark made history by surpassing Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history, male or female, with a pair of free throws just before halftime. This milestone came amidst an intense game where Iowa led 44-39 when Hannah Stuelke drew a foul from Ohio State’s Madison Greene with 0.3 seconds remaining, leading to a technical foul on the Buckeyes’ Cotie McMahon. Stuelke capitalized on both free throws, followed by Clark, who converted both of hers, securing her place in history.
Reflecting on her achievements, Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder commented, “People used to call her Ponytail Pete, and now she has his record.”
Clark expressed gratitude for her journey, stating, “It’s overwhelming to grasp everything happening. I hope to be remembered for the joy I brought and my relentless competitive spirit.”
Iowa 93, Ohio State 83
At Iowa City
OHIO STATE (83): Rebeka Mikulasikova 5-9 0-0 14, Cotie McMahon 5-11 0-2 10, Taylor Thierry 5-8 0-2 11, Jacy Sheldon 9-17 2-2 24, Celeste Taylor 4-10 0-0 10, Rikki Harris 3-6 1-2 9, Madison Greene 2-4 0-0 5, Taiyier Parks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-65 3-8 83.
IOWA (93): Hannah Stuelke 9-12 5-8 23, Molly Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Kate Martin 5-10 0-0 11, Caitlin Clark 10-26 9-10 35, Gabbie Marshall 4-8 0-1 12, Sydney Affolter 2-4 2-2 6, Addison O’Grady 1-1 0-0 2, Kyle Feuerbach 1-3 2-2 4, Taylor McCabe 0-0 0-0 0, Sharon Goodman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-64 18-23 93.
Ohio State 19 20 25 19 — 83
Iowa 28 20 27 18 — 93
3-point goals: Ohio State 14-30 (Mikulasikova 4-8, McMahon 0-2, Thierry 1-1, Sheldon 4-7, Taylor 2-5, Harris 2-4, Greene 1-3), Iowa 11-28 (Martin 1-3, Clark 6-17, Marshall 4-7, Feuerbach 0-1). Team fouls: Ohio State 23, Iowa 11. Fouled out: none. Technical fouls: McMahon, Harris. Rebounds: Ohio State 31 (Mikulasikova 8), Iowa 38 (Martin 9). Assists: Ohio State 22 (Sheldon 9), Iowa 20 (Clark 9). Steals: Ohio State 8 (three with 2), Iowa 11 (Feuerbach 4). Turnovers: Ohio State 16, Iowa 16.
Attendance: 14,998.