
In an esteemed triumph on the basketball court, Caitlin Clark demonstrated her prowess as she led her team, the top-seeded Iowa, to an astounding 89-68 victory against the fifth-seeded Colorado in the much-awaited women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday. With this achievement, Iowa is set to return to the grounds of challenge as they are to face LSU, the team that overcame them in the last year’s national title game.
“I can already feel the surge of energy, the anticipation. The occasion in itself is enormous, knowing we have an opportunity to rewrite our fate with a team that bested us last time,” said Clark, the star player. She added, “Women’s basketball is up for a spectacle when we meet a team as solid as LSU. It’s inevitable for us to bounce back, secure rebound after rebound to come out victorious.”
The anticipation for Monday night is palpable as the Tigers, who emerged triumphant over the Hawkeyes in the championship game a year ago, registered a victory over UCLA in the earlier semifinal in the Albany 2 Region on Saturday.
Echoing Clark’s excitement, Iowa’s coach Lisa Bluder said,” The countdown for Monday night has begun in the hearts of all. Iowa and LSU, two exceptionally well-performing teams, colliding this early in the tournament is, indeed, a pity. Yet, it’s crucial to remember that everyone that’s left at this point is a formidable adversary, and LSU is no exception. It’s going to be a night of high emotion and vigorous competition.”
The game began with Clark steering the Hawkeyes towards an early advantage, driving to the basket for easy layups or orchestrating spectacular passes. In a delightful spectacle, Clark found the hole with an exquisite bounce pass to Hannah Stuelke for a layup near the end of the first quarter that established a secure 22-14 lead for the Hawkeyes. The first half saw Clark collating 15 points and eight assists while leading the Hawkeye’s 48-35 at the break.
The Hawkeyes put up the first six points of the third quarter, pushing Colorado into a spot where it could not bridge the gap to a one-digit deficit.
Bluder said, “We began the third quarter with an impactful display. Setting the tone early in both halves was a truly crucial strategy.”
The Buffaloes, despite charting their first consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 since 2002-03, experienced a sense of deja vu when they were once again defeated by Iowa, in a similar round as the previous year.
The Buff’s Aaronette Vonleh and Frida Formann contributed 13 and 12 points respectively. However, Colorado’s loss has Jaylyn Sherrod feeling disheartened.
“You don’t want your journey in the tournament to end like this,” Sherrod said. Despite the disappointment, she beamed with pride for her team’s effort.
Clark’s playmaking abilities were central to her teammates scoring, with Sydney Affolter accruing 15 points followed by Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall earning 14 points each.
In terms of career records, Clark propelled herself to the sixth spot in the all-time college basketball scoring list with 3,859 points.
The upcoming regional final set between LSU and Iowa is mooted to be a clash of titans, a basketball spectacle the NCAA can’t refuse. With the final hurdle in store, the road to Cleveland and the Final Four awaits them.