IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark scored 32 factors and No. 1 seed Iowa survived one in every of its worst offensive performances of the season to beat No. 8 seed West Virginia 64-54 on Monday in a girls’s basketball NCAA Match second-round recreation.
The Hawkeyes (31-4) superior to play No. 5 seed Colorado in Saturday’s Albany 2 Regional semifinal.
Sydney Affolter’s three-point play with 2:03 to play, the Hawkeyes’ lone subject objective of the fourth quarter, gave Iowa a 55-52 lead. Clark and Hannah Stuelke closed the sport with 9 free throws to clinch the win.
As time ran out on the ultimate residence recreation of her profession, Clark, who turned the NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring chief this season, circled the court docket, making a heart-shaped image together with her fingers because the sellout crowd cheered.
Iowa got here into the sport main the nation in scoring at 92.8 factors per recreation, however the Hawkeyes have been held to their lowest single-game level whole this season. Iowa shot simply 36.4% from the sphere.
Affolter had 13 factors, whereas Stuelke added 12 factors and 11 rebounds.
Iowa appeared to have management of the sport after an 8-0 run over the ultimate 1:25 of the third quarter gave the Hawkeyes a 48-38 lead. However West Virginia opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run to tie the sport with 5:18 to play, organising the ultimate minutes.
It was clear from the beginning that this was going to be a recreation of protection. Iowa led simply 26-24 at halftime, with each groups going by means of scoring droughts.
The Hawkeyes led 26-19 earlier than going the final 4:50 of the half with out a level, capturing 27.3 p.c within the second quarter. West Virginia went nearly 5 minutes late within the first quarter and early within the second quarter with out a level, and didn’t rating for the ultimate 2:11 of the half. The 2 groups mixed for simply 9 subject objectives within the second quarter.
JJ Quinerly led West Virginia (25-8) with 15 factors. Kyah Watson had 13 factors and Jayla Hemingway had 10 factors.
