Gonzaga plays a near-perfect second half
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark is a self-admitted perfectionist.
So when things weren’t going her way early in No. 1 seed Iowa’s NCAA Tournament opener she got frustrated.
The unanimous All-American finished with 27 points and 10 assists on an off-shooting night as the Hawkeyes defeated Holy Cross 91-65 in a women’s NCAA Tournament first-round game Saturday.
She was just 8 of 19 from the field, 3 of 9 in 3-pointers, showing her frustration with missed shots multiple times during the game. She was constantly complaining to officials and at one point cameras caught her dad Brent telling her to stop.
Clark seemed to get the message.
“I should probably smile more. I’m a competitor,” said Clark, who even head-butted the basketball during the game
SALT LAKE CITY — And to think, some folks said they might not make it to March Madness.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs laughed that off as easily as they swatted away an exhausted Kansas team Saturday, rolling past the Jayhawks 89-68 to return to the Sweet 16 for the nation-leading ninth straight time. in frustration. “I love this game. I’m a perfectionist. But hey, I’m competitive. I want to win and I want our team to play our best basketball.”
Clark finished with her 65th career double-double, and added eight rebounds.
Clark struggled early, not making her first field goal until 22 seconds were left in the first quarter. She committed five
Led by Anton Watson’s 21 points, fifth-seeded Gonzaga was nearly as good over the second half of this game as it has been over the second half of the season. The Zags scored 15 straight points early in the half to turn this one into a runaway on an afternoon when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star.
They improved to 16-2 since Jan. 18, with the only two losses