Focus shifts for Clark after breaking record

More scoring records are in sight for Caitlin Clark, but right now the Iowa superstar is looking forward to a break from the chase. She passed Kelsey Plum as the NCAA women’s career scoring leader Thursday night, putting up a schoolrecord 49 points in a 10689 victory over Michigan and running her career total to 3,569.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said it was a relief to have Clark’s pursuit of the NCAA record end.

“It’s been a little bit of a distraction, but a good distraction, right?” Bluder said. “You want these kinds of distractions for your team. But at the same time, it’s time now for us to really focus on making our team better and getting ready for Indiana next week, the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.”

With Clark having become the face of college basketball, the spotlight has been on the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes for a year.

They reached the national championship game for the first time, losing to LSU in a game that set a television viewership record of nearly 10 million and is remembered for the “you can’t see me” gesture Angel Reese made toward Clark.

The Hawkeyes drew national attention again in October when they played Depaul in an exhibition at Kinnick Stadium that drew 55,646, the largest crowd to ever watch a women’s basketball game.

And from the start of the regular season, Clark’s progress toward the NCAA scoring record turned into the narrative.

“Obviously, getting this record is tremendous and it has to be celebrated,” she said. “There are so many people who have come before me and laid such a great foundation for women’s basketball, and that has to be celebrated, too.

“We’re really getting into the best part of basketball season. These are the times when your team really shows who you are, and I believe coach Bluder always has us playing our best basketball at the end of February and in March.”

Women’s highlights UC RIVERSIDE 67, CAL STATE FULLERTON 56 >>

Jordan Webster had 18 points, six steals and five reports as the Highlanders won for the thiurd time in four games. Matehya Bryant had 17 points and six rebounds for UCR (13-11, 8-6 Big West), which plays host to UC Davis today at 2.

Men’s highlights

UC RIVERSIDE 81, CAL STATE FULLERTON 73 >> Barrington Hargress had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Highlanders (11-15, 6-8 Big West Conference) won their third in a row. Nate Pickens added 19 points for UCR, which won at an opponent’s home site for the first time in 13 games this season. The Highlanders play at UC Davis today at 2.

UTAH VALLEY 69, CBU 46 >> Drake Allen scored 19 points to lead the Wolverines’ win in Riverside. Kendal Coleman had 12 points and 10 rebounds for CBU (14-10, 7-6). CBU plays at WAC Conference leader Grand Cayon (23-2, 13-1) today at 5.

USC 68, UTAH 64 >> Isaiah Collier had 15 points six assists, five rebounds and three steals as the Trojans (10-15, 4-10 Pac-12) snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in their last 10 games.

NO. 2 PURDUE 84, MINNESOTA 76 >> Zach Edey had 24 points and 15 rebounds as the Boilermakers rallied from a 10-point deficit to win.