Clark, No. 3 Iowa win Big Ten title in OT
MINNEAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark overcame a cold start to score 30 of her 34 points after halftime and help third-ranked Iowa rally past Nebraska 94-89 in overtime to win a third straight Big Ten Tournament on Sunday.
“It never gets old cutting the net,” Clark said after black and gold confetti covered the court at Target Center to the delight of another sellout crowd packed with Hawkeyes fans. “I feel like we’re pretty good at that.”
Hannah Stuelke had 25 points and nine rebounds for Iowa (29-4), which trailed by 13 points late in the first half while their superstar Clark missed all nine of her 3-point attempts.
“You can maybe keep Caitlin down for a half. You’re not keeping her down for a whole game,” Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder said.
The all-time NCAA leading scorer finished 5 for 17 from deep, had 12 assists and hit the dagger 3-pointer with 51 seconds left in OT for an 89-87 lead just 16 seconds after Logan Nissley’s 3pointer put the Cornhuskers in front.
Alexis Markowski had 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead Nebraska (22-11) in a valiant performance that fell short of a second victory over Iowa this season. The Huskers beat the Hawkeyes 82-79 on Feb. 11.
“Nobody else did, but we expected to win,” said Nebraska coach Amy Williams, who had tears streaming down her face at the postgame interview podium as she praised Nissley’s effort after her red-eyed players choked up during some of their remarks.
Natalie Potts had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Huskers, who led 75-67 with 2 1/2 minutes to go in regulation, before Clark drained one of her signature stepback 3-pointers. Her layup in traffic tied the game with 29 seconds left.
Nebraska played for the final shot, and Nissley’s baseline jumper was short at the buzzer. Clark waved her arms at the Iowa-dominated sellout crowd, yelling: “Come on! Five more minutes!”
The Hawkeyes were well aware of Jaz Shelley — who had 16 points and 13 assists — on that last possession of regulation after the Australian hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in their last meeting.
“They tightened things up,” Williams said. “I would’ve, too.”
Markowski and Potts, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winner, played fearlessly inside after Iowa commanded a 54-16 points-in-the-paint advantage on Michigan the day before. Clark mostly found her usual playable looks at the hoop, but the long ball just wasn’t her friend. The Hawkeyes matched every bit of the Huskers’ fire, though, and made sure they stayed within striking range by getting the ball to the basket as much as they could and locking down on defense.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 79 NO. 8 LSU 72
In Greenville, S.C., MiLyasia Fulwiley scored a game-high 24 points as the Gamecocks (32-0) clinched the Southeastern Conference tournament crown. The game was delayed late in the fourth quarter due to a scuffle that broke out between the teams and saw six players ejected, including South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso who shoved LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. Aneesah Morrow led the Tigers (28-5) with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
NO. 9 UCONN 58 MARQUETTE 29
Paige Bueckers scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the host Huskies in the Big East Tournament semifinals. Ice Brady, making just her second start, added 10 points for the shorthanded Huskies (28-5) who had just seven available players after losing star center Aaliyah Edwards to a facial injury after she was struck in the nose in the win over Providence on Saturday.
NO. 14 NOTRE DAME 14 NO. 10 N.C. STATE 51
In Greensboro, N.C., star freshman Hannah Hildalgo had 22 points — including a pair of baskets for the lead down the stretch — as the Fighting Irish (26-6) won their first Atlantic Coast Conference title in five years.
Men NO. 3 PURDUE 78 WISCONSIN 70
Zach Edey had 25 points and 14 rebounds in his home finale, becoming the first Big Ten player to exceed 2,200 career points and 1,200 boards, and the Boilermakers (28-3, 17-3 Big Ten) prevailed in their regular-season finale. Fletcher Loyer added 15 points, and Braden Smith added 10 points, 10 assists
John Blackwell scored 18 points for the Badgers (19-12, 11-9).