WOMENS BASKETBALL
Iowa 93, Maryland 85
NOAH TRISTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Caitlin Clark had 38 points and 12 assists, and No. 3 Iowa withstood a gritty effort by Maryland, outlasting the Terrapins 93-85.
The Hawkeyes (21-2, 10-1 Big Ten) won at Maryland for the first time since December 1992, when the Terps were in the ACC. Clark now needs 66 points to pass Kelsey Plum atop the NCAA career scoring list for women’s basketball.
A packed crowd in College Park had clearly come to watch Clark — but also mostly cheered for the Terps. Maryland trailed by 18 points in the third quarter before a 23-3 run gave the Terrapins the lead. Clark even shot an air ball from the left wing, to the delight of the Maryland crowd.
The Terps were up 65-63 before Iowa outscored them 10-1 the rest of the quarter. Clark made a 3-pointer and a layup and also assisted on two layups during that run.
The Terps, struggling through an unusually tough season, kept it close in the fourth. It was tied at 76 before Clark freed herself with a smooth pump fake and connected from 3-point range. She then fed Sydney Affolter for a layup, and Maryland could never pull even again.
Clark would have finished with an even 40 points if she hadn’t missed a wide open layup on a breakaway in the final minute, but with Iowa comfortably ahead, she could afford to smile after that.
After Clark began the game with a 3-pointer, Maryland ran off the next 11 points to take an early lead, and the Iowa star was called for a couple traveling violations.
The Terps (12-10, 4-7) couldn’t keep Clark under control for long though. A particularly deep 3-pointer from the left wing — beyond former Maryland men’s coach Gary Williams’ signature on the court — capped a 14-2 run by Iowa.
Clark did her damage inside the arc in the second quarter, including a spin move for a three-point play. Iowa led 52-38 at halftime.
Clark now has 3,462 points. Plum scored 3,527. Former Kansas star Lynette Woodard holds the women’s major college basketball record with 3,649 points from 1978-81 — before the NCAA took over women’s sports from the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
BIG PICTURE
Iowa: Clark showed off her all-around game, and one benefit to her popularity is that the Hawkeyes have plenty of experience playing before big crowds in tough road environments. They were also able to close the game out with Clark scoring only five points in the final quarter.
Maryland: The Terps have lost four straight, but this was an inspired effort in the second half. In addition to Clark’s scoring, Maryland had a hard time with Iowa’s rebounding — the Hawkeyes had 17 at the offensive end.
February 3, 2024
