WOMENS BASKETBALL

Indiana 86, Iowa 69

MICHAEL MAROT
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sara Scalia scored 25 points, All-America center Mackenzie Holmes had 24 points and nine rebounds, and No. 14 Indiana frustrated Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark in an 86-69 win over the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes.

Playing for the first time since she broke the NCAA women’s career scoring record, Clark finished with 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds but struggled from the field. She was 8 of 26 overall and 3 of 16 on 3-pointers while scoring just four points in the second half.

Clark now has 3,593 points and is 57 away from her next milestone, Lynette Woodard’s major women’s college scoring record, with three games left in the regular season.

Indiana, the defending regular-season Big Ten champion, had something to prove after Monday night’s inexplicable loss at Illinois, and the Hoosiers (22-4, 13-3) didn’t disappoint. Yarden Garzon made three 3s and finished with 15 points.

And the Hoosiers were more than ready for Clark, just like last year.

Three hours before tip-off, long lines were snaking around Assembly Hall for what had already been announced as a sellout. Inside the arena, Indiana T-shirts were the dominant fashion choice with a few black-and-gold No. 22 jerseys sprinkled around. And after Clark put up a rare shot that missed everything in the first half, the crowd responded with chants of “Airball!”

Clark’s three 3s gave her 143, breaking the single-season Big Ten record she set last season (140), but she couldn’t outduel the nation’s best shooting team.

Credit for that goes to Indiana’s defense.

Indiana closed the first half on a 12-6 run for a 44-33 halftime lead, then shut out Iowa for nearly the first four minutes of the second half as it extended the margin to 51-33. Iowa finally responded with a 9-2 spurt and cut the deficit to 62-54 after three.

But Garzon opened the fourth quarter with two baskets and an assist to give the Hoosiers a a 69-56 lead, and the Hawkeyes never recovered.

Kate Martin had 19 points for Iowa.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa: The Hawkeyes have lost three league games this season — all on the road. And it could cost them a shot at the Big Ten regular-season crown. No. 2 Ohio State has a two-game game lead over both Iowa and Indiana.

Indiana: Coach Teri Moren’s squad wasn’t about to let go of last season’s title without a fight. But the Hoosiers have only two games remaining and will need help to finish first again.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Iowa’s 17-week streak of being ranked in the top five could be in jeopardy. Indiana could move up, and this win keeps the Hoosiers in the mix to host NCAA Tournament games.

Indiana athletics press release

February 22, 2024