Iowa update: Clark makes history—again

The Hawkeyes came ready to play, Caitlin Clark passed Pete Maravich, and the seniors got their props.

Senior day at Iowa was all that, and then some.

ESPN’s CollegeGameDay set the tone before the game and the No. 6 Hawkeyes took care of the rest as they played some of their best basketball against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, the Big Ten regular season title holders.

Before the eyes of a raucous sold-out crowd for their last regular season game, with the likes of Lynette Woodard, Maya Moore, Jake from State Farm, Travis Scott and Nolan Ryan in attendance, the Hawkeyes avenged their defeat to the Buckeyes from January, triumphing 93-83. In that game, Ohio State ended Iowa’s 15-game winning streak; on Sunday, the Hawkeyes returned the favor, ending the Buckeyes’ own 15-game winning streak.

In the process, Caitlin Clark, in her final regular season game as an Iowa Hawkeye, surpassed Pete Maravich to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I college basketball history. She did so while shooting two technicals with 0.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter—not exactly what most had in mind. Nevertheless, she ended the game with 35 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Head coach Lisa Bluder recognized that, while Maravich’s legacy speaks for itself, she doesn’t want male privilege to define this moment, especially considering the recent surge in popularity in women’s sports and when women in sport are setting the standard on their own terms. “I admire Pistol Pete, but I just don’t want that to be the bar for women’s athletics” she said.

As for Clark, she puts the record and the build up to it in context, while recognizing the task at hand, saying:

I’m so focused on helping this team win and be so great that it is hard for me to wrap my head around everything that is going on. A record is a record. I don’t want that to be the reason people remember me. I hope people remember me for the way I put a smile on my face, my competitive fire. Sure they can remember the wins, but also the fun me and my teammates had together.

The other four seniors—Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Sharon Goodman and Molly Davis—left an indelible impression in their own right.

After going scoreless throughout the first half, Martin came alive in the second half, scoring all of her 11 points as well as grabbing nine rebounds. Marshall was lights out and played some of her best basketball in a while as she finished with 12 points. She made four 3-pointers, including one in the opening minutes on which she was fouled. She followed it up with the extra point from the line, and got the crowd ecstatic.

Unfortunately for Davis, she played only eight minutes before she sustained a leg injury in the first quarter. She had to be carried off the court by two trainers and was received warmly by the fans with chants of “Molly! Molly!” before giving a double thumbs up. She came back to watch the rest of the game in a wheelchair with her leg wrapped up. Goodman played for only 28 seconds as the game came to a close, but received a loud ovation as well.

All the seniors and their families were honored in a post game ceremony hosted by ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

Some other notable performances included Hannah Stuelke, Syd Affolter and Kylie Feuerbach. Stuelke was impeccable in the paint and in transition, finishing with 23 points and equaling Martin with nine rebounds. Affolter was as reliable as they come and came away with six points and seven rebounds. Feuerbach was all over the floor at both ends of the floor, particularly on the defensive end where she helped spur the Hawkeyes’ transition offense. She finished with four points and four steals.

The win not only helps in the Hawkeyes in terms of their morale, but also can boost their chances of securing at least a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would enable them to host the first and second rounds in Iowa City for the third-consecutive year.

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The Big Ten tournament is up next and will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota from Mar. 6-10. Iowa will be the No. 2 seed and will play on Friday, Mar. 8. The Hawkeyes will the play the winner of Thursday’s No. 7-seed Penn State vs. No. 10-seed Wisconsin game.