For all the scoring she does, it’s easy to forget about the passing ability of Caitlin Clark.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(779x39:781x41)/caitlin-clark-loss-040323-1-65ad09aa53234c81a3bd15e10b577328.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
Michigan won’t forget, as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer dissected the Wolverines defense Saturday to lead Iowa to a 95-68 win in the Big Ten tournament semifinals and send the Hawkeyes to the conference title game.
Clark finished the day tying a season-high with 15 assists, entering the game averaging a Division I-high 8.6 assists per game. She also finished with a game-high 28 points.
Iowa will now meet Nebraska in the Big Ten final on Sunday, as the Hawkeyes go for their third straight conference tournament title, eying a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
There was a brief scare when Hannah Stuelke, the second leading scorer for Iowa, went down and grabbed her knee in the fourth quarter, but she got up quickly on her way to the bench. Her status for Sunday’s game will be something to watch.
Here’s a look back at all the action from Saturday’s semifinal:
Lisa Bluder gives more praise to Caitlin Clark
Saturday was just another day of Clark showcasing her talents, and Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder once again praised her star player’s efforts against the Big Ten’s best scoring defense.
“She’s amazing,” Bluder said postgame. “I love how much she contributes.
“She’s hard to guard. I mean Michigan is a good basketball team, they’re a good defensive team, we know that. (Clark) is so good in transition.”
Iowa closing in on win
The Hawkeyes are now just a few minutes away from a date with Nebraska in the Big Ten title game, leading 81-59 with less than eight minutes left in the game.
Clark quickly scored seven of Iowa’s nine fourth quarter points, and a nothing but net 3-pointer got the Target Center crowd rocking as if the game was being played in Iowa City. She now has 28 points, 15 assists and four rebounds.
