Caitlin Clark shakes off sluggish start, guides No. 8 Iowa women’s basketball to Cy-Hawk win

IOWA CITY — Her emotion can typically overshadow her manufacturing, however you need Caitlin Clark’s vitality in your facet whenever you desperately want it.

Don’t consider it? Look no additional than Wednesday’s Cy-Hawk showdown.

Locked in a sluggish, grueling affair that had Clark and the Iowa offense all out of whack for greater than a half, an enormous Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment crowd was underutilized other than a couple of sporadic moments. Clark fully modified that in about 5 minutes.

Igniting a relentless third-quarter surge that noticed No. 13 Iowa snatch momentum en path to a 70-57 win over No. 8 Iowa State, Clark bounced again from a horrendous capturing begin to information the Hawkeyes to their most spectacular win of the season.

Though it wasn’t the offensive masterpiece many envisioned, Clark’s potential to learn the room and inject vitality on the most vital time showcased her progress as a frontrunner as a lot as a participant. Whereas six of her game-high 19 factors got here on two noise-inducing treys throughout Iowa’s 19-2 third-quarter run, it was the trouble past the field rating that popped probably the most.

Extra:No. 10 Iowa girls’s basketball rebounds for street win over Wisconsin

She repeatedly requested for noise, and the followers obliged on nearly each defensive possession. An emphatic fist pump right here, an intense ground slap there — all of it helped the Hawkeyes surge previous Iowa State earlier than the fourth-quarter pressure kicked in.

When the Cyclones flocked to Clark, she discovered others open for straightforward buckets. Three Addison O’Grady layups have been arrange by Clark in some type or vogue. A Clark-induced chest bump was awaiting the younger heart throughout the subsequent timeout.

Extra:Caitlin Clark’s 45 factors not sufficient for No. 10 Iowa girls’s basketball in loss to No. 11 NC State

All of the proof was there for Clark to get distracted early. She opened 2-for-14 capturing with six first-half factors, at one level proudly owning extra free throws (1) than area targets (0). The Hawkeyes themselves had solely 23 factors on the break earlier than erupting within the third quarter.

Clark’s remaining line nonetheless didn’t end the cleanest, however her efforts confirmed up most past the field rating.  

Dargan Southard is a sports activities trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Electronic mail him at msouthard@gannett.com or observe him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.