IOWA CITY — Caitlin Clark stood alongside the baseline as her Iowa Hawkeyes have been about to start out stretching, and he or she slipped behind teammate Monika Czinano to shock her with a bear hug. The duo giggled and didn’t appear to have a care on the planet minutes earlier than a essential nationally televised Massive Ten showdown in opposition to one other top-10 staff in Maryland.
Iowa
Terps have no answer for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who erupts for 42
The smirk on Clark’s face appeared to say all of it. The No. 8 Terrapins couldn’t deal with what was coming.
Clark put up 42 factors as No. 6 Iowa seized an enormous early lead and held on for a 96-82 victory Thursday night time. The Hawkeyes (18-4, 10-1 Massive Ten) snapped a four-game dropping streak in opposition to Maryland (18-4, 9-3) and gained their seventh straight recreation. The groups will play once more Feb. 21 in Faculty Park, however the loss places the Terps in a difficult spot when it comes to taking part in catch-up to win the common season convention title.
“She’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of participant,” Maryland Coach Brenda Frese stated of Clark. “A pleasure to observe play except you’re scouting her and going in opposition to her. She will accomplish that many issues properly. She’s a particular participant.”
Clark is an all-American and the No. 2 scorer within the nation, so large video games from her are commonplace — however this was completely different. Her first basket — and first shot — got here from a Mediacom Courtroom emblem positioned midway between the three-point line and half-court. The three was deep and was simply the primary of a number of she would hit from that emblem.
By halftime Clark had 24 factors, together with 5 three-pointers, together with six rebounds and 5 assists. She led the way in which because the Hawkeyes took a 56-38 lead after the primary 20 minutes, and he or she was a pest on protection, too.
“I don’t know the way you can not say that Caitlin Clark is just not the nationwide participant of the 12 months,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder stated. “I don’t know how one can say that she is just not. She was unbelievable tonight.”
Iowa by no means trailed after falling behind 2-0.
Clark was the catalyst for all the pieces in that first half. She scored or assisted on 34 factors; Maryland, in the meantime, had 38 as a staff. The Hawkeyes shot 64.9 p.c within the first half, and Czinano additionally feasted, scoring 18 factors earlier than the break.
Maryland used a 14-4 stretch, led by Diamond Miller, early within the third quarter to chop the deficit to 10 factors, however then Clark obtained going once more. She buried a sidestep three from subsequent to the emblem on the opposite finish of the courtroom to offer Iowa a 71-57 lead, then she turned to the group, raised her palms upward and gave a shoulder shrug paying homage to Michael Jordan.
Clark stated she is just not involved about being named nationwide participant of the 12 months.
“So long as my staff wins, all that takes care of itself,” she stated. “It’s not one thing I take into consideration every single day. However that may be a large honor. Even final 12 months. after I was within the dialog for it, it’s a large honor. It’s an enormous honor for our staff, for our program to have gamers in that dialog similar to Megan [Gustafson] was. It’s a large deal, so it’s not one thing that, I don’t simply brush it off.
“However that’s not the explanation you play the sport of basketball. I play it as a result of I adore it.”
Clark’s 42 factors signify her second-highest whole of the season, and he or she completed with eight assists, seven rebounds, two steals and a block. Czinano referred to as it an evening with 28 factors on 14-for-18 taking pictures.
Maryland watched a five-game profitable streak come to an finish because the offense sputtered and the protection had no reply for Iowa’s dynamic duo. Miller struggled with foul bother however nonetheless completed with 27 factors and 6 rebounds. Shyanne Sellers was aggressive from the outset and scored a career-high 26 factors to go along with six rebounds. Abby Meyers chipped in 15 factors and 7 rebounds. No different Terp scored greater than six.
“Simply being aggressive and going downhill,” Sellers stated about her 26 factors. “Their guards are a little bit bit undersized, so I had the peak benefit. Simply making an attempt to assault them and be aggressive.”
The Terps’ offense by no means had a lot move, and 18 turnovers harm. Maryland was 2 for 11 from behind the arc regardless of Frese being proud of the shot makes an attempt. Maryland had been taking part in protection at an elite degree through the profitable streak, and the 96 factors allowed have been essentially the most they’ve given up all season.
Right here’s what else to find out about Maryland’s loss:
Pinzan joins 1,000-point membership
Maryland level guard Elisa Pinzan scored 4 factors to achieve 1,000 for her profession. She joins 4 of her teammates: Miller, Meyers, Lavender Briggs and Brinae Alexander.
Miller on Tuesday was named to the midseason high 10 watch checklist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale award, offered to the highest taking pictures guard within the nation.
Sellers on Wednesday was named to the watch checklist for the Cheryl Miller award, given to the nation’s high small ahead.
Frese is a local of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is a couple of 30-minute drive from Iowa Metropolis. She had roughly 40 family and friends members within the constructing for the sport.
When she was a child, Frese attended basketball camps inside Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment that have been hosted by Corridor of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer, who was then the coach at Iowa.