Caitlin Clark & Co. Earn a Direct Ticket to March Madness As Iowa Hawkeyes Trump Nebraska Cornhuskers by a 94–89 Margin

Iowa Hawkeyes clashed with Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten conference Finals on Sunday. Hawkeyes had advanced to the finals after defeating Michigan Wolverines by a blowout margin of 95-68.

On the other hand, Cornhuskers trumped Maryland by a decent margin of 78-68. The game was much-anticipated since it was the clash of the finals for the direct ticket to the March Madness 2024.

In what was a cut-throat competition, Iowa star Caitlin Clark got off to a slow start but picked up pace later on.

Clark smashed a spectacular 34 points with 7 rebounds and 12 assists to take her team to the victory line by defeating Cornhuskers by a 94-89 margin in a close match.

The game ran into overtime but Clark & Co. were on their toes to avoid any mishappenings in the big tournament. The Clark camp delivered when it mattered the most.

What happened in the game?

The Hawkeyes opened the game with a 3-0 stat as Gabbie Marshall made a three-point jumper. The Cornhuskers did not let the Hawkeyes take a lead as they shot two layups to take the lead 4-3. Both the teams at one point were standing at level with 5 points each. However, the Cornhuskers got the better of the Hawkeyes in the first half since they basketed 23 points in response to Hawkeyes 17.

The next quarter too saw an average performance from Clark and the Hawkeyes weren’t able to take much of a lead. The Cornhuskers thrashed 23 points whereas the Lisa Bluder-team could only pot 18. Therefore, the Cornhuskers dropped 23 points in each half whereas Clark’s team potted 17 points in the first half and 18 in the next. The score at halftime read 46-35 in favor of the Cornhuskers and it looked as if the game would slip from the Hawkeyes’ hands. 

The Nebraska contained Clark which made it difficult for the NCAA sensation to thrash points. It was in fact the Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke which kept them alive in the game with 11 points at halftime. Nonetheless, Clark tried to find her rhythm in the second half, opening for her team with a three-pointer. The game then turned extremely offensive for a good period of time and had both the teams going at each other. At one point the entire gymnasium standing chanting the name of Caitlin Clark.

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The third quarter ended with both teams stranded at 58 points. The next few minutes saw both teams battling for supremacy. After a lot of hustle and bustle, the score read 75-70 in favor of the Cornhuskers when Clark assisted Stuelke and then Kate Martin. The score at Iowa timeout read 77-75 with the Cornhuskers dominating. Clark then made a layup to level the score. The fourth quarter ended in a tie and the game went into overtime. 

Even in the overtime, both the teams had a close clash and none of the two were ready to let the other surpass. Clark made a three-point jumper and two consecutive free throws. Gabbie Marshall too stepped in with her block and defensive rebound. In the end, Clark and her team prevailed.

Other than Clark, Stuelke, Martin and Sydney Affolter contributed their parts by dropping 25, 13, and 11 points. Stuelke also contributed with 9 rebounds, Martin with 7, and Affolter with 11. Therefore, the Hawkeyes team known to rely singularly on Clark performed their best and lifted the Big Ten Championship title for the third time in a row.

Clark and Co. have now earned a ticket to the March Madness and it remains to be seen if they can continue their on-song performances and go for the national glory, this time lifting it too. 

Read More: Caitlin Clark Will Likely Fail to Break NCAA’s 40-Year-Old Record Despite Shattering Almost All Others in Iowa’s Senior Year