Caitlin Clark, Iowa Pull Out of a Tied Game for a Gripping Win vs MI State

The Iowa Hawkeyes begin their New Year by hosting the Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday. After securing a resounding win against Minnesota on New Year’s Eve, Caitlin Clark and co. were looking to continue their momentum in their first conference play of the season.

However, it was no walk in the park for them as Clark came to the rescue in the final moments of the game to hand Iowa a marginal 76-73 victory at home.

Caitlin Clark gets Iowa over the line

Iowa began the opening quarter in a familiar fashion. Their prominent point guard Caitlin Clark along with forward Hannah Stuelke kept the Hawkeyes’ noses in front in the initial minutes of the game. At the same time, junior guard DeeDee Hagemann made sure to help Michigan stay in the game and not allow Iowa to build an unassailable lead in the first quarter. Consequently, by the end of the first quarter, Michigan trailed by just 8 points. Following this, they picked up the pace in the next quarter. The talented No.40 Julia Ayrault stepped in and started breaching the defenses of the home team. The Spartans dominated the second quarter scoring 20 points and got themselves ahead before the second buzzer. They led Iowa 37-35 at half-time.

After this, there was a neck-to-neck battle in the third quarter. Both teams pounced on any scoring opportunity they got and were relentless in their offense. Iowa’s senior guard Kate Martin capitalized on the rebounds and gave the Hawkeyes a slight edge by the end of the third quarter. The scoreboard tied at 55 a piece before the final quarter. Things were no different in the penultimate quarter. The contest was so evenly matched that it was impossible to tell which team had the upper hand. However, it was Caitlin Clark’s moment of magic that separated them in the end as the Hawkeyes won by a whisker.

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Business as usual for Clark

The reigning national player– Caitlin Clark–finished another night with an out-and-out performance. The prolific scorer of the Hawkeyes led the scoring charts scoring 40 points and single-handedly ruined Michigan’s plan of causing an upset. In addition to this, her magnificent buzzer-beater three from half-court in the dying seconds of the game secured an important victory for the Hawkeyes at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Caitlin Clark once again proves why she’s regarded as one of the best in college basketball. The 21-year-old now inches closer to Kelsey Plum’s all-time scoring record with 3,149 points in her bag at present. Fans will be hoping she continues to add on in Iowas’ next NCAA fixture against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Friday.

What are your thoughts on Caitlin’s performance? Let us know in the comments section.

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