The scene was prepared for Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark to achieve the title of the highest career scorer in NCAA women’s basketball on the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday. This momentous event took place in front of a national TV audience on FOX and a sold-out crowd of 15,500 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes expressed his belief that Clark will go down as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time in a pre-recorded segment. Mahomes himself later played in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas against the San Francisco team.
However, Nebraska managed to completely shut down Clark’s scoring efforts in the fourth quarter, as she went 0 for 6 from the field. As a result, she fell just eight points short of breaking the record, finishing with 31 points in an 82-79 loss.
Despite this setback, Clark will have another opportunity to break the record on her home court. The second-ranked Iowa team, with a record of 22-3, will be hosting Michigan, who has a record of 16-9, on Thursday at 8 p.m.
Clark currently stands at 3,520 points in her four-year career. The record, held by former Washington Husky player Kelsey Plum, is set at 3,527 points over the course of four seasons from 2013 to 2017.
Nebraska’s victory over Iowa marks the first time they have defeated Iowa since the 2019-20 season, which was the year before Clark joined the team.
Nebraska coach Amy Williams, with tears in her eyes, acknowledged that they were not able to completely shut down Clark’s scoring, as she still managed to score in the 30s. Williams expressed her team’s struggle to find a way to contain Clark’s talent, but acknowledged the significance of their victory.
Clark entered the game with an average of 32 points per game and needed 39 points to break the record. She finished the game with a shooting percentage of 40%, making 10 of 25 attempts from the field and 33% from behind the arc, making 5 of 15 attempts. Despite falling short of the record, Clark showcased her all-around skills by contributing 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocked shots, reminiscent of former Texas Tech star Sheryl Swoopes.
Swoopes, who had a remarkable career in the early 1990s, faced criticism last week for making incorrect comments about Clark’s game.
Although Clark came close to breaking the record, which was 303 miles away from her home campus in Iowa City, it did not seem that way on the national telecast by FOX. Fans in Lincoln showed their enthusiasm by lining up outside Pinnacle as early as 6 a.m., with the line stretching for several blocks around the arena. Clark’s popularity was compared to that of Taylor Swift in the world of college basketball.
As Clark left the court, she was accompanied by eight security escorts. Prior to the game, Clark led the NCAA in scoring, averaging 32.2 points per game, as well as in assists per game, with 8.2, and in 3-pointers per game, with 5.25. Unfortunately, Nebraska outscored her 27-0 in the fourth quarter, leading to their victory over Iowa with a final score of 82-79.
Nebraska senior Jaz Shelley stole the spotlight with a crucial 3-pointer in the final 30.2 seconds of the game, giving Nebraska their first lead at 78-77. Clark missed a 3-pointer shortly after, making it her fifth consecutive miss in the fourth quarter. Shelley sealed the victory for Nebraska by making two free throws with 18.1 seconds remaining, resulting in an 80-77 lead. Shelley finished the game with 23 points and five assists.
In the first quarter, Clark showed promise by scoring seven points, grabbing two rebounds, and providing two assists. She made three of seven attempts from the field, including one 3-pointer. At halftime, Clark had accumulated 17 points, shooting 7 of 15 from the field and 3 of 8 from behind the arc. She also contributed five assists and two rebounds.
Entering the fourth quarter, Clark was only nine points away from breaking the record, with a total of 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 5 of 11 from 3-point range. Additionally, she had eight assists and six rebounds.
Despite the fourth quarter collapse, this game will be remembered as a significant event in Iowa City.
According to the Source outkick.com