Caitlin Clark Powers Past Adversity To Lift Iowa To The Second Round

When the top-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes took to the court in their first round March Madness matchup against Holy Cross, they expected to cruise to an easy victory led by national player of the year frontrunner Caitlin Clark. However, the gritty Crusaders had other plans, jumping out to an early lead and frustrating the high-flying Hawkeyes offense. Holy Cross forced nine turnovers in the first half, six of which came from the usually steady hands of Caitlin Clark.

By halftime, Clark had amassed just 13 points on an inefficient 2-8 shooting. Her visible frustration was evident as she got into a fiery exchange with an official and argued with her father in the stands. It seemed the Hawkeyes and their superstar Caitlin Clark were in an uncharacteristic funk.

Clark Takes Over in The Second Half

However, in the third quarter Caitlin Clark began to find her rhythm. She attacked the basket with ferocity and made plays for her teammates. Clark’s relentless motor and scoring prowess proved too much for Holy Cross to handle. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Clark had poured in 27 points to go along with 10 assists and 8 rebounds, securing her 27th career triple-double.

Iowa outscored Holy Cross 68-44 in the second half behind the dominant play of Caitlin Clark. Fellow Hawkeye Kate Martin added 15 points and 14 rebounds as Iowa showed why they are the top seed in the region. While it wasn’t smooth sailing early, Caitlin Clark did what she does best – take over – to power Iowa to the second round where they will have some extra time to prepare for their next opponent.