No. 14 Indiana secured a statement victory on Thursday, quieting star Caitlin Clark en route to a stunning 86-69 win over No. 4 Iowa.
Indiana's defense gave Iowa and Clark fits. They held the Hawkeyes to 39% shooting from the field (26-of-67) and 18% from beyond the arc (5-of-28).
Sara Scalia buries the DAGGER for @IndianaWBB to secure the win over Iowa! pic.twitter.com/PzI5n8v3DJ
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 23, 2024
Clark still filled up the stat sheet, finishing an assist shy of a triple-double. However, Indiana minimized her impact with stifling defense, holding the women's all-time leading scorer to only four points in the second half.
It was clear from the tip that Clark was a little off against the Hoosiers. She recorded 24 points – tied for her second-lowest output of the season – and had a rough night from beyond the arc, finishing 3-of-16.
On the other end, Sara Scalia and Mackenzie Holmes led the way for Indiana, combining for 49 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. The Hoosiers moved to 22-4 (13-3 in the Big Ten) while positioning themselves for a better slot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
As far as Clark-mania goes, it was on full display Thursday. Despite having already secured the all-time women's scoring mark, a long line of fans waited outside Assembly Hall to see the Iowa star in person. As was the case for her record-setting moment against Michigan, the Hawkeyes contest against Indiana was exclusively available on the Peacock streaming platform.
Clark has etched her name in the record books several times this season, but there's still more history left to make. Following Thursday's 24-point performance, she's only 75 points behind Hall of Famer Pete Maravich for the all-time Division I scoring mark (3,667) with three games left to play in the regular season.
This line for Iowa and Caitlin Clark is INSANE!!!!
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 22, 2024
Literally wraps around entire Assembly Hall.
And we’re still 2-plus hours from tip. pic.twitter.com/wT06rbLagb
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