Caitlin Clark, Iowa survive March Insanity scare from West Virginia in star's closing residence sport – New York Submit

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark introduced them right here.
She assured each one of many 14,000-plus seats could be crammed, as they have been all season. She made positive they wouldn’t suppose twice in regards to the worth, even those that couldn’t discover a ticket for underneath $300 within the hours earlier than tip-off.
She made positive it was an evening to recollect. She made positive to say goodbye with probably the most highly effective promise she might supply: They’ll see her once more.
Within the closing residence sport of her legendary profession, Clark carried Iowa again to the Candy 16, placing up 32 factors and eight rebounds within the No. 1 Hawkeyes’ tightly contested 64-54 win over No. 8 West Virginia within the second spherical of the NCAA Match at Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment.
Iowa (31-4) continues its quest for an additional Last 4 berth Saturday in Albany, the place they may face No. 5 Colorado (24-9) in a rematch of final 12 months’s regional semifinal.
“I might have by no means left the court docket if I wasn’t pressured to get off,” Clark stated. “I feel the most important factor is simply thanks [to the fans]. I’m endlessly grateful.”
Clark’s closing residence sport was almost the ultimate sport of her collegiate profession.
West Virginia’s (25-8) protection did its finest to include curler derby into every second. It held the highest-scoring group within the nation to just about 30 factors under its season common and its lowest-scoring half (26) of the season.
It pressured the Hawkeyes into 15 turnovers, whereas permitting simply seven assists to the group that averages greater than another within the nation.
It made possessions a check of need, of quickness to free balls, of stubbornness to cede an inch of actual property within the paint.
Buoyed by Clark’s 5 3-pointers, Iowa led by 10 coming into the fourth quarter, then went 5:14 earlier than scoring one other level, permitting West Virginia to tie the rating with lower than three minutes remaining.
Iowa made only one area objective within the fourth quarter, however pulled away by making 14 of 17 free throws down the stretch.
“That is positively up there with one of the best of them, mentally and emotionally and bodily, grinding this out and getting the win,” Clark stated. “There’s numerous positives to remove from this when perhaps we didn’t even play our greatest basketball or look as fairly. That’s extra fulfilling of a win for us than going on the market and profitable by 30 factors.”
It was a well-recognized scene for the Iowa core, who bore the scars of second rounds previous. In 2022, the season ended at residence with an upset loss to Creighton. Final 12 months, a last-minute win over Georgia fueled the Hawkeyes’ run to their first-ever nationwide championship sport.
Clark repeatedly screamed to the group, tapping into Iowa’s second-greatest benefit. When her pictures fell, she demanded the group match her effort.
No request had ever been so persuasive.
Due to Clark, they loved yet one more night time because the capital of faculty basketball. They introduced indicators, giving thanks and love and the impression that nothing existed exterior of the world partitions.
They have been diehards and casuals, grandparents and grade-schoolers, sharing the wardrobe of a 22-year-old who represented them lengthy earlier than a era of People.
They cheered when it was wanted most, when momentum vanished and doubt creeped in, when the offense regarded misplaced and having the nation’s finest participant didn’t seem to be sufficient.
“I’ve all the time been one to play to the group,” Clark stated. “That’s simply who I’m. That’s sort of what I do, an entertainer in a approach. I all the time wish to get them going.
“I assumed our crowd was large tonight. They actually willed us to this victory.”
When the ultimate buzzer sounded, Clark exhaled and smiled, understanding the journey might proceed. She took a lap across the court docket, making a coronary heart image to the group, earlier than leaping and celebrating together with her teammates at midcourt.
It was what they got here to see.

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