Iowa's Caitlin Clark, the nation's top scorer, led a second-half offensive surge to overtake rival No. 10 Iowa State, 70-57.
The No. 16 Hawkeyes followed a slow 23-point first half with a 47-point second to pull way. Clark posted 13 of her 19 points in the final two quarters. She finished with eight rebounds and eight assists, too, along with five steals.
But it wasn’t easy for Clark. In last season’s matchup, Lexi Donarski held Clark to 10 for 26 shooting; tonight she was 7 for 20 from the field, making four 3-pointers.
𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 for the lead. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/2aWPDKgT0Q
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 8, 2022
Monika Czinano followed behind with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Kate Martin’s 13 points, including three bucks from 3, filled the gaps when the Hawkeyes were in scoring droughts.
Iowa State shot well below its season field goal and free throw average marks. Typically 49.6% from the field and 81.2% from the free throw line, the Cyclones were only 36.4% and 50%.
RANKINGS: Latest AP poll | Power 10
Leading scorers Ashley Joens and Stephanie Soares struggled offensively, but still managed 15 and 10 points, respectively. Combined, they shot 9 for 22.
The Hawkeyes picked up their first win over a ranked opponent this season after consecutive losses to UConn and NC State. The Cyclones remain winless against ranked teams after getting their second crack at it on Wednesday.
The home crowd chanted “Hawkeye state” as Iowa moved to 31-23 all-time over their in-state rivals.
