Caitlin Clark, the nation’s leading scorer and a candidate for the Naismith Trophy, showed why she is one of the best players in college basketball on Sunday. The senior guard from Iowa recorded her 16th career triple-double and fifth of the season, as she led the No. 4 Hawkeyes to a 101-85 victory over the Illinois Illini at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Clark finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, while shooting 6 of 18 from the field and 5 of 14 from beyond the arc. She also added three steals and two blocks in 37 minutes of action.
Clark is the only player in Division I history to have five triple-doubles in a single season, surpassing the previous record of four held by Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and Chastadie Barrs of Lamar. She is also the active leader in career triple-doubles, ahead of Ionescu’s 12 and Nicole Powell’s 10. Clark is averaging 32.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game this season, putting her on pace to become the first player ever to average a triple-double for a full season.
Iowa bounced back from a loss to Indiana with a dominant offensive display
The Hawkeyes (24-4, 13-3 Big Ten) were coming off a 79-74 loss to No. 14 Indiana on Thursday, which snapped their 10-game winning streak and dropped them to second place in the conference standings behind Maryland. Iowa was eager to get back on track and prove its offensive prowess, as it is the nation’s leader in scoring offense at 91.8 points per game. The Hawkeyes did not disappoint, as they scored 101 points for the ninth time this season and shot 51.4 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range.
Iowa had four players score in double figures, with Hannah Stuelke adding 20 points, Molly Davis scoring 17, and Kate Martin chipping in 13. The Hawkeyes also had a 47-34 rebounding advantage and a 28-12 edge in fast-break points. Iowa led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter and never let Illinois get closer than 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Illinois put up a fight but could not contain Iowa’s firepower
The Illini (13-13, 7-9 Big Ten) were looking for their third consecutive win and their first victory over a top-five opponent since 2010. Illinois had a balanced scoring attack, with five players reaching double digits. Makira Cook led the way with 26 points, followed by Adalia McKenzie with 19, Genesis Bryant with 16, Jada Peebles with 13, and Kennedi Myles with 11. Illinois shot 46.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range, but also committed 18 turnovers and allowed Iowa to score 32 points off them.
Illinois trailed by 16 points at halftime, but made a run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 10 points with 4:19 left. However, Iowa responded with a 13-4 spurt to end the quarter and restore its comfortable lead. Illinois never gave up, but could not keep up with Iowa’s explosive offense, which scored 29 points in the final period.
