Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark couldn’t hide her delight after leading the team to a come-from-behind win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten championship.
The Hawkeyes were down by double digits at halftime of Sunday’s game, but Clark and Co. staged a strong third quarter to keep the game close. In the end, they were able to push the Cornhuskers away in overtime.
Caitlin Clark, Iowa Hawkeyes’ Massive Comeback
For those who missed it, the Hawkeyes initially appeared to be on their way to an ugly loss. Clark didn’t have the best half, as she went 0-for-9 from deep as Iowa trailed Nebraska 46-35 at the end of the second quarter.
Come the third, however, the Hawkeyes came alive and outscored the Cornhuskers 23-12 to tie the game. It was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, though Iowa was forced to the brink in the closing seconds before a Clark tough basket tied the game at 77-77 with 29 seconds left.
Nebraska was unable to deliver the game-winner in regulation, and unfortunately for them, it was all Iowa in overtime. The Hawkeyes scored 17 in OT, compared to the Cornhuskers’ 12–with Clark, Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin leading the way on both offense and defense.
After the game, Clark credited the team’s toughness for finding a way to win despite the situation they were in. She also admitted that she had the “worst half” of her career, but the important thing is they were able to bounce back quickly.
Clark finished with 34 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists along with three steals.
“We just found a way to win, and that speaks to the team that we have, the maturity we have on this group. I just think this team is never out of a game. We have the offensive firepower to be in any game, and we all believed that, we all knew that and we never gave up,” Clark shared, via ESPN.
Caitlin Clark’s Hyped Reaction After Iowa Hawkeyes’ Win
Following the intense battle, Caitlin Clark took to social media to commemorate the victory, which is their third straight conference championship. Aside from her Kobe Bryant-inspired pose with the Big Ten trophy, the sharpshooter made sure to celebrate her teammates as well.
On X (formerly Twitter), Clark wrote, “BACK TO BACK TO BACK!!!!!!! GET THE GIRLS SOME RINGS!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU HAWK FANS.” The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer also wrote several yellow heart emojis.
Clark definitely has every reason to celebrate. After the historic season she had with the Iowa Hawkeyes, it only deserves a proper ending.
Of course it’s far from over for Clark and Iowa, especially as they look to win the NCAA Tournament and take home the national championship. Clark is already WNBA-bound after this season, so she has more motivation to win now.
Clearly, with that “ring” call, Clark is more than determined to get things done.
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