Iowa 77, South Carolina 73: Instant Classic

On February 22, 1980, the United States hockey team faced the Soviet Union in the Olympic semifinal game. No one thought the United States could win. That Soviet Union team seemed unbeatable at the time. The Soviets had gone 5-3-1 in the year prior against NHL teams. The United States fielded a bunch of college players. In an exhibition leading up to the Olympics, the Soviets won 10-3.

And yet we all know how that game ended. The United States won 4-3 in one of the most surprising upsets in sports history.

South Carolina came into this Final Four game 36-0. They were the defending national champions. Vegas had the Gamecocks as a 11.5-point favorite for the game.

But Iowa has one thing that the 1980 United States hockey team didn’t: Caitlin Clark.

The game started as a defensive struggle, and somehow Iowa seized the advantage. The Hawks forced missed shot after missed shot early, and collected most of the defensive rebounds. Iowa led 8-2 early, and the lead was 11-6 at the under-5 timeout.

Iowa’s offense kept finding good shots in the second half of the quarter, and Iowa extended its lead to 20-11. South Carolina responded with a basket, but Clark hit two free throws with nine seconds left in the quarter to give Iowa a 22-13 lead heading to the second quarter. South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston picked up her second foul late in the quarter. Clark had 11 points and 4 assists in the first quarter.

South Carolina went on a quick run in the early second quarter and cut Iowa’s lead to 24-21. Clark also picked up her second foul, and Iowa was in a danger zone. Clark stayed in the game, though, and Iowa managed to maintain the lead. The Hawks led 31-27 at the under 5 timeout.

South Carolina clamped down defensively after the timeout, and used the stops and a couple baskets to take its first lead of the game at 32-31. The two teams battled back and forth for the rest of the half. Kate Martin hit two free throws late, and Iowa led 38-37 at the half. Clark had 19 points and 6 assists at the half. Zia Cooke for South Carolina almost matched her with 18 points.

Iowa started the third hot again on both ends of the floor. The Hawks got stops, converted those into baskets, and pushed the lead back to 48-39. The two teams battled back and forth again for the rest of the quarter, before Clark found Monika Czinano for a basket in the final seconds to give Iowa a 59-55 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

South Carolina hit its first two shots of the final quarter to take a 60-59 lead. Clark responded with a three. Clark’s hot streak continued, and Iowa briefly led 67-62. South Carolina battled back with another basket and also drew Czinano’s fourth foul. Iowa called timeout with 5:52 remaining and a 67-64 lead.

Raven Johnson hit a three out of a timeout to cut the lead to 69-68, before Clark responded with a basket to put Iowa up 71-68. After Clark and Cooke traded baskets with a minute to go, McKenna Warnock got tied up on what looked like a foul on Boston, but the officials called a jump ball. The possession arrow kept the ball with Iowa and Clark then took a long three at the end of the shot clock that rimmed out. But Warnock hauled in the offensive rebound -- just Iowa's fifth of the game -- to allow Iowa to retain possession.

South Carolina had no choice but to foul and Clark was money at the free throw line in the final seconds, calmly draining all four free throw attempts. Johnson made a put-back for South Carolina on the other end, but those were the final points of the game for the Gamecocks. Iowa got the ball after an Aliyah Boston miss in the final seconds and after a timeout, Caitlin Clark got the inbounds pass and ran the clock out to wrap up the biggest win in the history of Iowa women's basketball -- and send Iowa to the national championship game.

41 points, 8 assists, and 6 assists. What else can you say about Clark at this point? She scored or assisted on 75% of Iowa’s points. She scored or assisted on every point in the crucial fourth quarter. We are watching a legend rewrite the record books game by game before our very eyes. She became the first player in the history of the woman's NCAA Tournament to score 40 points in back-to-back games -- in the Elite 8 and Final Four, no less.

Monika Czinano only had two shot attempts in Iowa’s Elite Eight win over Louisville. Facing one of the best defensive front courts in women’s basketball history, it didn’t seem likely that Czinano would do any better in this one. Instead, Czinano scored 18 points on 6-8 shooting. She also had three steals. And now she will end her college career in the national title game.

Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall didn’t do a ton on ton on offense, but they were immense on defense. McKenna Warnock had just 5 points and 3 rebounds, but her third rebound was the biggest in program history.

Hannah Stuelke provided some big minutes off the bench, and Addison O’Grady also gave Iowa some valuable minutes when Czinano sat out with foul trouble.

One key stat for Iowa? Free throw shooting. The Hawkeyes went a perfect 14-for-14 at the line in this game. Those points made a huge difference in a close game.

South Carolina won the rebounding battle 49-25 and had 26 offensive rebounds. Iowa shot just 30% from 3-point range (7/23). And Iowa won anyway. A box score for the game is here.

What a gritty, fearless performance from Iowa. The Hawks built some leads early, but South Carolina kept swinging back time after time. Even when South Carolina took the lead in the fourth quarter, Clark came right back and hit a crucial three to give the lead back to Iowa. Most teams in that position against South Carolina have folded. Iowa didn’t all night, and that was the difference.

Lisa Bluder also devised a great defensive strategy to slow down the South Carolina offense. The Hawks had Marshall trail South Carolina’s best shooter—Zia Cooke—the whole game. Otherwise, the Hawks often put three or even four defenders in the paint and dared the Gamecocks to shoot.

Yes, Iowa got killed on the offensive boards, but Iowa was always going to get killed on the offensive boards against this South Carolina team. The defensive strategy helped Iowa get a few stops, and that was enough to allow Iowa’s offense to pull the upset.

What a team. What a ride. And now we get to see it one final time in the national title game.

Iowa will play 3-seed LSU at 2:30 PM CT on Sunday, April 2 in the national championship game. The game will be televised on ABC.

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