Iowa Survives UConn in Thriller, Returns to National Title Game
The mantra of March Madness is "survive and advance" and Iowa embodied that idea to outlast UConn in a 40-minute thriller, 71-69. The Hawkeyes overcame a poor start -- cold shooting and a surplus of turnovers stymied them throughout most of the first half -- to claw the game back to even after three quarters, before edging the Huskies in the final quarter.
The story of the game in the first half was UConn's smothering defense -- Caitlin Clark was held to just two points in the first quarter and had only six points in the opening 20 minutes. UConn guard Nika Muhl harassed Clark all over the court and made it hard for Iowa's superstar guard to get the ball, let alone get easy looks. Clark had three of Iowa's 12 first half turnovers as sloppy passes by Iowa and active hands by UConn led to 11 steals for the Huskies.
Clark found her shooting touch in spurts in the second half, scoring 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting after the break, including a trio of three-pointers after going 0-for-6 from deep in the first half. Clark finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists for the game.
She was not Iowa's leading scorer, though -- that was instead Hannah Stuelke, who was brilliant in the post and in transition for the Hawkeyes, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Her scoring helped keep afloat while her teammates struggled to find their shots.
A key talking point after the game was a controversial foul call in the final seconds of the game. After forcing an Iowa turnover to get the ball back with nine seconds to go, UConn star Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul with three seconds to go. Iowa defender Gabbie Marshall was trying to fight over the top of a screen and was contacted by Edwards.
It didn't seem like egregious contact on first blush, especially in light of what had gone uncalled on both ends earlier in the game, but the officials felt that it was enough to warrant a whistle and replays with other angles of the play did show that the contact seemed more than incidental.
UConn still nearly had another opportunity to tie or win the game a few moments later. After the offensive foul on Edwards, Clark ended up at the free throw line on the ensuing Iowa possession. She went just 1-for-2 at the free throw line, though, missing the second attempt.
Enter: Sydney Affolter.
Affolter boxed out and recorded the biggest offensive rebound of her career on Clark's miss, denying UConn another possession with a chance to tie or win the game. After helping to save Iowa's season with a critical driving layup (plus an and-one) in the second round win over West Virginia, Affolter came through with another vital play with the game on the line tonight.
The game was hyped as Paige Bueckers vs Caitlin Clark and while the two headline stars had their moments, their teammates played an outsize role in the outcome of this game as well. Edwards matched Bueckers in the scoring column with 17 points, while KK Arnold also added 14 points for the Huskies. Nika Muhl finished with 9 points and 7 assists, all while hounding Clark for the better part of 40 minutes.
For the Hawkeyes, Stuelke stepped up with one of the best games of her career on one of the biggest stages she's played on. Kate Martin finished with only 11 points and 8 rebounds, but six of her points came in the fourth quarter as she hit vital buckets to try and keep UConn at arm's length. Affolter's final stat line was relatively modest -- 8 points and 7 rebounds -- but six of her seven boards were on the offensive glass, with none being bigger than the game-icing rebound with seconds to play.
Iowa's Elite Eight and Final Four wins were both about slaying dragons -- beating the team that topped them for the national championship a year ago, then overcoming the perennial powerhouse who had beaten Iowa in two previous tries during the Caitlin Clark era. The biggest dragon remains: undefeated South Carolina (37-0), the overall 1-seed in this year's tournament.
The Hawkeyes slayed that dragon a year ago, topping South Carolina 77-73 in an unforgettable Final Four showdown. To win the program's first-ever national championship, they'll have to summon some of that same magic to beat the Gamecocks again.
Iowa will play South Carolina for the national championship on Sunday, April 7 at 2 PM CT. ABC is set to televise the game.