No. 2 seed Iowa women’s basketball, led by Caitlin Clark, earned a clutch overtime victory against No. 5 seed Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament championship.
The victory marked the third consecutive conference title for the Hawkeyes, with this one being perhaps the most rewarding considering it came in thrilling comeback fashion.
Scroll below to re-live game updates, highlights, analysis and memorable moments:
GAME STORY:Iowa women’s basketball outlasts Nebraska to win Big Ten Tournament
ANALYSIS:Leistikow: The anatomy of Iowa women’s basketball’s instant-classic Big Ten championship
FINAL: Iowa 94, Nebraska 89 – Iowa 3-peats
Clark’s 34 points and 12 assists didn’t come in the most efficient way, but her fourth quarter and overtime performance was what legends are made of.
Kate Martin’s clutch 3s and Hannah Stuelke’s 25 points were also crucial.
Nebraska was worthy, physical and determined but was simply beat by tough shots and Iowa’s senior experience.
The game lived up to the billing in every way.
More:Des Moines Register, Iowa City Press-Citizen producing 160-page book on Caitlin Clark
OT/0:37 Iowa 91, Nebraska 87 – Clark closes it out
Clark has scored six straight points for Iowa and given her team a two-possession lead in the final moments.
OT/0:51 Iowa 89, Nebraska 87 – Clark 3 regains the lead
Just after Nebraska took an 87-86 lead with a triple, Clark came right back down and nailed a stepback triple to regain the lead.
She’s been all-time great in the fourth quarter and OT.
OT/1:24 Iowa 86, Nebraska 84 – Iowa setting the tone
Iowa came out and score the first two buckets of overtime, and Kate Martin has kept the Hawkeyes ahead with a pair of 3s.
She’s hit several big shots over the final several minutes.
End 4: Iowa 77, Nebraska 77 – OVERTIME
Nebraska’s final shot was an air ball and we’re getting at least five extra minutes.
This has been an awesome battle between two premier teams in the country. The fans have gotten their money’s worth.
Q4/0:29 Iowa 77, Nebraska 77 – Clark ties it!
You know the saying: “Big-time players make big-time plays.”
Clark is doing exactly that in this fourth quarter. Her heroics are made even more impressive by her unusually-poor first half.
She just made a tough layup to tie it.
Q4/1:02 Iowa 75, Nebraska 77 – Martin clutch 3
More clutch plays are keeping Iowa around. Clark found Hannah Stuelke down court for a layup, then Nebraska scored, then Clark collapsed the defense before kicking out to Kate Martin in the corner for a clutch 3-pointer.
Q4/2:07 Iowa 70, Nebraska 75 – Clark 3 keeps hope alive
Nebraska has a chance to take an 11-point lead after a Clark turnover, but a Huskers missed triple turned into a tough stepback 3 for Clark to keep Iowa within reach.
Q4/2:54 Iowa 67, Nebraska 73 – Game slipping from Hawkeyes
Iowa can’t seem to string positive plays together this frame, and frustration is mounting after a Gabbie Marshall midrange shot rimmed out and Clark was called for an offensive foul.
The Hawkeyes need some clutch plays soon or this one will fall out of reach.
Q4/5:00 Iowa 65, Nebraska 69 – Coming down to the wire
Clark is heating up and now has 21 points, but Nebraska has rebounded from its 12-point third quarter and already has 11 in the fourth.
Iowa is struggling to get any production from anyone besides Clark and Hannah Stuelke. A third or fourth Hawkeye must step up as this game enters crunchtime.
The Huskers’ Natalie Potts has been terrific all afternoon and has 19 points.
End 3: Iowa 58, Nebraska 58 – Shot-for-shot to end it
Clark hits a 3, Nebraska hits a 3, Clark goes to the free throw line and makes both.
An extremely fun quarter leaned heavily in Iowa’s favor and set this championship up for an exciting finish.
Clark is trending in the right direction shooting-wise, but Iowa still needs another hero. Sydney Affolter (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Hannah Stuelke (17 points) seem like likely candidates, but Kate Martin (3 points) and Gabbie Marshall (6 points) have been mostly quiet since the first quarter.
Several Hawkeyes have a chance to shine in the brightest moments.
Q3/2:12 Iowa 53, Nebraska 52 – Iowa takes lead
Iowa is winning the third quarter 18-6 and took its first lead since the opening minute with a give-and-go score by Clark. She’s up to 11 points, six rebounds and nine assists.
The Hawkeyes look much more comfortable since halftime, while Nebraska’s shooting efficiency has cratered after its hot first half. Iowa has also put an emphasis on rebounding and, after losing that battle by six at half, is leading 34-30.
Q3/4:43 Iowa 47, Nebraska 52 – Clark finds her shot
Clark smartly came out of the halftime locker room and looked for an inside-the-arc jump shot to help find her rhythm. It worked as she made a foul-line jumper and then came down on the following possession and hit her first triple of the game.
Otherwise, it’s been a back-and-forth start to the second half. Hannah Stuelke is up to 15 points, continuing to be Iowa’s best matchup against Nebraska’s physical defense.
Halftime: Iowa 35, Nebraska 46 – Physicality is the difference
Nebraska’s defense has been nasty, tough, physical and aggressive in the first half, which has been the best way to throw off Iowa’s offense throughout this season.
The Hawkeyes must get Clark (2-for-13, 0-for-9 from 3) going and collectively match the Huskers’ play style. With the amount of contact that the referees are allowing, it is unlikely that Iowa can shy away from physicality and mount a comeback.
Nebraska has hit several tough shots, though, including a rainbow triple just before the halftime buzzer, so Iowa surely hopes there’s some regression to the mean in the second half with the Huskers’ shooting.
Q2/4:31 Iowa 28, Nebraska 34 – Nebraska staying steady
Nebraska so far has always seemed to respond to any small Iowa run to trim the deficit. The Huskers have hit five triples and gotten points from eight different players.
Clark has been short on several of her jump shots, a sign of tired legs, likely stemming from the condensed tournament schedule. She’s yet to get to the free throw line, though, which could be a good way for her to find her shooting stroke and see a couple shots go in.
Q2/6:13 Iowa 26, Nebraska 31 – Tough shot making everywhere
Both teams have put on a show thus far by hitting tough layups and interior shots from unusual angles.
Still, Clark has not been one of them and is shooting 1-for-9 from the field. But she does have six assists with just one turnover.
Sydney Affolter has been the scoring leader with nine points, continuing her stellar play as a start this tournament.
End 1: Iowa 17, Nebraska 23 – Hawkeyes wake up
Following their slow start, the Hawkeyes found a groove to finish the frame while Nebraska stayed steady throughout.
The Huskers’ defense was terrific that frame and did not allow Clark (1-for-8) to move freely on offense.
Hannah Stuelke, however, scored five straight points near the end of the quarter and got the Iowa-leaning crowd energized.
It seems the supporting Hawkeyes will be key in this one.
Q1/4:43 Iowa 5, Nebraska 13 – Ice cold start for Hawkeyes
Iowa has shot just 2-for-11 from the field to start, while Nebraska is 5-for-8.
Clark is 0-for-5. She and the team appear to still be waking up for this early start.
On the bright side for Iowa, Gabbie Marshall has been involved early and already hit a triple.
Has Caitlin Clark ever won a Big Ten Tournament championship with Iowa women’s basketball?
Yes. In fact, the Hawkeyes have made the Big Ten Tournament final in all four seasons with Caitlin Clark, winning the previous two and only losing in her freshman season.
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Key injuries for Iowa women’s basketball
Starting guard Molly Davis injured her knee in the team’s final regular season game and has been ruled OUT for the entire conference tournament.
The Hawkeyes are reportedly hopeful that she can return in time for the NCAA Tournament.
Her replacement, Sydney Affolter, has been terrific in back-to-back outings, averaging 15 points, eight rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Who are Nebraska women’s basketball’s best players?
- Scoring leader: Alexis Markowski (15.8 PPG)
- Assists leader: Jaz Shelly (5.2 APG)
- Rebounding leader: Alexis Markowski (10.7 RPG)
Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.
First appeared on www.hawkcentral.com