MINNEAPLIS — The Iowa Hawkeyes are Big Ten women’s basketball tournament champions again.
Down by eight points with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation, No. 3 Iowa forced overtime and outlasted Nebraska, 94-89, in the championship game Sunday afternoon at Target Center.
The title is Iowa’s third straight, fourth in six years, sixth overall.
Mired in a first-half slump, Caitlin Clark scored 30 of her game-high 34 points after intermission and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
She was joined on the all-tournament team by Iowa’s Sydney Affolter, Nebraska’s Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski, and Michigan’s Laila Phelia.
Clark hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left in overtime to put the Hawkeyes (29-4) ahead for good, 89-87.
After a steal, Clark sank a pair of free throws 14 seconds later to extend the lead to 91-87. Gabbie Marshall thwarted Nebraska’s next possession with a blocked 3-pointer.
The Huskers (22-11) got within 91-89 on Markowski’s basket with 0:21 left, then Kate Martin made a free throw and Hannah Stuelke added two more to clinch it.
Iowa trailed by 13 points late in the first half, took the lead, then faced a 75-67 deficit with Nebraska’s Jaz Shelley made two free throws with 2:38 to go in regulation.
Clark nailed a 3-pointer, then dished to Stuelke to bring the Hawkeyes within 75-72.
After Markowski’s basket put the Huskers up 77-72 with 1:20 to go, Martin got Iowa within two, then Clark’s drive tied it at the 0:30 mark.
Logan Nissley’s shot from the left wing at the buzzer was short.
Stuelke added 25 points for the Hawkeyes. Martin scored 13, Affolter 11.
Markowski registered 23 points and 13 rebounds for Nebraska, which was playing its fourth game in four days. Iowa was playing for the third consecutive day.
— Jeff Linder
First appeared on www.thegazette.com