(Lincoln, NE) – Caitlin Clark will have to wait for just one more game to break the NCAA scoring record as Nebraska was able to hold her to 31 points in the Huskers’ 82-79 victory over #2 Iowa. Today’s win for Nebraska marked their first victory against a top-five ranked opponent since 2022 when they beat #5 Indiana. Today’s win also marked the Huskers’ first win against Iowa since December 28, 2019.
Nebraska was able to come in clutch late in the game as they marked a 27-10 advantage in the fourth quarter after a huge comeback. The Huskers were led on the day by Jaz Shelley who earned her new season-high with 23 points, 20 of which came at a crucial point of the game, the last five minutes to be exact. Shelley shot 7-14 from the field while going 50% from beyond the arc and also whipped out five assists on the day. Right behind Shelley was Alexis Markowski with 15 points and 11 boards for her 14th double-double of the season. Markowski also had three steals and dished out two assists. Right alongside Markowski was Logan Nissley with 15 points and seven boards while shooting 5-12 from the hardwood. Natalie Potts finished up the double-digit scorers for the Huskers with 14 points and six boards as she shot 6-13 from the hardwood.
Iowa was led in the game by Caitlin Clark with a total of 31 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, as she earned a double-double and was just short of marking a triple-double. Clark shot just 10-25 on the day and went 0-6 in the fourth quarter of action. She is now just eight points away from breaking the NCAA scoring record that is held by former Washington women’s basketball star Kelsey Plum. Clark also is just the sixth women’s college basketball player to earn 1,000 career assists with her 10 assists on the day. Right behind Clark was Kate Martin with 20 points while she shot 7-13 from the field and also pulled in six rebounds. Hannah Stuelke shot 7-11 from the field and earned 15 points on the day and also snagged six boards in the game for Iowa.
After a missed three-pointer by Caitlin Clark, Husker Gabby Marshall hauled in a rebound which set up the Huskers to call a timeout. The ball was dished out to Jaz Shelley with just 30.2 seconds left in the game with a three-pointer as the score then sat at 78-77. Hannah Stuelke had the answer for the three-pointer with a two-pointer for Iowa, but the Huskers were not done yet. Shelley knocked down her free throws to help pull off the 82-79 win.
Nebraska shot 42.5% from the field while also going 10-31 from beyond the arc. The Huskers outrebounded Iowa 45-38 while also winning in the turnover battle 16-13. Nebraska’s bench also was able to go on a scoring run with a 23-4 advantage over Iowa.
The last time Nebraska beat a #2 AP-ranked opponent was on January 12, 2005, when the Huskers beat #2 Baylor in three overtime periods 103-99.
Iowa returns back to the hardwood on Thursday, February 15th when they battle Michigan at 7:00 p.m. That game may be the game where the basketball superstar, Caitlin Clark, earns the NCAA record. Nebraska tips off the day before on Wednesday, February 14th when they battle #5 Ohio State at 6:00 p.m.
