(Albany, NY) – Iowa looked dominant all night long in the Hawkeyes 94-87 victory over LSU in a rematch from last season’s National Championship game. Iowa will advance to the Final Four for the third time in program history and the second straight season.
The second quarter of action was all back-and-forth action as the Hawkeyes and the Tigers went into halftime tied at 45-all. When it came to the third quarter, Iowa came out ready to play as they drove out to a 13-4 run with Caitlin Clark’s four three-pointers in the quarter. Iowa continued to hold the lead throughout the rest of the night as they pushed the pace and pushed all the way down to their 94-87 win. Head Coach Lisa Bluder said that the three-point shooting by Clark was what helped give the team the confidence they needed on the defensive end.
Iowa was led on the night by the record breaker herself Caitlin Clark. The senior had 41 points, 12 assists, and hauled in seven boards. The records broken tonight by Clark were for the most three-point field goals made, career NCAA Tournament three-point field goals made, and career tournament assists. She made six three-pointers in the second half of action, with a total of nine in the game. Clark broke her own record for assists by a Big Ten women’s basketball player in a single season. She is just the second player in NCAA Tournament history to amass 350+ points and 115+ assists in a career.
Behind Clark was Kate Martin who had 21 total points while pulling in six rebounds and two steals. Sydney Affolter had one of her best games of the tournament with 16 points and five boards. Right behind Affolter was Hannah Stuelke with eight points while Addison O’Grady put down five points.
LSU stuck with a limited number of players on the floor as Flau’jae Johnson put down a team-high 23 points while shooting 10-18 from the field while hauling in six rebounds. Right behind Johnson was Mikaylah Williams with 18 points and seven boards. Angel Reese had an impressive game before fouling out with just under four minutes left. Reese had 17 points and 20 rebounds for a high double-double while earning three total blocks. Hailey Van Lith was the last high scorer with nine points while going just 2-10 from the field, mostly toward the end of the game.
Iowa has now won 33 games this season, the third most in Big Ten History behind Michigan State in the 2004-05 season. Head Coach Lisa Bluder is just one of 27 coaches to win 20+ games in NCAA Tournament history and has the 10th most wins in Division-I women’s basketball history. Since 2019, Iowa is 15-4 in NCAA Tournament games and is 3-3 in Elite Eight matchups overall. Coach Bluder is more than thankful to be able to achieve another Final Four appearance.
The Hawkeyes will take on UConn in their next Final Four matchup as they look to make it to the National Championship for the second straight season.
