Caitlin Clark closes in on Pistol Pete

[ad_1]

Caitlin Clark and No. 6 Iowa traveled to face Minnesota in a Huge Ten showdown Wednesday night time, and earned a 108-60 blowout victory for the Hawkeyes. It was one other record-setting night time for Clark. And it wasn’t nearly her padding her factors whole, however reasonably how she did it. (See: A LOT of 3s.)

Clark, who now holds the NCAA Division I ladies’s basketball all-time scoring file, got here into Wednesday needing simply 51 factors to move Pete Maravich. Who’s Pistol Pete, you ask?

Maravich performed for LSU from 1967-70, scoring 3,667 factors in simply three years. He did so at a time when freshmen couldn’t play varsity basketball, there was no shot clock and no 3-point line.

Clark, who’s nicknamed “Ponytail Pete,” has one regular-season sport remaining and desires simply 18 factors to high Maravich. The Hawkeyes will face No. 2 Ohio State in Iowa Metropolis on Sunday afternoon. Whereas that’s senior day, Clark has not stated whether or not she’s going to return for a doable fifth yr – which she is eligible for due to the COVID season.

Tickets for that sport are averaging more than $500.

OPINION:Caitlin Clark and her achievements stand on their own. Stop comparing her to Pistol Pete

Last: Iowa 108, Minnesota 60

Given how scorching she began, we in all probability ought to have seen this coming: Caitlin Clark notched her seventeenth profession triple-double in Iowa’s 108-60 win, tallying 33 factors, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

It was merely one in every of a handful of data that Clark tallied Wednesday night time in Iowa’s blowout win. Clark has formally scored extra factors that Lynette Woodard now, and hit extra 3s in a single season than another participant.

Talking of 3s, Iowa made a season-high 21 in opposition to Minnesota. Clark went 8-of-14 from lengthy distance, however she was removed from the one one feeling it. Gabbie Marshall (16 factors, 4 3s), Taylor McCabe (15 factors, 5 3s), Kylie Feuerbach (13 factors, 4 3s) and Molly Davis (11 factors, one 3) all scored in double figures as effectively.

Iowa vs. Minnesota highlights: Caitlin Clark breaks Lynette Woodard file, closes in on Pistol Pete

Caitlin Clark passes Lynette Woodard

As Caitlin Clark has climbed up the scoring ladder this season, some have identified that whereas her scoring output is spectacular, it doesn’t match former Kansas standout Lynette Woodard.

Now, it does. In actual fact, it passes it.

With a 3 with 4:29 to play, Clark surpassed the longtime scoring chief in main faculty ladies’s basketball, which Woodard set from 1978-81. That was earlier than the NCAA ran ladies’s sports activities, so Woodard’s file has been confined to the AIAW file books. She’s said that the NCAA needs to recognize and incorporate scoring data from the AIAW days, particularly as a result of they already do precisely that with teaching data.

For a lot of, Clark passing Woodard will legitimize Clark and all she’s finished.

Finish of 3Q: Iowa 86, Minnesota 48

Iowa continues its absurd capturing from 3, hitting 16 with 10 minutes nonetheless to play. At this level I’m simply ready for put up Hannah Stuelke to take an try from deep.

In the meantime, Caitlin Clark has notched her second consecutive triple-double, and the seventeenth of her profession. By way of three quarters she has 30 factors, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. She’s additionally an environment friendly 11-of-17 from the sector, together with 7-of-11 from 3.

Iowa is dominating in each side of the sport, from factors within the paint (36-16) to bench factors (28-9) to quick break factors (30-1).

And we’ve nonetheless received an entire different quarter to go. This isn’t an excellent senior night time for Minnesota, that’s for certain.

One other (3-point) file for Caitlin Clark

Ho-hum, one other day, one other milestone for Caitlin Clark.

This time, along with her seventh 3 of the night time — with 7:16 left to within the third, no much less — Clark has set an NCAA single-season file for made 3s, with 155. She surpasses former Idaho standout Taylor Pierce, who hit 154 treys within the 2018-19 season.

It’s price mentioning that the profession 3-point file belongs to Taylor Robertson, the sharpshooter who performed at Oklahoma from 2018-2023. She had 537 in her profession. Clark now has 502. May she catch Robertson?

Halftime: Iowa 53, Minnesota 26

It appears inevitable that Caitlin Clark goes to set a brand new career-high for made 3s in a single sport. Her excessive is 9, she’s already received six and now we have 20 extra minutes left to play. Goodness.

She leads all scorers with 21 factors on 7-of-11 capturing general. Within the first quarter, she scored or assisted on 21 of Iowa’s 30 factors.

However Clark’s removed from the one particular person connecting from deep: As a crew Iowa’s already hit 12 (12!) 3s, and is capturing 57% from the arc. Not dangerous in any respect. The Hawkeyes are pouring it on from Kylie Feuerbach has three and Gabbie Marshall has two. (Marshall, by the way in which, has formally hit 1,000 profession factors.)

For good measure, Clark additionally has six assists, together with this nifty bounce move to Marshall within the lane:

Finish of 1Q: Iowa 30, Minnesota 16

One good strategy to construct a 14-point lead over the primary interval is to reel off a number of 9-0 runs. The primary one was all Caitlin Clark (unsurprising!) and the second concerned just a few Hawkeyes. And that’s how Iowa has a 30-16 lead.

That, and Clark already tallying 15 factors on 5-of-7 capturing. Not too shabby, particularly after just a few tough video games the final couple weeks the place Clark didn’t shoot very effectively. She scored 35 on the Golden Gophers final time. Does she high that tonight?

As a crew, Iowa is capturing 61% — that’s not the way you pull an upset, Minnesota. And Clark isn’t the one one with a scorching hand: Kylie Feuerbach can be 2-of-3 from long-distance.

Iowa additionally leads in quick break factors, 10-0. Proper now, the Hawkeyes are scoring from anyplace they need.

7:05, 1Q: Iowa 12, Minnesota 2

Nothing like slightly 9-0 run from the reigning nationwide participant of the yr to open the sport.

Caitlin Clark reeled off 9 straight factors — together with a brand 3, in fact — earlier than Minnesota lastly received on the board. Then Clark responded by … hitting one other 3.

She’s 51 away from the file and logic would say she’ll break it Sunday on senior day when Iowa hosts Ohio State. However perhaps Clark has different plans, on condition that she already has 12 factors on 4-of-4 capturing. She’s additionally grabbed three rebounds already.

Looks as if it’s gonna be a protracted night time for the Golden Gophers.

watch Iowa at Minnesota

The Hawkeyes (24-4, 13-3 Huge Ten) journey to Williams Enviornment in Minneapolis to tackle the Gophers (15-12, 5-11) on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. The sport will probably be proven on the Peacock streaming service. Cindy Brunson will deal with the play-by-play duties, with Julianna Viani because the analyst.

The place is Iowa ranked in USA TODAY Sports activities Coaches Ballot?

The Hawkeyes fell back to No. 6 after a loss to Indiana. After tonight’s sport in Minnesota, they’ve one regular-season sport left, at residence on senior day in opposition to No. 2 Ohio State.

The pressure to name Caitlin Clark’s eventual 3,668th level a milestone or essential second for girls’s sports activities is the form of illogical nonsense that may only serve to create an unnecessary backlash, Dan Wolken writes.

Caitlin Clark stats 

Clark enters Wednesday’s sport with 3,617 career points, simply 51 from passing Pete Maravich on the all-time scoring listing. She is averaging 32.1 factors per sport this season and has two regular-season video games remaining, plus Huge Ten and NCAA event video games.

What’s Caitlin Clark’s highest-scoring sport?  

Clark’s highest-scoring sport was additionally her record-breaking efficiency on Feb. 15 against Michigan within the 2023-24 season, when she scored 49 factors. Clark shot 16-for-31 that sport, together with 9-for-18 from 3. She additionally grabbed 5 rebounds and handed out 13 assists within the 106-89 win. 

Do you like Caitlin Clark or do you LOVE Caitlin Clark? 

Love her, hate her, like her or suppose she’s overrated, one factor is for certain: The senior guard from Iowa has severe sport.  Unsure precisely the place you stand? We can assist you out. This USA TODAY Sports quiz will reveal the reply to an important query as we prep for March Insanity: What sort of Caitlin Clark fan are you? — Lindsay Schnell

Caitlin Clark game-by-game factors this season 

This is a breakdown of Clark’s scoring this season for the Hawkeyes: 

vs. Illinois, 2/25/24: 24 factors
at Indiana, 2/22/24: 24 factors
vs. Michigan, 2/15/24: 49 factors  (season-high, college file for single sport) 
vs. Nebraska, 2/11/24: 31 factors
vs. Penn State, 2/8/24: 27 factors 
at Maryland, 2/3/24: 38 factors 
at Northwestern, 1/31/24: 35 factors 
vs. Nebraska, 1/27/2024: 38 factors 
at Ohio State, 1/21/2024: 45 factors
vs. Wisconsin, 1/16/2024: 32 factors 
vs. Indiana, 1/13/2024: 30 factors 
at Purdue, 1/10/2024: 26 factors 
at Rutgers, 1/5/2024: 29 factors 
vs. Michigan State, 1/2/2024: 40 factors 
vs. Minnesota, 12/30/2023: 35 factors 
vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/21/2023: 35 factors 
vs. Cleveland State, 12/16/2023: 38 factors 
at Wisconsin, 12/10/2023: 28 factors 
vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 factors 
vs. Bowling Inexperienced, 12/2/2023: 24 factors 
vs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 factors 
vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 factors 
vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 factors 
vs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 factors 
vs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 factors 
at UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 factors 
vs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 factors 
vs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 factors

Is Caitlin Clark a senior?  

Sure, Clark is a senior … however she might come again subsequent yr and be a brilliant senior if she needs.  

Although she’s projected to be the No. 1 pick within the 2024 WNBA draft, she might return to Iowa Metropolis subsequent season. As a result of Clark was a freshman within the 2020-21 season, she has a COVID yr (principally, that season didn’t rely towards anybody’s eligibility).  

The Biggest Present in Sports activities is buzzing alongside, barnstorming the nation, hitting logo threes and breaking records as February works its strategy to the insanity of March, bringing us nearer to the reply to 2 intriguing questions: