Iowa advances to national title game behind Caitlin Clark’s brilliance, and behind brilliant coaching strategy
Iowa uses sagging defense to help pull off 77-73 upset against South Carolina in NCAA semifinal
By Pat Harty
In what was without question the biggest game in the history of the Iowa women’s basketball program, Caitlin Clark was spectacular as usual, but Lisa Bluder also rose to the occasion in a big way.
Iowa’s veteran head coach used a defensive strategy in which she begged South Carolina to shoot from the perimeter and it worked brilliantly.
South Carolina was reluctant to shoot from anywhere except near the basket, while Clark and her cohorts, despite not shooting up to their high standards from 3-point range, still made enough shots from all three levels, and that played a major role in Iowa pulling off the 77-73 upset in the NCAA semifinal on Friday in Dallas, Texas.
Bluder, who is in her 23rd season as the Iowa head coach, took a chance that South Carolina would be reluctant to shoot from the perimeter against a sagging defense, and ultimately wouldn’t make enough perimeter shots to prevail, and her strategy paid huge dividends as Iowa (31-6) advances to the national championship game for the first time in program history and will face Louisiana State on Sunday.
Clark stuffed the stat sheet as usual, finishing with a Final Four record 41 points. She scored the final 13 points for Iowa, and she assisted or scored on all of Iowa’s points in the fourth quarter.
Clark also had a 41-point triple double in the 97-83 victory over Louisville in the Elite Eight last Sunday.
“Man, I just love these girls, and I love coach Bluder,” Clark said on ESPN afterwards.
South Carolina missed 16 of its 20 shots from 3-point range, and also turned down multiple opportunities to shoot wide open mid-range jumpers against Iowa’s sagging defense.
Bluder delivered on offense, too, as her strategy used high-ball screens to score on numerous drives to the basket.
“That is South Carolina we just beat folks,” Bluder said.
Iowa led 22-13 after the first quarter, but then South Carolina rallied in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 38-37 at halftime.
Clark had 19 points and six assists in the first half, and Iowa scored baskets on nine layups in the first half.
South Carolina All-America center Aliyah Boston was saddled with two fouls in the first half and spent a big chunk of the second quarter on the bench.
Clark also picked up her second foul in the second dquarter, but Bluder trusted her star point guard to not foul again before halftime, and Bluder’s trust was rewarded.

Iowa only led by one point at halftime time, but Bluder’s bunch had served noticed that it was fully capable of competing with South Carolina, which entered the game 36-0 and as the defending national champion.
South Carolina, which had won 42 consecutive games dating back to last season, had the advantage in size, athleticism and success, but Iowa had better perimeter shooters, the National Player of the Year in Clark, and a defensive strategy that worked, and now the Hawkeyes will play for the national championship.
Clark missed a 3-point shot in the final seconds, but senior McKenna Warnock grabbed the offensive rebound, giving Iowa another possession.
Clark then drew a foul and made two free throws to give Iowa a 75-71 lead with 13.5 seconds remaining.
The four-point deficit would remain, and now it’s on to uncharted territory for the Iowa women’s basketball team.
National championships, outside of wrestling, are rare at Iowa.
The Iowa field hockey team won it all in 1986, the men’s gymnastics team claimed top prize in 1969, and the Iowa football team won a piece of the national title in 1958, and four other claimed titles.
But that’s it.
Clark and her teammates are now just one win from becoming arguably the greatest team in the history of the Iowa athletic program in any sport.
Iowa led 59-55 after three quarters, marking just the second time this season that South Carolina had trailed after three quarters.
South Carolina made a few big shots from 3-point range, but not enough to overcome Bluder’s defensive strategy.
The Hawkeyes were just 10 minutes from making history heading into the fourth, and they would go on to seize the moment as Clark solidified her legendary status even more with the monumental victory.
Her teammates and coaches also made huge contributions in the historic victory, but Clark was the difference.
And now she and her teammates are on the cusp of doing what had been the unimaginable.
It’s what legends are made of, with help, of course, from a lot of coaching, and a dependable supporting cast.
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