Caitlin Clark Sinks 3-Pointer From Logo To Beat The Buzzer
It was Tuesday night, and Michigan State was feeling agitated.
But Caitlin Clark had other plans. With a pull-up 3-pointer off the logo, the Iowa All-American defeated the Spartans at the buzzer. The basket completed a 40-point performance by Clark and ensured a 76-73 victory over Iowa.
As time ran down, the No. 4 Hawkeyes hastily put up a shot that Clark almost missed. But Clark was able to regain her balance just in time when Hannah Stuelke passed her the ball at the top of the 3-point line.
Clark just about beats the buzzer.
With no time to spare, Caitlin Clark released the ball while putting his palm in her face. Just as the red light on the scoreboard indicated that regulation was about to finish, it left her hands.
A social media argument erupted about whether Iowa managed to get the ball off Clark’s hands in the final 0.1 seconds when the state shared a photograph of it. Confusion resulted from an incorrect synchronization between the Peacock broadcast’s clock and the game clock.
Michigan State showed resilience.
Tight throughout the game until late in the second quarter, Clark’s game-winning basket topped it off. Midway through the second quarter, Iowa led 25–17 at the start of the game and 30–21 at that point. To take a 37-35 lead into halftime, Michigan State responded with a 17-5 surge.
Before the thrilling last few minutes, the teams exchanged the lead many times in the second half. With 2:34 left, Clark drained a 3-pointer to increase Iowa’s lead to 71-67. With 1:29 left, two layups by Michigan State knotted the score at 71-71.
On 24 seconds left, DeeDee Hagemann of Michigan State knotted the score once again on a basket, but Iowa seized the lead again on two free throws from Molly Davis. Before Clark’s last-second heroics, Iowa labored to set up the final shot, and it appeared as though the game might go into overtime.
On a 14-of-34 shooting night, Clark had a difficult night overall. Her 40% effort (8 of 20) from beyond the arc and four successful free throws on four tries, however, more than made up for her inefficiency. With eight rebounds and fifteen points, Stuelke was the only other Iowa player to record a double-double.
Clark’s NPOY performance is improving.
Ultimately, Clark had yet another successful night. Since winning the Naismith National Player of the Year award in 2022–2023, she has increased both her shooting and scoring totals. Clark had a career-high shooting percentage going into the game, averaging 30.9 points while making 40.2% of his 12.1 3-point attempts and shooting 49.5% from the field. With an average of 7.6 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, she is a danger to record three doubles.
Michigan State dominated Iowa in the paint (48 to 38) and from the field, winning 46.3% to 41.8% while working the ball inside. Leading senior guard Julia Ayrault with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks was one of four Spartans who scored in double digits.
However, Clark, as she frequently is, proved to be too formidable. The Hawkeyes defeated the Spartans 14-1, although their record fell to 11-3.
