After running into a juggernaut, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team’s season is over.
Star freshman Caitlin Clark filled up the highlight reel, leading fifth-seeded Iowa to an 86-72 rout of No. 4 seed UK in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio on Tuesday. Iowa led by 20 or more for most of the fourth quarter before a UK run cut into the gap late.
The nation’s leading scorer during the regular season, Clark went off for 35 points on 13-for-21 shooting. It was the 12th time this season the second-team All-American has scored 30 or more points. She also pitched in seven rebounds and six assists.
“I knew this was kind of a shooter’s gym so I had a feeling I was going to shoot it well, If I’m going to be honest. It kind of felt like high school in a way,” Clark said on the ESPN broadcast following the win. “Kentucky’s a great team, but I think overall we had so many people step up and play a great game today and that was just fun basketball.”
Whether driving to the hoop or pulling up from well beyond the three-point arc, Clark controlled the game. She hit six of 12 three-point shots and all three of her free throws.
Clark had plenty of help. Iowa center Monika Czinano was big in the paint, scoring 14 points to go along with eight rebounds. McKenna Warnock added 10 points and eight boards. All five Hawkeyes starters scored in the first five minutes of the game.
Iowa made things difficult for UK star Rhyne Howard. The first-team All-American and finalist for National Player of the Year led the Cats with 28 points but hit just eight of 21 shots from the field and went 5-for-12 from beyond the arc. She also led the Cats with eight assists.
Dre’una Edwards played one of her best games of the season in the loss, scoring 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting and grabbing five rebounds. Jazmine Massengill pitched in 10 points and Olivia Owens six.
UK senior Chasity Patterson made a huge mark during her three semesters as a Wildcat, but the Texas native struggled in her final college game. Patterson scored two points, going just 1-for-13 from the field.
A disastrous start spelled doom for the Wildcats. Iowa (20-9 overall) hit its first four shots and jumped out to an 11-0 lead as UK (18-9) missed its first eight field-goal attempts. Blair Green came off the bench and finally got the Cats on the board with a tough mid-range jumper with 5:21 to go in the first quarter. Green finished with four points.
UK shot 35 percent overall and hit just seven of 27 three-point attempts. Iowa shot 57 percent from the field and knocked down 10 of 19 three-pointers.
Clark was sensational from the outset. Her third three-pointer gave the Hawkeyes a 23-11 lead heading into the second quarter.
Patterson, UK’s defensive dynamo, drew the assignment of guarding Clark early but it didn’t matter who the Cats threw at the crafty 6-foot guard. After Howard got her first bucket on a three-pointer with 5:44 to go in the first half, Clark buried a step-back three with Robyn Benton’s hand in her face to give Iowa a 37-16 advantage.
Clark drained six three-pointers in the first half and scored 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting. In the first half she single-handedly outscored the Wildcats, who headed to the locker room in a 49-22 hole.
Kentucky clawed back within striking distance in the third quarter. A three-pointer by Edwards and layup from Massengill capped an 11-0 UK run that pulled the Wildcats within 55-39.
Moments later Clark finished a fast-break layup through contact and sank the free throw to make it 61-39 Hawkeyes.