Caitlin Clark beats the buzzer, Hawkeyes escape Michigan State

For 39 minutes and 59 seconds, the Michigan State Spartans gave the Iowa women’s basketball team all they could handle. At times, the Hawkeyes offense was stagnant, players missed shots and there were some turnovers. With the final seconds of regulation ticking down, Iowa’s final possession was in disarray and the ball found the hands of Caitlin Clark with just a couple of ticks left. I don’t really need to say it, you know how this is going to end. As ESPN broadcaster Dave O’Brien said after the Hawkeyes season finale win over Indiana last year…

“All things are possible with Caitlin Clark”

Stepback to the left, from the logo, onions. 76-73 Iowa. Upset evaded.

“Wanted to wait and take the last shot. Ran a play to inbound the ball and got it cleanly. Molly set a clean pick on my girl, but Hannah’s defender was up guarding her well, so I think it almost worked out in my favor,” said Clark on what transpired in the closing seconds. “My girl kind of went for a steal and then I was able to get to my stepback to my left, which is the shot I want to get to. When it left my hand, I knew it was going in.”

Walk-off Winner 🤯@CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/BXqARKRcuA

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 3, 2024

From start to finish, it wasn’t the best performance you’ll see the Hawkeyes put up. Michigan State made the first four baskets of the game to take an 8-0 lead. Lisa Bluder opted not take an early timeout and let the sell out crowd get behind her team. Caitlin Clark got Iowa on the board and they responded with a 12-0 run capped off by a Gabbie Marshall three-pointer to force a Spartans timeout.

“When Gabbie made that three and they called a timeout, the place was really loud,” said Clark. “They were getting after it on defense and they were super loud with us. We’re really thankful for our crowd.”

Late in the quarter, MSU faltered. A missed shot led to Kate Martin finding Caitlin Clark for an easy run out and layup. On the next possession, Clark stole a pass from Jocelyn Tate and converted another easy layup. Iowa went on a 25-9 run after the slow start and ended the opening quarter with an eight-point lead.

However, instead of taking control of the game, the second quarter was much like the first couple of minutes of the game for the Hawkeyes. There were stretches where the ball movement wasn’t great, there were some turnovers and Caitlin Clark was forced to take 17 of their 34 first half shots. It felt a lot like the early season loss that they suffered to Kansas State. Michigan State finished the half on a 13-2 run and took a 37-35 lead into the locker room.

“That second quarter was probably one of the worst quarters I’ve seen of Iowa basketball. We shot two for ten from two-point range. Frustrated that we quit running our offense in the second quarter. That allowed them to get back into the game,” said Lisa Bluder. “I thought we were very stagnant, didn’t pass the ball real well, didn’t reverse the ball, we didn’t get the ball into the paint and back out. To me it was all ball movement that we didn’t do a good job of.”

Things got even more tense early in the second half. Caitlin missed her first eight shots of the third quarter and a three-pointer from Moira Joiner made it 47-41 Spartans. For nearly seven minutes, just one player for Iowa was able to make a field goal. Molly Davis. She had a pair of baskets in the middle of that stretch that kept the deficit from getting to double digits. Those baskets likely kept Iowa from losing the game.

“Coach Bluder talked about us trying to get to the rim a little bit with north, south drives and I coming into that quarter, that was what I was trying to do,” said Davis. “I had back down, turn around jumper, which I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do before, but that was my main focus (during that stretch).”

Finally, with 1:55 to go in the quarter, Hannah Stuelke got a basket, which was followed by a transition three-pointer from Caitlin Clark to cut the MSU lead to 51-50. The game went into the fourth quarter tied at 55.

Midway through the fourth quarter it seemed like the Hawkeyes were going to put the game away. Caitlin Clark scored on back-to-back possessions, including a three to make it 64-57. On the ensuing Michigan State possession, Jocelyn Tate was tagged with an intentional foul for swinging an arm at Molly Davis after the whistle. After a pair of free throws from Clark, Iowa led 66-57.

Michigan State refused to go away. Julia Ayrault finished with a team-high 16 points for the Spartans and her layup tied the game at 71. After a couple of free throws from Molly Davis, MSU tied things up again with an acrobatic finish at the basket from DeeDee Hagemann with 22 seconds to play.

Then came the final possession. It looked really bad for almost the entirety of the 22 seconds. They waited until under ten seconds to run their set and then nearly turned it over. However, Hannah Stuelke was able to get it to Caitlin and then 15,000 fans watched the ball fly through the air as the buzzer sounded. It went in. 40 points, eight three-pointers. Iowa wins by 3.

“We found a way to win. That’s what good teams do,” said Bluder.

“Didn’t shoot the ball very well, didn’t pass the ball very well and I can take better care of the ball, but a win is a win,” said Caitlin.

The game-winner over shadows the fact that it wasn’t a great showing for the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes. They shot 28/67 (41.8%) from the floor, including just 25.0% in the second quarter and had just 14 assists to 13 turnovers. Defensively, they were able to hold Michigan State to just 7/21 (33.3%) from three-point range, but gave up 46 points in the paint.

Outside of Caitlin’s 40 points, Hannah Stuelke had 15 points on 7/11 shooting, as well as eight rebounds. Everyone else combined for just 21 points on 7/22 shooting. Molly Davis finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Kate Martin pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

It’s clear that there are some things that need to be cleaned up for the Hawkeyes going forward, but Lisa Bluder says it is much easier to watch film and make adjustments after a win. That’s what they were able to do on Tuesday night.

Up Next, the Hawkeyes travel to Piscataway for a matchup against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 5:00pm CT and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.