Iowa Hawkeyes turn the tables on No. 2 Ohio State, 93-83

IOWA CITY — Celebrity Row witnessed a show.

Caitlin Clark completed her season-long series of record-setting moments, and sixth-ranked Iowa kept that revolving door at No. 2 spinning with a 93-83 women’s basketball victory over Ohio State before a vocal crowd of 14,998 on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

It was the ninth time this season that the No. 2 team in the Associated Press poll took a tumble.

But, as Clark said, this was no upset.

“This was a game we should win,” she said. “We were favored, it was Senior Day, we had a lot of confidence.

“I feel we played a dominant basketball game. We were in control the entire time. We played a good, complete game.”

Iowa finished the regular season at 26-4 overall, 15-3 in the Big Ten, a game behind the league-champion Buckeyes (25-4, 16-2).

The Hawkeyes will be the 2-seed in the Big Ten tournament, and will play their quarterfinal game at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis.

It’s been loud at Carver all season, but the decibel level was through the roof from about 10 a.m. (when ESPN began airing College GameDay) and remained that way through postgame Senior Day ceremonies.

Among those on hand were women’s basketball legends Maya Moore and Lynette Woodard, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, rapper Travis Scott and commercial celebrity Jake from State Farm.

Clark surpassed Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history — male or female — with a pair of free throws at the end of the first half.

Iowa was leading 44-39 when Hannah Stuelke was fouled by Ohio State’s Madison Greene with 0.3 seconds left, and the Buckeyes’ Cotie McMahon was whistled for a technical foul.

Stuelke made both of her free throws, then Clark converted both of hers.

Clark’s second foul shot marked her 3,668th point, one more than Maravich (LSU, 1967-70).

She now stands at 3,685.

“People used to call her Ponytail Pete, and now she has his record,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

Clark recently was celebrated for breaking the scoring record of Kelsey Plum (NCAA women), then Woodard (major-college women).

“It’s hard to wrap my head around everything going on,” Clark said. “I hope people remember me for the smile I put on their face, or my competitive fire.”

Iowa took control with an 18-3 first-quarter surge to take a 25-10 lead. The Buckeyes got within four twice in the second quarter after Molly Davis suffered a knee injury in the second quarter

Ohio State scored the first seven points of the second half to pull within 48-46, but Iowa jetted away again, and led by as many as 17 late in the third quarter.

The Hawkeyes avenged a 100-92 overtime loss to the Buckeyes on Jan. 21.

Hannah Stuelke added 23 points and nine rebounds for the Hawkeyes. Gabbie Marshall scored 12, Kate Martin 11.

Martin, Marshall, Davis and Sharon Goodman joined Clark in the postgame speech parade.

Jacy Sheldon scored 24 points to lead the Buckeyes.

Iowa 93, Ohio State 83

At Iowa City

OHIO STATE (83): Rebeka Mikulasikova 5-9 0-0 14, Cotie McMahon 5-11 0-2 10, Taylor Thierry 5-8 0-2 11, Jacy Sheldon 9-17 2-2 24, Celeste Taylor 4-10 0-0 10, Rikki Harris 3-6 1-2 9, Madison Greene 2-4 0-0 5, Taiyier Parks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-65 3-8 83.

IOWA (93): Hannah Stuelke 9-12 5-8 23, Molly Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Kate Martin 5-10 0-0 11, Caitlin Clark 10-26 9-10 35, Gabbie Marshall 4-8 0-1 12, Sydney Affolter 2-4 2-2 6, Addison O’Grady 1-1 0-0 2, Kyle Feuerbach 1-3 2-2 4, Taylor McCabe 0-0 0-0 0, Sharon Goodman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-64 18-23 93.

Ohio State 19 20 25 19 -- 83

Iowa 28 20 27 18 -- 93

3-point goals: Ohio State 14-30 (Mikulasikova 4-8, McMahon 0-2, Thierry 1-1, Sheldon 4-7, Taylor 2-5, Harris 2-4, Greene 1-3), Iowa 11-28 (Martin 1-3, Clark 6-17, Marshall 4-7, Feuerbach 0-1). Team fouls: Ohio State 23, Iowa 11. Fouled out: none. Technical fouls: McMahon, Harris. Rebounds: Ohio State 31 (Mikulasikova 8), Iowa 38 (Martin 9). Assists: Ohio State 22 (Sheldon 9), Iowa 20 (Clark 9). Steals: Ohio State 8 (three with 2), Iowa 11 (Feuerbach 4). Turnovers: Ohio State 16, Iowa 16.

Attendance: 14,998.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com