Caitlin Clark’s 44-point outburst sets career, Carver records

IOWA CITY — Get back. Get right. And, for Caitlin Clark, go off.

Clark established a new Carver-Hawkeye Arena women’s basketball record with 44 points in 21st-ranked Iowa’s 93-56 rout of Evansville before an announced crowd of 7,307 on Sunday.

The Hawkeyes’ All-American sophomore guard, Clark reached the 1,000-point career mark with a transition 3-pointer with 5:07 left in the first quarter.

She kept going. And going. And going.

“I think it speaks to the offense we run,” Clark said. “We’re a team that likes to score the basketball. But any time you reach 1,000, it’s a big accomplishment.”

Clark became the fastest Big Ten women’s player to reach quadruple digits for a career, doing it in 40 games. Ohio State legend Kelsey Mitchell did it in 41.

“That gives me goosebumps,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

“(Mitchell) was one of those people I watched growing up,” Clark said.

Clark hadn’t been shooting at a high percentage this season, but she was brilliant in Sunday’s matinee. She made 18 of 26 shots from the floor (2 of 7 from long range), 6 of 7 from the line.

The old Carver record was 42 (Amy Herrig, 1999). Clark’s previous college standard was 39 (last year vs. Nebraska).

Clark added eight assists to one turnover as Iowa (7-3) cruised in its first game since its Dec. 21 collapse against IUPUI.

The Hawkeyes’ game Thursday against Penn State was canceled due to the Nittany Lions’ COVID-19 outbreak. They were originally scheduled to play Illinois on Sunday, but the Illini had COVID-19 issues of their own.

As it turned out, so did Iowa. Starters Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock were not cleared to play Sunday. They may or may not be available when Northwestern comes to town Thursday.

“We’ll see,” Bluder said, who also said the team had known “for a little while” that Czinano and Warnock would be out.

Replacing them in the starting lineup were seniors Tomi Taiwo and Logan Cook. It was the first career start for both.

Czinano’s absence also opened the door for more minutes for freshman Addison O’Grady, who posted the first double-double of her career, with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

“I just wanted to do whatever,” O’Grady said. “I needed to be a lot more aggressive out there.”

Gabbie Marshall added 13 points.

Clark had 18 points in the first 12 1/2 minutes as Iowa built a 32-15 lead. The advantage grew as large as 22 points (39-17), but the Purple Aces (6-6) closed the half with a 13-2 surge, closing the margin to 41-30.

Clark tacked on 16 points in the third quarter, 10 more in the fourth.

“No question, she’s the best player we’ll face this year,” Evansville Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells said. “She made some tough shots. A couple of those shots, all you can do is smile.

“She’s a special player.”

Iowa 93, Evansville 56

At Iowa City

EVANSVILLE (56): NaTaya Partee 1-2 0-0 2, Abby Feit 9-18 2-4 22, Elly Morgan 3-5 2-3 8, Je’Naiya Davis 5-12 1-2 14, Myia Clark 4-17 0-0 9, Kodie Myszka 0-4 0-0 0, Gala Camarena 0-1 0-0 0, Sydney Thurwalker 0-2 1-2 1, Rylie Stephens 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-64 6-11 56.

IOWA (93): Logan Cook 0-3 0-0 0, Tomi Taiwo 2-5 0-0 6, Kate Martin 3-7 0-0 7, Caitlin Clark 18-26 6-7 44, Gabbie Marshall 5-11 0-0 13, Kylie Feuerbach 2-8 1-1 5, Addison O’Grady 7-10 0-0 14, Sydney Affolter 0-2 0-0 0, A.J. Ediger 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 39-76 7-8 93.

Evansville 15 15 13 13 — 56

Iowa 26 15 32 20 — 93

3-point goals: Evansville 6-21 (Feit 2-5, Morgan 0-1, Davis 0-3, M. Clark 1-6, Myszka 0-1, Thurwalker 0-1, Stephens 0-1), Iowa 8-26 (Taiwo 2-4, Martin 1-3, C. Clark 2-7, Marshall 3-8, Feuerbach 0-3, Affolter 0-1). Team fouls: Evansville 13, Iowa 13. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Evansville 36 (Feit 10), Iowa 46 (O’Grady 12). Assists: Evansville 12 (Feit 4), Iowa 20 (C. Clark 8). Steals: Evansville 3 (Feit 2), Iowa 8 (Taiwo 3). Turnovers: Evansville 20, Iowa 12.

Attendance: 7,307.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com