Caitlin Clark matches NCAA record in Iowa’s rout of Dartmouth

IOWA CITY — Nobody has done it faster.

Caitlin Clark matched an NCAA women’s basketball record Wednesday afternoon, reaching the 2,000-point career mark in her 75th game.

She got there with a 3-pointer from the right wing at the 7:51 mark of the second quarter in 13th-ranked Iowa’s 92-54 drubbing of Dartmouth before an announced crowd of 8,100 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about,” said Clark, who finished with 20 points, pushing her career total to 2,013 (a career average of 26.84 points per game).

“I wasn’t expecting (Coach Lisa Bluder) to call timeout right afterward. I got choked up a little bit.”

Elena Delle Donne scored her 2,000th point in her 75th game at Delaware, during the 2011-12 season.

“She is a person I idolized,” Clark said. “I have a pair of her shoes in my locker.”

Speaking of shoes, Clark shed hers after the game and handed them to a random girl on her way out of the arena and into the tunnel.

“Hopefully I gave her a good present for the holiday season and made her happy,” Clark said. “I’m glad I could put a smile on somebody else’s face. I hope she enjoys them and keeps them and reminds her that she can dream that she can be one of us.”

Clark is the fourth Hawkeye to hit 2,000 points in her career, joining Megan Gustafson, Ally Disterhoft and Cindy Haugejorde. Barring something unforeseen, Clark still has at least 50 games left.

Monika Czinano could get to that exclusive club as early as next Thursday (the Hawkeyes host Purdue). She scored 20 points Wednesday and has 1,989 in her career.

Czinano attempted the first 3-pointer of her college career, hitting the front rim.

“It had to be done,” she said. “You couldn’t draw it up any better.”

As for the game ...

The Hawkeyes (10-3) were brilliant early, jetting to a 26-6 lead in the first 7 minutes.

Iowa was 15 of 18 from the field in the first quarter — on 15 assists — en route to a 34-19 lead. Czinano and McKenna Warnock had 10 points apiece.

“Our transition break was really good (early),” Clark said. “We got some stops, and that led to transition.”

Clark’s milestone moment capped an 11-0 run to make it 45-19, then it was fairly choppy the rest of the way.

Iowa finished with 30 assists, a career-high 13 from Kate Martin. All 20 of the Hawkeyes’ first-half baskets were assisted.

Warnock finished with 14 points, and A.J. Ediger registered a career-high 10.

“We’ve been searching for a (backup) ‘5’ that really wants to find that spot,” Bluder said. “Maybe we found her.”

Freshman Jada Gyamfi saw the first action of her career, scored a basket and grabbed four rebounds in less than 3 minutes.

Allie Harland led Dartmouth (2-11) with 11 points. Iowa City native Emma Koch started and collected three points and three rebounds in 20 minutes.

Originally scheduled for 2 p.m., the game was moved up two hours due to an incoming snowstorm.

Iowa 92, Dartmouth 54

At Iowa City

DARTMOUTH (54): Clare Meyer 3-6 1-3 7, Mekkena Boyd 3-11 1-2 7, Mia Curtis 1-6 0-0 3, Victoria Page 1-10 0-0 3, Emma Koch 0-4 3-4 3, Karina Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0, Olivia Lawlor 3-4 2-5 9, Grace Niekelski 3-11 2-4 8, Anna Nelson 1-2 0-0 3, Allie Harland 4-5 0-0 11, Leiya Stuart 0-1 0-0 0, Camryn Foltz 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-61 9-18 54.

IOWA (92): McKenna Warnock 6-8 0-0 14, Monika Czinano 10-14 0-1 20, Kate Martin 1-1 1-2 4, Caitlin Clark 5-8 8-9 20, Gabbie Marshall 1-5 1-2 3, Molly Davis 3-3 0-0 8, Hannah Stuelke 1-4 0-0 2, A.J. Ediger 5-7 0-0 10, Sydney Affolter 0-1 3-4 3, Taylor McCabe 2-3 0-0 6, Sharon Goodman 0-4 0-0 0, Addison O’Grady 0-0 0-0 0, Shateah Wetering 0-3 0-0 0, Jada Gyamfi 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 35-63 13-18 92.

Dartmouth 19 5 17 13 — 54

Iowa 34 20 15 23 — 92

3-point goals: Dartmouth 7-27 (Boyd 0-3, Curtis 1-3, Page 1-6, Koch 0-3, Lawlor 1-1, Niekelski 0-5, Nelson 1-2, Harland 3-4), Iowa 9-18 (Warnock 2-3, Czinano 0-1, Martin 1-1, Clark 2-3, Marshall 0-2, Davis 2-2, McCabe 2-3, Gyamfi 0-1). Team fouls: Dartmouth 19, Iowa 15. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Dartmouth 33 (Meyer 7), Iowa 44 (Clark 10). Assists: Dartmouth 10 (Meyer 3), Iowa 30 (Martin 13). Steals: Dartmouth 8 (Boyd 3), Iowa 9 (Warnock, Marshall 2). Turnovers: Dartmouth 20, Iowa 16.

Attendance: 8,100.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com