Fourth-quarter fade is costly for Iowa in an 82-79 loss at Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb — It was all setting up so neatly.

Iowa took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter, and Caitlin Clark was on the brink of the national scoring record.

Then it all came unhinged.

Jaz Shelley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds left, then added four late free throws, and Nebraska stormed back to upset No. 2 Iowa, 82-79, in a Big Ten women’s basketball game Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

“They changed their defense, and we didn’t respond well,” Clark said.

They didn’t respond at all.

Nebraska (16-8 overall, 8-5 Big Ten), a team that had lost to lowly Rutgers on this same court just eight days previous, outscored the Hawkeyes (22-3, 11-2) by a 27-10 margin in the fourth quarter.

It was reminiscent of the Hawkeyes’ loss at Ohio State on Jan. 21, in which they squandered a 12-point lead in the final 9 minutes.

“I’m really surprised, against the box-and-one, that we didn’t score better,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. “We kind of got stagnant in that situation.

“It’s easy to (defend) when you’re just standing there. That’s my fault. I’ve got to make them (move).”

Thousands of Iowa fans made the trip across the Missouri River to get a look at Clark and the Hawkeyes, and the crowd was about 50-50.

“Coming out seeing all that yellow, it was scary at first,” Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski said.

But it was the red-clad home fans who stormed the court afterward. Again, just like Ohio State.

Clark scored 31 points in the first three quarters, drawing within seven of Kelsey Plum’s NCAA Division I scoring record of 3,527. But she was blanked in the fourth. Clark and Kate Martin both missed 3-pointers in the final seconds.

Iowa was 4-of-17 from the floor in the fourth quarter.

Clark should pass Plum early in Thursday’s game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, against Michigan.

“(The record pursuit) has not been a distraction at all,” said Clark, whose pass to Martin with 0:35 left in the second quarter was the 1,000th of her career.

“Everybody is going to give us their best shot. If we don’t know that by now ... I don’t know.”

Iowa led for the first 39 minutes, 30 seconds. It was 65-55 when Clark was fouled by Shelley with 51 seconds left in the third quarter, then the Nebraska bench was issued a technical foul.

Clark made the first two free throws, then missed the last two. Arena music seemed to have been played between the third and fourth foul shots.

“I didn’t notice,” Clark said.

“I did,” Martin said.

Nonetheless, it was 71-57 when Hannah Stuelke converted with 9:22 left.

But the Huskers rallied. And the Hawkeyes messed around and found out.

Martin’s 3 pointer gave Iowa a 77-70 lead with 3:20 left, then Nebraska scored the next 10.

The Huskers had lost nine straight to the Hawkeyes.

“I knew this team could do it,” Shelley said. “This year was that year.”

Shelley led the Huskers with 23 points. Markowski and Logan Nissley scored 15 apiece (with Markowski grabbing 11 rebounds).

Clark’s final numbers were 31 points (10 of 25 field goals, 5 of 15 3-pointers, 6 of 9 free throws), eight rebounds and 10 assists.

Martin added 20 points, Stuelke 15.

Nebraska 82, Iowa 79

At Lincoln, Neb.

IOWA (79): Hannah Stuelke 7-11 1-4 15, Sydney Affolter 3-6 0-0 7, Kate Martin 7-13 2-2 20, Caitlin Clark 10-25 6-9 31, Gabbie Marshall 1-6 0-0 2, Kylie Feuerbach 0-0 0-0 0, Addison O’Grady 2-4 0-0 4, Molly Davis 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-66 9-15 79.

NEBRASKA (82):

Natalie Potts 6-13 2-3 14, Alexis Markowski 6-13 1-1 15, Jaz Shelley 7-14 4-4 23, Callin Hake 0-3 0-0 0, Kendall Moriarty 3-7 1-3 7, Kendall Coley 0-1 0-0 0, Maddie Krull 0-2 0-0 0, Logan Nissley 5-12 2-3 15, Jessica Petrie 2-3 0-0 4, Darian White 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 31-73 10-14 82.

Iowa 16 23 30 10 — 79

Nebraska 13 22 20 27 — 82

3-point goals: Iowa 10-32 (Stuelke 0-1, Affolter 1-3, Martin 4-8, Clark 5-15, Marshall 0-5), Nebraska 10-31 (Potts 0-2, Markowski 2-2, Shelley 5-10, Hake 0-2, Moriarty 0-3, Krull 0-2, Nissley 3-7, Petrie 0-1, White 0-2). Team fouls: Iowa 14, Nebraska 17. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Iowa 38 (Clark 8), Nebraska 45 (Markowski 11). Assists: Iowa 18 (Clark 10), Nebraska 16 (Shelley 5). Steals: Iowa 7 (Clark 4), Nebraska 8 (Markowski 3). Turnovers: Iowa 16, Nebraska 13.

Attendance: 15,000.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com