Iowa stuns No. 1 South Carolina in the Final Four as Caitlin Clark sparkles again

DALLAS — They were facing a massive size disadvantage, but the Iowa Hawkeyes sure didn’t shrink from this moment.

It was a moment that turned out to be the biggest in program history.

Caitlin Clark scored 41 points, and third-ranked Iowa stunned No. 1 South Carolina, 77-73, in an NCAA women’s basketball national-semifinal thriller before a sellout crowd of 19,288 Friday night at American Airlines Center.

“I’m so proud of these women,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes (31-6) snapped South Carolina’s 42-game winning streak. “The only people that believed we could win were the women in our circle.”

Iowa will face No. 9 LSU (33-2) for the national championship at 2:30 Sunday afternoon (ABC).

LSU rallied past No. 4 Virginia Tech, 79-72.

How in the world can the Hawkeyes return back to earth in such short time?

“We’ll celebrate for just a little time, then go watch film,” said McKenna Warnock, who pulled down the biggest offensive rebound of her life in the final half-minute. “We’ve got a business mentality.”

The Hawkeyes answered every challenge that South Carolina (36-1) could muster.

After the Gamecocks took a 60-59 lead on Aliyah Boston’s basket with 9:05 left, the Hawkeyes scored the next five points — a Clark 3-pointer, then a Clark dish to Monika Czinano — and led the rest of the way.

Clark hit 15 of 31 shots from the floor, and nailed all six of her free throws.

“She was on point,” South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley said after the Gamecocks’ title reign came to an end. “Everything we saw on film — assists ... points ... turnovers — she ran the gamut of who she is.

“She had a great connection with Czinano. If we had given Czinano fewer opportunities, we could have flipped the game.”

South Carolina got within 69-68, 71-69, 73-71 and 75-73, but the Hawkeyes held them off each time.

The biggest moment came from Warnock, who corralled Clark’s missed 3-pointer with Iowa nursing a 73-71 lead. She got the ball to Clark, who made two free throws with 0:13 left to make it a two-possession game.

“They had 26 offensive rebounds, and we had five,” Clark said. “McKenna got the biggest one of the game.”

The Hawkeyes prevailed despite a 49-25 rebounding disadvantage.

“They got a lot of boards, but we knew that was going to happen,” Iowa’s Kate Martin said.

Iowa played a masterful first quarter, building a 22-13 lead: “We got out early, set the tone right away,” Martin said. “They hadn’t been in this position before, we have, and we used it to our advantage.”

The Hawkeyes led most of the way. South Carolina took a one-point advantage on four occasions — three in the second quarter, once in the fourth.

South Carolina’s All-America post, Aliyah Boston, was stifled most of the game with foul problems, and scored just eight points. Boston’s basket with 9:05 left gave the Gamecocks a 60-59 lead with 9:05 left. But the Hawkeyes scored the next five points and held onto their slim lead the rest of the way.

Czinano added 18 points for the Hawkeyes, and sidestepped foul trouble throughout the game. Martin scored seven.

Iowa shot 14 free throws, and made them all.

Zia Cooke tallied 24 points for South Carolina. Six-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso was a problem for the Hawkeyes on the glass, with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Raven Johnson scored 13.

Staley said afterward, “I’m a sore loser, but I’m a gracious loser. Give credit where it’s due: Iowa had a great game plan, and we didn’t get it done. It wasn’t in the cards for us.”

Iowa is in the Final Four for the second time. Now, for the first time, it will play for a national title.

Iowa 77, South Carolina 73

NCAA Tournament National Semifinal, at Dallas

IOWA (77): McKenna Warnock 2-6 0-0 5, Monika Czinano 6-8 6-6 18, Kate Martin 2-5 2-2 7, Caitlin Clark 15-31 6-6 41, Gabbie Marshall 0-1 0-0 0, Hannah Stuelke 1-2 0-0 2, Addison O’Grady 2-4 0-0 4, Molly Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Sydney Affolter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-57 14-14 77.

SOUTH CAROLINA (73): Aliyah Boston 2-9 4-6 8, Victaria Saxton 0-2 0-0 0, Zia Cooke 11-21 2-2 24, Brea Beal 1-9 1-2 3, Kierra Fletcher 0-4 0-0 0, Kamilla Cardoso 7-9 0-1 14, Raven Johnson 5-11 0-0 13, Bree Hall 1-4 0-0 3, Laeticia Amihere 3-6 2-2 8, Olivia Thompson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-77 9-13 73.

Iowa 22 16 21 18 — 77

South Carolina 13 24 18 18 — 73

3-point goals: Iowa 7-23 (Warnock 1-4, Martin 1-1, Clark 5-17, Marshall 0-1), South Carolina 4-20 (Boston 0-1, Cooke 0-3, Beal 0-4, Johnson 3-6, Hall 1-4, Thompson 0-2). Team fouls: Iowa 18, South Carolina 20. Fouled out: Beal. Rebounds: Iowa 25 (Martin 7), South Carolina 49 (Cardoso 14). Assists: Iowa 14 (Clark 8), South Carolina 9 (Boston 3). Steals: Iowa 8 (Czinano, Marshall 3), South Carolina 6 (Johnson 3). Turnovers: Iowa 10, South Carolina 15.

Attendance: 19,288.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com