Iowa vs. Colorado NCAA women’s basketball Sweet 16 box score, highlights, live updates recap

SEATTLE — Colorado had the “Great Dane.”

Iowa had the greater team, though.

An Elite team.

Caitlin Clark spearheaded a telling 13-0 third-quarter run, propelling the third-ranked Hawkeyes to an 87-77 NCAA women’s basketball regional-semifinal win over No. 21 Colorado on Friday at Climate Pledge Arena.

Clark finished with 31 points and eight assists, and the Hawkeyes (29-6) advance to the Elite Eight for the fifth time in school history, the first since 2019.

They’ll face Louisville or Mississippi at 8 p.m. (CT) Sunday. The winner advances to the Final Four next week at Dallas.

Iowa won despite surrendering 21 offensive rebounds.

The Buffaloes (25-9) rallied from an early 10-point deficit for a 40-39 halftime lead, and were in front for the final time, 42-41, when Frida Formann — a native of Denmark — scored at the 9:14 mark of the third quarter.

That gave Formann 21 points. She didn’t score the rest of the way, and fouled out with 6:37 left.

Iowa’s big run started with baskets by Kate Martin, Clark and McKenna Warnock, putting the Hawkeyes in front, 47-42, and forcing a Colorado timeout.

They weren’t done.

Clark located Czinano for a basket, but Czinano was whistled for her third foul moments later.

No matter.

Clark nailed a 3-pointer, then followed with a steal and layup. It was 54-42 with 5:02 left in the third quarter and CU Coach JR Payne used her second timeout in 2 minutes.

The Hawkeyes led by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter, but Colorado had one final push, getting within 78-74 on Jaylyn Sherrod’s steal and score with 1:49 left.

But Czinano scored on a hook shot to make it 80-74, then the Hawkeyes got a stop to salt it away.

Martin hit five straight foul shots, and that was checkmate. Martin finished with 16 points. Czinano added 15, Warnock 12.

— Jeff Linder

Iowa vs. Colorado live updates recap