Ohio State topples No. 2 Iowa in overtime, 100-92, despite Caitlin Clark’s 45 points

Note: This story was written in Cedar Rapids.

Overtime belonged to Cotie McMahon and Ohio State.

McMahon scored eight of her career-high 33 points in extra time, and 18th-ranked Ohio State knocked off No. 2 Iowa, 100-92, in a Big Ten women’s basketball game Sunday afternoon at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

A good number of the sellout crowd of 18,660 stormed the court after the Buckeyes (15-3 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) snapped Iowa’s 15-game win streak, the longest of the Lisa Bluder era.

Iowa (18-2, 7-1) led a 12-point lead slip away in the final 8:50 of regulation and bowed despite 45 points from Caitlin Clark.

The reigning national player of the year, Clark scored 17 of Iowa’s last 18 points, including all nine in overtime.

Afterward, Clark was involved in a collision with a court-storm participant.

Clark said in the postgame press conference that she was OK, and that Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith apologized to her.

“I was just trying to exit the court as quickly as possible, so I started running and I was absolutely just hammered by somebody trying to run onto the court,” Clark said, according to the Associated Press.

“Basically blindsided and, you know, kind of scary, could have caused a pretty serious injury to me and knocked the wind out of me. But luckily my teammates kind of picked me up and got me off the court.”

McMahon scored at the 4:05 mark of OT to break an 83-83 tie, and the Buckeyes led the rest of the way.

Clark’s 3-pointer got the Hawkeyes within 89-88 with 2:20 left in overtime, but a basket by Jacy Sheldon and a 3-pointer by Rebeka Mikulasikova made it 94-88.

Iowa led 70-58 when Molly Davis scored on a runner with 8:50 left in regulation, but McMahon scored a basket and Sheldon added three buckets to get the Buckeyes back in it at 72-69.

Celeste Taylor’s drive put the Buckeyes in front, 77-76, with 3:40 left, then it was back and forth. Hannah Stuelke made the second of two free throws with 0:10 remaining to tie it, 83-83.

Davis added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Hawkeyes, converting 6 of 7 shots from the floor. Stuelke tallied 10 points, fouling out with 3:25 left in overtime.

Clark was 12 of 25 from the field, 7 of 18 from 3-point range, 14 of 16 from the free-throw line.

She made her first three 3-point attempts and had 13 points in the first quarter. Iowa led 26-24 after a period, 45-43 at halftime.

Iowa extended the margin to 65-58 after three quarters, thanks in part to seven big points from Addison O’Grady.

All five of Ohio State’s starters reached double figures. Sheldon scored 24 points.

The rematch is March 3 at Iowa City in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Iowa hosts Nebraska at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com