Caitlin Clark posts masterful double-double to set up revenge game in B1G Tournament Championship
Caitlin Clark is heating up in the Big Ten Tournament, a statement that comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone monitoring college basketball.
Clark has 2 double-doubles in 2 tournament games with Iowa reaching 95 points in back-to-back blowouts to begin the weekend. Saturday’s game featured a 95-68 blowout of Michigan with Clark posting 28 points, 15 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Every night, Clark has a chance to wow, and this time it was her passing game that really got things going. At halftime, she had already completed her double-double with 19 points and 11 assists, including one nifty behind-the-back pass.
Behind the back 🤩@CaitlinClark22 x @sydneyaffolter1#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/tKbKvI6ZGH
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 9, 2024
Drive & Dish. @CaitlinClark22 x @Aj_ediger_bball#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/d5qKjo0BuR
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 9, 2024
Clark made sure to flex her scoring a bit as well, finishing out the half with a patented logo 3 to ignite the crowd. Clark has now produced a double-double in 11 of her last 12 games overall with a pair of triple-doubles added for good measure.
FROM. THE. LOGO. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/CYJgAPq1qb
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 9, 2024
RELATED: With the women’s tournament concluding Sunday, the men’s Big Ten Basketball Tournament is set to heat up next week. Fans can track all the latest postseason odds via Tradition’s BetMGM links.
Sunday’s epic conclusion
If not for a couple of losses late in the year, Iowa had a chance to win or share the regular-season B1G title. One loss that in particularly looms large came on the road to Nebraska when Clark was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Now, the two sides will face off once again in a championship game, and you can bet the atmosphere is going to be electric.
The way the Huskers entered Sunday’s championship game is equally noteworthy. Facing Maryland, Jaz Shelley went off for 30 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals to lead Nebraska.
Jaz Shelley against Maryland:
🌽 30 PTS
🌽 9 AST
🌽 4 REB
🌽 2 STLShe is next level. 🤯#B1GWBBT x @HuskerWBB pic.twitter.com/5Ah0kmRopg
— Big Ten Women’s Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 9, 2024
Though not as gaudy as Clark’s numbers, Shelley has also been on a mission in the B1G Tournament while averaging 22 points and 7 assists in 3 wins for the Huskers. In the earlier upset of the Hawkeyes, she scored 23 points with a 5-for-10 shooting performance from 3-point range.
Shelley’s a star in her own right, and no one knows that better than Clark. She was quick to call Nebraska’s star “one of the best players in the country” and an all-around contributor following Saturday’s action.
Caitlin Clark on Nebraska’ Jaz Shelley: Jaz is one of the best players in the country. The way she can pass, she can shoot, she can penetrate, she just makes everybody around her better. She’s a lot of fun to go up against.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) March 10, 2024
As for the defensive arrangement of the Huskers, don’t expect the Hawkeyes to be caught off guard this time around. It was the box-and-one scheme employed by Nebraska that caught Iowa off-balance in Lincoln, but Clark admitted the team is already expecting a similar approach on Sunday.
Caitlin Clark says she fully expects Nebraska to (again) play box-and-one against Iowa tomorrow. “It’ll definitely be something we’ll be ready for” and the Hawkeyes have seen a lot of box-and-one since that loss in Lincoln.
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) March 9, 2024
Sunday’s game is set for 12 p.m. ET on CBS in what proves to be a short turnaround from Saturday’s games. We’ll see who raises the trophy, but this is one you won’t want to miss.