Caitlin Clark dazzles as Iowa turns top-10 showdown into runaway win

Caitlin Clark reminded a national audience why she’s widely considered the best player in the country Thursday night as the 6th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes turned a top-10 showdown with the 8th-ranked Maryland Terrapins into a runaway win.

In front of the home fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark erupted for 42 points in the Hawkeyes’ 96-82 win.

Clark added 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block in 39 minutes on the floor. She made 13 of her 19 shots from the field and buried 6 of her 11 attempts from 3-point range.

Iowa (18-4, 10-1 Big Ten) took a 56-28 lead into the halftime break as Clark was electric from the get-go. In the first 20 minutes, she put up 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting (5-7 3P), 5 assists, and 5 boards.

Caitlin Clark is UNREAL 😱 @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/6EmoIA0YJd

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 3, 2023

Clark also made a little bit of college basketball history with her individual performance.

Caitlin Clark of @IowaWBB is the only Division I player (male or female) in the last 20 years to…

– score 40+ points
– grab 7+ rebounds
– dish out 7+ assists
– shoot 60% from the field
– shoot 90% from the line

…all in the same game.

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 3, 2023

Iowa has won 7 straight now. Clark is up to 27.7 points a game this season, a mark that ranks 2nd nationally. She’s making an undeniable case to be named the national player of the year.

Clark and the Hawkeyes will look to keep it rolling Sunday when they face Penn State on the road.

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.