MINNEAPOLIS — It seems ridiculous to consider it a possibility, and even more ridiculous to watch it unfold, that 15 minutes of the game clock could go by without Kaitlyn Clark hitting a single shot.
What's even more puzzling is reading the scoreboard after this happens.
Although Clark didn't connect on anything but free throws until five minutes remaining in the second quarter of Iowa State's Big Ten women's basketball tournament opener, the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes got little resistance from a superior Penn State team on the other side. .
Friday's 95-62 win against a rowdy Iowa team at Target Center sends the Hawkeyes comfortably into the semifinals on Saturday, where Iowa State (27-4) will take on Michigan at approximately 3:30 p.m.
“I think that was the best thing for us, to have a game like this, quite frankly,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Because these guys have so much confidence right now. They all have belief in themselves and in each other.
“So, Caitlin had a bad night. Well, we can survive that.”
more:Listico: Iowa's Molly Davis replacement plan starts strong in the Big Ten Tournament opener
After giving up 111 to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City a month ago, Penn State (19-12) almost certainly would have agreed to any pregame deal that got Clarke starting this cold. Same for Hannah Stolke, who dropped an emphatic 47 points in the last meet.
Penn State imposed better limitations on both, yet found itself in another unsuccessful play of catch-up as the Hawkeyes faded from view. Iowa State swelled its cushion to 18 by the end of the first quarter, then countered moderate Penn State pressure in the second quarter with a 13-2 lead into the locker room. The Lady Lions never climbed within single digits the rest of the way.
So how did Iowa State manage to get around unhindered with its star player still in neutral? The cohesion around Clark and the stifling defensive effort shined through, highlighting Iowa State's ability to make pivotal adjustments in this crucial spot.
Sydney Affolter was inserted into the starting lineup after Molly Davis' knee injury without a hitch, scoring 18 points as the first Iowa State scorer to reach double figures. Gabby Marshall continued her March renaissance with four timely 3-pointers. Twelve off the bench via Taylor McCabe offer promise for a role in the expansion line-up. Another quiet 11 points and nine rebounds from Kate Martin highlight her veteran value.
“I think our team had a lot of fun tonight,” said Clark, who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists despite shooting 5-for-19 overall. “I'm just proud of our girls. Sydney played great, Gabby played, and Kate did. And hopefully, if I shot it better, we could probably be in the hundreds. That's the exciting part about this.”
While waiting for Clark to warm up, Iowa closed in with a defensive intensity not seen when these two met at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on February 8. Penn State went 93 that night and would have dominated if nothing but the juggernaut Iowa product was on the other side. Friday saw a significant improvement in this vacuum.
The Lady Lions didn't reach 60 points until deep in the fourth quarter while finishing a dismal 7-for-33 from deep. If the Hawkeyes were expecting a push from Penn State, it never arrived.
“We played great defense. Gabby played really good defense, got some steals,” Affolter said. “She had some help. That was huge. Defense always leads to attack.”
Now let's get back to Clarke, no one can stifle her feelings just by throwing the ball. Eleven successive misses from deep built up frustration as habitual cuts became recurring misses. Clark made 12 of 13 free throws — part of Iowa's impressive 26-for-30 effort at the line overall — but a fourth-quarter breakthrough had to be made for her sanity.
The downtown connection with eight minutes to go finally broke the ice as Clarke circled around the pitch with a broad smile as he called out the noise, able to maintain his composure and embrace the moment even despite its unprecedented futility. Clark's first triple of the night pushed Steph Curry for the most 3-pointers made in a single season in NCAA history. The 2-for-14 finish from deep became just a laughing matter with Iowa's strong response around its star.
more:Iowa State's Kaitlyn Clark passes Steph Curry to set the NCAA single-season record for making 3s
“Being able to let things go, like, this is one game,” Clark said. “I take hundreds of thousands of shots — like, it doesn't really matter. The best part about this is I don't have to sit down” for that long. I have to go back and play basketball at 3:30 tomorrow. We won by 30 points. I didn't shoot the three-ball very well, but I did a lot of other things that affected my team.
“Most importantly, I had a lot of fun playing tonight.”
The Hawkeyes did so as well after a strong showing from the supporting cast.
Dargan Southard is a sports reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
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