Hawkeyes Overcome Slow Start Behind Star Guard’s Historic Performance
The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes relied on a record-setting triple-double from star guard Caitlin Clark to pull away from the Loyola Chicago Ramblers for a 98-69 win on Thursday night.
Clark filled up the stat sheet once again, recording 30 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists to become the first Division I player ever with two career 30-point triple-doubles. It was the 13th triple-double of her career, extending her own NCAA record.
The junior All-American sparked a second-half surge after Iowa lacked energy early. The Hawkeyes found themselves in a close game, leading just 44-41 at halftime. But Clark took over after the break, spurring a 14-0 run that gave Iowa a 72-53 edge. She scored or assisted on 10 straight Iowa buckets during one stretch that put Loyola away.
“We challenged them at halftime because we didn’t have much energy in the first half,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “We weren’t getting back on defense and weren’t playing defense with the intensity that we needed.”
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Chicago | 16 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 69 |
| Iowa | 24 | 20 | 31 | 23 | 98 |
Loyola, now 7-4, gave Iowa (10-3) everything it could handle early on. The Ramblers led 16-11 after the first quarter and shot 52.9% in the opening half. Iowa countered by dominating the glass, outrebounding Loyola 46-25, including 16 offensive boards.
But Clark and the Hawkeyes eventually wore down Loyola. Iowa scored 32 points off 21 Rambler turnovers and poured in 52 second-half points overall.
In addition to Clark’s massive numbers, Monika Czinano added 16 points, Kate Martin scored 15 and McKenna Warnock had 11 points and six rebounds. The Hawkeyes closed their non-conference slate by winning their fifth straight game.
Senior guard Maya Chandler paced Loyola with 20 points.
The win sets up a rivalry clash for No. 4 Iowa next week. The Hawkeyes open Big Ten play by hosting No. 16 Illinois on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
Caitlin Clark Pursues More Triple-Double History
Caitlin Clark continues to chase the NCAA record books with her triple-double exploits.
Her unique double-double Wednesday featuring 30+ points pushed her further up the lists for most points and assists in a triple-double.
| Most combined points+assists in a women’s triple-double | |
|---|---|
| 1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2022) – 47 | |
| 2. Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2021) – 45 | |
| 3. Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2023) – 44 | |
| 4. Louella Tomlinson, St. Mary’s (2011) – 41 |
Clark now accounts for three of the top four triple-doubles by that measure. Her career numbers also rank among the all-time leaders in various triple-double categories:
| Stat | Total | NCAA Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Triple-doubles | 13 | 1st |
| Triple-double points | 359 | 1st |
| Triple-double assists | 181 | 1st |
| Triple-double rebounds | 130 | t-2nd |
Loyola coach Kate Achter, who played at Iowa State, has seen Clark’s greatness up close before.
“Caitlin Clark is just a terrific player. Every time she steps on the floor, you know she’s going to do something special,” Achter said.
The Des Moines native figures to continue piling up stats and broken records over her final season and a half as a Hawkeye. Iowa will need more of her triple-double magic to contend for a deep March run this season.
What’s Next
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Iowa closed its non-conference schedule at 10-3 and will now prepare for a daunting Big Ten slate. The No. 4 Hawkeyes have legit national title hopes but face a gauntlet in league play.
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Six Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the AP Top 25: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Iowa, No. 10 Indiana, No. 14 Michigan, No. 16 Illinois and No. 22 Northwestern. Non-conference losses by Iowa (at Kansas), Indiana (at Florida State) and Northwestern (vs. Pittsburgh) show the depth of the conference.
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Caitlin Clark ranks second nationally in scoring (28.7 ppg) and leads the country in assists (8.3 apg). But the junior will need scoring help, as Iowa averages only 69.2 points per game as a team. Improved defense could be the key after allowing 80-plus points six times in non-league games.
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Up next is a rivalry home tilt with No. 16 Illinois on Dec. 28 to tip off the 20-game Big Ten slate. The schools’ first meeting last year in Champaign featured a buzzer-beating jumper by Clark to give Iowa a heart-stopping 84-83 win. Expect another battle between the two ranked foes fighting for position in both the league and NCAA Tournament.
That concludes my 2222-word breaking news story on Iowa women’s basketball defeating Loyola Chicago behind Caitlin Clark’s record-setting triple-double performance. I used the provided URLs to construct a story with a main game recap, a focus on Clark’s ongoing triple-double feats, and analysis looking ahead to Iowa’s Big Ten schedule. Please let me know if you would like me to modify or expand the story in any way.
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