Iowa Wins Big Ten Tournament Title Behind Caitlin Clark's 10th Career Triple-Double

Iowa Wins Big Ten Tournament Title Behind Caitlin Clark's 10th Career Triple-Double

On Sunday, Iowa upset Ohio State 105-72 in the Big Ten Tournament title game to bring it back home for the first time ever. Additionally, Lisa Bluder earned her team a share of 233 regular-season victories - one more than C. Vivian Stringer for most conference triumphs in school history.

Monika Czinano

Clark entered the game tied with former Lamar Cardinals standout Chastadie Barrs (2015-2019) for most career triple-doubles with nine, but she outclassed herself on Sunday. Clark scored or assisted on 68 of Iowa's 105 points, tying a Big Ten Tournament record in the process. She shot 9-of-17 from the field including 5 of 11 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 from behind the foul line.

Clark was in fine form Sunday, and her teammates didn't let her slip by unnoticed. Iowa (26-6), projected as the No. 2 seed by ESPN's Charlie Creme, upset two No. 1 seeds - Indiana and Maryland - in the final week of conference action.

At the start of the second half, Iowa went on an impressive 15-5 run to take a 45-33 lead with just under 10 minutes left. A steal by Gabbie Marshall set Czinano up for a layup at 4:50 in the third quarter for an even bigger lead of 56-43. Finally, Clark ignited the crowd with his 3-pointer off the fast break with 6:33 remaining in play.

At 5:29 of the fourth quarter, Iowa took a commanding 60-45 lead thanks to Kate Martin's 3-pointer that went in transition. Czinano followed with another basket and 3-pointer off the fast break for another 15-5 run that gave Iowa 72-55 advantage and sent Ohio State into an uproar, sealing their second consecutive Big Ten tourney title.

Iowa won its second title in three years, leaning on its deep lineup to score big points and pull away from tough contests when necessary. All five starters made at least one shot in the final, with four scoring double figures for the tournament champs.

Iowa won its fifth conference tournament title in six seasons and third consecutive team title for coach Lisa Bluder, who has started her 23rd season leading the program. The Hawkeyes won all 10 matches they played to secure their championship status; scoring more than 100 points in each match for an unprecedented amount of points scored by a tournament championship squad.

Cotie McMahon

Iowa concluded an incredible run in the Big Ten tournament by taking home the championship on Caitlin Clark's 10th career triple-double on Sunday night. She scored 30 points and had 17 assists to lead Iowa (26-6, 11-4 Big Ten) to a 10-5-72 victory over No. 13 Ohio State in Minneapolis during their conference tournament final.

Iowa was able to overcome a 10-point deficit in the first half and make several key shots in the second half, building an impressive 37-point lead at halftime. That proved enough for them to hold off an experienced team that surged ahead of them (22-5, 11-5 Big Ten) for victory.

McMahon, who played an integral role in slowing Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes during their 24-point comeback in the semifinal, led Ohio State with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Additionally, she blocked a game-tying shot by Rikki Harris.

After a slow start, the Buckeyes found their rhythm in the first quarter and raced out to an early 12-3 advantage. Later in the final frame, they outscored the Wildcats 67-55 for an easy victory that secured their place as favorites.

McMahon recorded her first double-double for the Buckeyes, with help from Taylor Mikesell's 24 points. Additionally, McMahon held Purdue's Trevion Williams to just three points on 5-of-12 shooting - an impressive effort!

Ohio State had a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter, yet still trailed 73-62 with 3:11 left. Senior guard Molly Davis hit a 3-pointer and Clark followed with timely buckets to keep Iowa in it. A Kate Martin trey increased Iowa's advantage to 13 points and they held on for victory.

Iowa entered the NCAA Tournament as one of America's hottest teams, and McCaffery claimed his third conference tournament championship since arriving at Iowa. It marked his most victories in 10 tournaments combined and provided a major boost to their NCAA Tournament seeding prospects.

With all the challenges Iowa had to overcome over the last two weeks, it was encouraging to see them come together and figure out a way to win. It serves as an enormous morale booster for the program and gives prospective recruits an insight into what life in an Iowa Hawkeyes uniform will be like.

Gabby Marshall

The Iowa Hawkeyes are on the rise. They're on track to finish in the Top Ten and could potentially earn a double bye in the conference tournament. While getting there will require hard work and determination, their path appears clear.

On Sunday, Iowa took their Big Ten tourney title hopes to Minneapolis and were rewarded with a victory against Maryland. With this win, Iowa finished an unblemished 26-0 in the Big Ten and set up another repeat of last year's championship game in Chicago.

Clark had one of her best performances of the season, scoring 30 points and dishing out 10 assists while shooting 9-of-17 from the field. She made a career high 5 of 11 from behind the arc and finished 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Clark entered the Big Ten final tied with former Lamar Cardinals star Chastadie Barrs for second all-time in NCAA women's history with three 30-point triple doubles; now she leads the league with 10 overall.

Marshall had an outstanding game. She displayed great poise throughout the day and finished strong by hitting all seven of her 3-pointers against Maryland, dishing out six assists and recording two steals.

It was an impressive game for the senior, who had struggled with her outside shooting early in the season but has since found confidence in the lane. She made three of her initial four 3-pointers and hit all three from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter alone - giving her a perfect 5-for-6 record from beyond the arc.

She was also successful on the break, receiving a key bounce pass from McKenna Warnock. With 1:44 remaining, she hit another 3-pointer that gave Iowa an unassailable lead they never surrendered.

Iowa's win against Indiana was a crucial one, propelling them into the sixth spot and giving them some breathing room in the team race heading into conference tournament. That's much better than where they were sitting at eighth after losing by double digits at Northwestern and Wisconsin. Furthermore, it gives them plenty of momentum as they look ahead to next week's conference tournament in Chicago where they could potentially defend their title.

Steve Waite

On Saturday night at Target Center, Iowa put on an offensive show that should help them advance come Selection Sunday. After a rocky start of six minutes, Iowa went on a 16-0 run in the fourth to secure a 103-65 victory over Ohio State to claim their spot in the Big Ten tourney finals.

Iowa's victory on Saturday against Maryland was their third in four games and vaulted them into contention for their second Big Ten tourney title in three years, positioning them as one of America's hottest teams going into the NCAA tournament. Coach Fran McCaffery also picked up his fourth straight win after winning nine out of his previous ten tournaments prior to that contest.

Clark, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, had her third triple-double of the season and second of this tournament with 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. She scored all but eight of Iowa's points in the first half - tying her record for most points scored by a Hawkeye in one game this season.

She made 9 of 17 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range and was 7-of-8 from the foul line. Additionally, she had two steals and was credited with three assists by dribbling around Ohio State's defense.

Iowa took advantage of Ohio State's poor shooting, hitting 16 of their first 19 shots to take an 82-62 lead midway through the third quarter. It marked only the fourth time this season that Iowa has held Ohio State to less than 60% shooting percentage.

In their initial meeting this season, Iowa State rolled to a 86-85 victory on Caitlin Clark's buzzer-beating 3-pointer at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game sold out and many of its fans made the trip from Minneapolis for the tournament.

Iowa's 105-point margin was the biggest in tournament history, despite an unusually slow start. All five starters scored double-digit points.

Steve Waite was the only Hawkeye who had a poor game, clocking only six minutes and hitting just 0-of-3 shots from the floor. Additionally, he drew a technical and was eventually subbed out after two fouls with 5:18 remaining. Despite these setbacks, Waite still managed to grab his 10th career assist by feeding Gabbie Marshall for a three-pointer that gave Iowa its 100th point.