Caitlin Clark scores 21 and No. 5 Iowa makes 20 3s to roll past Florida Gulf Coast 100-62
ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Caitlin Clark moved another couple of spots up the all-time scoring list, Lisa Bluder reached a coaching milestone and Iowa picked up more than a win.
It got a school record — and a rematch with Kansas State.
Clark scored 21 points, Bluder got her 500th victory at Iowa and the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes beat Florida Gulf Coast 100-62 in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Showcase on Saturday night.
The key: 20 made 3s, the most ever by the Hawkeyes.
“I was happy with the way we passed the ball and shot it,” said Bluder, now 500-250 at Iowa. “But I'm almost more happy with the way we defended and rebounded.”
The Hawkeyes will get a rematch with Kansas State for the tournament title on Sunday night; the Wildcats won 65-58 in Iowa City on Nov. 16, topping the Hawkeyes for the second consecutive season.
“It’ll be fun,” Kansas State guard Serena Sundell said. “Iowa’s a good team and we had to fight every possession at their place to get that win. So, I’m just excited to prepare tonight.”
Taylor McCabe (6 for 7), Gabbie Marshall (4 for 5) and Sydney Affolter (3 for 3) combined to go 13 for 15 from beyond the arc for the Hawkeyes. McCabe scored a career-high for 18 for Iowa, while Marshall and Affolter each added 12 and Kate Martin finished with 11.
“Everybody was making shots,” said Clark, who reached double figures for the 97th consecutive game. “That's just Iowa basketball. That's what we pride ourselves in.”
Maca Retamales scored 16 and Dolly Cairns added 13 for Florida Gulf Coast (4-2).
“They’re obviously a national championship contender," Eagles coach Karl Smesko said of Iowa. "But tonight was as good as I’ve ever seen them.”
The stats were overwhelming: Iowa shot 61% to Florida Gulf Coast's 33%, outrebounded the Eagles 43-20 and had three players with six assists — while Florida Gulf Coast finished with six, total.
The Eagles are playing a couple miles from their Fort Myers campus and that, combined with the star power of Iowa, led to a tournament attendance record of 4,257 on Saturday. The previous mark of 3,987 was set on the opening day of the 2014 tournament, when then-defending NCAA champion UConn headlined the field.
Clark increased her career points total to 2,922, passing Joyce Walker (2,906) and then Kelly Mazzante (2,919) for 17th on the all-time Division I scoring list.
Kansas State got its spot in the final by beating No. 18 North Carolina 63-56 in Saturday's other semifinal. The Tar Heels will face Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday for third place.
“We know we didn't play our best basketball a week ago, and that's what's exciting about this — we get another shot to show who we are,” Clark said of the Kansas State rematch. “But they're a really great basketball team.”
The Hawkeyes were without starting forward Hannah Stuelke, who left Friday's quarterfinal win over Purdue Fort Wayne early in the fourth quarter with a lower right leg injury. Bluder said Stuelke is day-to-day.
BIG PICTURE
Iowa: Kansas State will try to go 3-0 against the Hawkeyes with Clark in the lineup. Only three opponents — Northwestern, Ohio State and Maryland — have won their first three matchups with Clark and the Hawkeyes.
Florida Gulf Coast: Cairns scored the Eagle's first eight points. It took until Uju Ezeudu's layup with 6:32 left in the second quarter for another Eagle to reach the scorebook — a basket that made the score 37-10.
UP NEXT
Iowa: Faces No. 16 Kansas State in the championship game Sunday.
Florida Gulf Coast: Faces No. 18 North Carolina in the third-place game Sunday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
