Caitlin Clark goes for triple-double as Iowa drops 101 points in win over Illinois

Caitlin Clark filled up the box score on Sunday as No. 4 Iowa bounced back in a big way from a loss to Indiana.

The Hawkeyes All-American posted her 16th career triple-double as Iowa cruised to a 101-85 win over Illinois. Clark tallied 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for her fifth triple-double of the season. The win ensured that Iowa wouldn't record consecutive losses for the first time this season.

Iowa took control of the game early with a 30-18 edge through the first quarter. Illinois never challenged from there as Iowa was able to rest Clark for the final minutes of the fourth quarter while holding a double-digit lead.

Clark's march on NCAA record books continues

The 24 points added to Clark's record tally as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball history. The effort moved her to within 51 points of breaking the all-time scoring record among men and women held by LSU legend Pete Maravich.

Two games ago, Clark scored a career-high 49 points while passing Kelsey Plum as the all-time leading women's scorer in a 106-89 win over Michigan. Iowa followed up that high with a disappointing 86-69 loss to No. 14 Indiana on Thursday as Clark shot 8 of 26 from the field on a 24-point night.

Clark needed just 18 shots to reach Sunday's 24-point tally as she hit 5 of 14 3-pointers and got her teammates involved in the blowout win. Threes by Clark on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter thwarted a 7-0 Illinois run and allowed Iowa to extend its lead to 14 points.

She reached her tally as Iowa debuted a new logo on the court commemorating the spot where she pulled up for a deep 3-pointer to break Plum's record.

Hannah Stuelke joined Clark near the top of the scoring column with 20 points and nine rebounds while shooting 9 of 12 from the field. Molly Davis added 17 points and five assists, while Kate Martin posted 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

All five Illinois starters scored in double figures, led by Makira Cook's 26-point, three-rebound, three-assist, three-steal effort. But offense wasn't the problem for Illinois. Iowa shot 50% from the field and 45.9% (17 of 37) from 3-point distance in an offensive clinic while assisting on 28 of its 36 made field goals.

Iowa improves to 24-4 and 13-3 in the Big Ten with Sunday's win. The Hawkeyes trail No. 2 Ohio State (14-1) in the conference standings with two games remaining in the regular season. Iowa and Ohio State will meet in the season finale for both teams on March 3.