Iowa's Caitlin Clark beats buzzer with 3-pointer from the logo to sink Michigan State

Michigan State had upset on its mind Tuesday.

Caitlin Clark had other ideas. The Iowa All-American sunk the Spartans at the buzzer with a pull-up 3-pointer from the logo. The shot secured a 76-73 Iowa win and capped a 40-point night from Clark.

Clark almost didn't get the shot off as the No. 4 Hawkeyes frantically set it up as time wound down. But Hannah Stuelke delivered the ball to Clark at the top of the 3-point line just in time for Clark to find her footing.

Clark beat the buzzer — barely

Clark released the ball with a hand in her face and no time to spare. It left her hands just before the red light on the backboard signaled the end of regulation.

Iowa posted an image of the ball out of Clark's hands with 0.1 seconds remaining as debate swirled on social media about whether she got it off in time. The clock on the Peacock broadcast wasn't synced correctly with the actual game clock, creating confusion.

Michigan State put up a fight

Clark's game-winner capped a back-and-forth game that was tight from late in the second quarter. Iowa opened a 25-17 first-quarter lead that it extended to 30-21 midway through the second. Michigan State answered with a 17-5 run to take a 37-35 edge into halftime.

The teams traded the lead several times throughout the second half before the frantic final minutes. Clark hit a 3-pointer with 2:34 remaining to extend an Iowa lead to 71-67. A pair of Michigan State layups then tied the game at 71-71 with 1:29 remaining.

Iowa retook the lead on a pair of Molly Davis free throws before Michigan State's DeeDee Hagemann tied the game with a layup with 24 seconds remaining. The game looked destined for overtime as Iowa struggled to set up the last shot before Clark's last-second heroics.

Clark struggled from the field overall on a 14-of-34 shooting night. But she made up for the inefficiency with a 40% effort (8 of 20) from deep, alongside four made free throws on four attempts. Stuelke was the only other Iowa player to score in double figures, with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Clark improving on NPOY numbers

In the end, it was another big night for Clark, who has improved her shooting and scoring numbers across the board from her 2022-23 Naismith National Player of the Year campaign. Clark entered the night averaging 30.9 points while shooting 49.5% from the floor and 40.2% on 12.1 3-point attempts per game, all career highs. She's also a triple-double threat while averaging 7.6 assists, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

Michigan State worked the ball inside while outscoring Iowa in the paint (48 to 38) and securing a 46.3% to 41.8% edge from the field. Four Spartans scored in double figures, led by senior guard Julia Ayrault, who tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

But Clark, as she so often is, was too much to overcome. The Hawkeyes improved to 14-1 with the win, while the Spartans dropped to 11-3.