Women's NCAA tournament - Caitlin Clark, Iowa grind out win vs. West Virginia

Ros Gold-Onwude, Isis Young & Cassandra Negley break down the Hawkeyes' 64-54 victory that pushed the team to its 5th Sweet 16 in the last 7 years.

Video Transcript

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ROS GOLD-ONWUDE: The number one seed Iowa, America's highest scoring offense, had to grind their way to victory in a low scoring affair, 64-54, and survive number eight West Virginia. The Mountaineers held Iowa nearly 29 points below their scoring average of 92.8 points per game. And Caitlin Clark? Well, she scored half of Iowa's points in this game with 32.

Now, Cass, you know, they're a high flying offense, Iowa. We came here for the explosions, the big buckets, and instead, it was-- it was a hard, tough, gritty victory. What's the significance of Iowa pulling that off?

CASSANDRA NEGLEY: Yeah, this is a team that can score with anybody. We know that. Right? They win in shootouts a lot of the times. That's what we've seen from them in close games.

But this shows, I think, more than a blowout does because they can really value every single possession, play some good defense. If you look at this game, like, numbers-wise, very similar to their early season loss to Kansas State. This time, they find a way to win.

I want to highlight Gabbie Marshall. She had a huge block on the perimeter late in the game. That's exactly what helped them win the Big 10 Championship. West Virginia put out a great defensive game against them. I thought they did very well. I think they might have been under seeded a little bit, and so this was a huge win for Iowa to get.

ISIS YOUNG: Yeah, that was a tough 1-8.

CASSANDRA NEGLEY: Yes.

ISIS YOUNG: That felt like a 1-4 game. [INAUDIBLE] like the Final Four almost. Like, that was a lot.

ROS GOLD-ONWUDE: I think that wins like this are very important. I'm a big believer, March Madness, great teams find ways to win. Sometimes, it's not pretty. I think this is important and significant in their road to wherever they're going to go because you've got to be able to manufacture a win however it comes, and they did just that.

And that's what we said coming into this bracket, [INAUDIBLE]. Iowa was going to have a tough path to the Final Four, but it's been a tough path to the Sweet 16. So how do you like the way that they've been navigating?

ISIS YOUNG: Yeah, I think they battled. I mean, that's what happens come tournament time. You have to battle. We went through almost a whole fourth quarter in which Caitlin Clark didn't score the basketball, yet you saw Iowa still staying on top. Gabbie Marshall made plays. Hannah Stuelke made plays. I think it's a credit just to the team overall.

What makes them so dangerous is, yes, Caitlin, but also the other pieces. When you can get in company to be consistent and to help on both sides of the basketball, it's hard to beat. I just think, for them, though, it might have taken a lot of emotion out of them. Right?

That's their last time playing in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. There were tons of fans, tons of tears afterwards, and West Virginia gave them everything they had. I thoroughly enjoyed watching West Virginia play defense, but I just feel like-- like I just said, it just felt like a 1-4 match up. It felt like a Final Four game, and not a game to get to the Sweet 16.

ROS GOLD-ONWUDE: Well, post game, Caitlin Clark said she feels like at least she can hang her hat. The game may not be perfect, but she feels she's giving everything she has to the game. And you know what? I believe her. I believe her. And Caitlin Clark with those 32 points, she broke another record. She now holds the NCAA single season scoring title and helps Iowa advance to its fifth Sweet 16 in their last seven NCAA tournament appearances.

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