You wanted an Iowa-LSU women’s basketball rematch? You got it
The Hawkeyes and Tigers hold serve Saturday and will meet Monday with a Final Four berth on the line.
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Watch Iowa's postgame press conference
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Caitlin Clark and happy Iowa team had a blast in Sweet 16 blasting of Colorado
Caitlin Clark brushed off having two first-half fouls with no fear, and the Hawkeyes shuffled off the Buffaloes, 89-68, behind her 29 points and 15 assists
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Same Sweet 16 story: Iowa eliminates Colorado, 89-68
Second-ranked Iowa played loose, free and happy, and left No. 17 Colorado behind, 89-68, in an NCAA women’s basketball regional semifinal Saturday afternoon at MVP Arena.
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Full game highlights: Iowa 89, Colorado 68
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Final: Iowa 89, Colorado 68
No. 1 seed Iowa (32-4) advances to face No. 3 seed LSU (31-5) in the regional final at 6 p.m. Monday, of course a rematch of last year's national title game won by the Tigers.
Caitlin Clark carved up Colorado's defense with her drives and passing all day, finishing with 29 points on 13-for-22 shooting, six rebounds and 15 assists. She only had two turnovers.
All five Iowa starters scored in double digits. Sydney Affolter had 15, Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin 14 and Hannah Stuelke 11, plus 10 rebounds. Iowa shot 53.8 percent from the field, including 40.9 percent from 3-point range.
"Whether they were in man, whether they were in zone, whether it was transition, I thought we executed in every single area," Clark told ABC.
Aronette Vonleh led Colorado (25-10) with 13 points.
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Iowa 85, Colorado 63 (3:00 4th)
Never mind. Caitlin Clark is back in after a quick 6-0 CU run and scores on a drive.
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Iowa 83, Colorado 57 (4:23 4th)
Caitlin Clark checks out for probably the final time today: 27 points, six rebounds, 14 assists.
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Iowa 79, Colorado 52 (6:50 4th)
Two more 3-pointers for Gabbie Marshall. She's 4-for-5 from deep today.
Just Gabbi3 Things 🤷♀️@StuelkeHannah x @GabbieMarshall#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/dMJjk6Ecws
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 30, 2024 -
Iowa 71, Colorado 50 (8:09 4th)
Iowa's Gabbie Marshall and Colorado's Frida Formann trade 3s to begin the fourth.
Timeout Iowa.
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End 3rd: Iowa 68, Colorado 47
Caitlin Clark with 25 points, 12 assists and just two turnovers. The Elite Eight, and a rematch with LSU, is 10 minutes away.
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Iowa 63, Colorado 45 (2:49 3rd)
Colorado goes zone and Caitlin Clark hits her second 3 to put Iowa back up 18.
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Iowa 58, Colorado 45 (4:30 3rd)
Five straight for Colorado but a charge called on Jaylyn Sherrod wipes away another bucket.
The one part of Caitlin Clark's game that isn't there so far is 3-point shooting (1-for-7).
TV timeout.
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Iowa 58, Colorado 40 (6:22 3rd)
Four straight points for Caitlin Clark on layups, plus a steal in between.
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Iowa 54, Colorado 35 (8:45 3rd)
Kate Martin's 3 gives Caitlin Clark her 10th assist and Iowa its largest lead.
Timeout Colorado after a 6-0 Iowa run to begin the second half.
.@kate_martin22 from the arc 🎯#MarchMadness x 🎥 ABC / @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/PokJy3MKuS
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 30, 2024 -
Iowa 51, Colorado 35 (9:18 3rd)
Hannah Stuelke's steal gives Iowa a 2-on-2 break. Caitlin Clark delivers a perfect bounce pass to Sydney Affolter for a three-point play.
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Half: Iowa 48, Colorado 35
Caitlin Clark with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, three rebounds and eight assists. Hannah Stuelke (11) and Sydney Affolter (10) also in double-digits scoring. The Hawkeyes shot 61.3 percent in the opening half, including 16-for-22 on 2s.
"I thought our ball-screen offense was really good," Clark told ABC.
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Iowa 45, Colorado 33 (1:55 2nd)
Sydney Affolter is in double digits with 10 points after a layup from Caitlin Clark's latest crosscourt dime in transition after a Colorado basket.
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Lisa Bluder's decision pays off
Bluder did what most coaches won't do, and left her star in the game with two fouls and 6:07 left in the first half. Caitlin Clark then scored twice, and Iowa is holding on to a 36-26 lead.
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Iowa 36, Colorado 26 (4:28 2nd)
Caitlin Clark getting into the lane and has Iowa's last four points. She has 13 and seven assists.
Frida Formann became Colorado's all-time leader in 3-pointers made with her first of the game. Iowa has face guarded her but she got free in transition.
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Iowa 32, Colorado 21 (6:07 2nd)
Caitlin Clark is staying in the game with two fouls.
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Iowa 30, Colorado 20 (6:45 2nd)
Four straight points for Kindyll Wetta, including a 3 that touched just about every part of the rim and a free throw.
Iowa's Kate Martin picks up her second foul.
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Iowa 30, Colorado 16 (7:40 2nd)
Caitlin Clark's first 3 of the game extends Iowa's largest lead.
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Iowa 27, Colorado 14 (9:02 2nd)
A Kate Martin putback, then Hannah Stuelke three-point play on a feed from Caitlin Clark to start the second quarter. It's a 10-0 run for the Hawkeyes going back to the first.
CU's Aaronette Vonleh exits with two fouls.
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A 5-0 run to end the first for Iowa.
Caitlin Clark's six points and six assists covers nine of the Hawkeyes' 10 baskets.
The Buffaloes are 6-of-20 from the field.
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End 1st: Iowa 22, Colorado 14
Caitlin Clark with six points, three rebounds and six assists, the last a stunning, one-handed bounce pass to Hannah Stuelke for a layup at the buzzer. Clark kicked to Kate Martin for a corner 3 the possession before that.
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Iowa 17, Colorado 11 (2:55 1st)
Four straight for the Buffs, then Caitlin Clark responds with a spinning drive and floater.
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Iowa lands the first blow.
The Hawkeyes are 7-for-9 from the floor.
Sydney Affolter can't complete the three-point play. Still 15-7 Iowa.
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You could ask for a better start if you're Iowa, but you'd be greedy.
Caitlin Clark with four assists in the first 5:09, and that Clark-to-Affolter pass-catch-layin was a shining moment. Iowa's up 15-7 with a free throw coming.
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Iowa 15, Colorado 7 (4:51 1st)
Caitlin Clark's fourth assist is a half-court pass to Sydney Affolter for a three-point play opportunity.
TV timeout.
Runnin’ Runnin’ @CaitlinClark22 x @sydneyaffolter1 #Hawkeyes
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 30, 2024
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Iowa 13, Colorado 7 (5:29 1st)
Caitlin Clark already has three assists, the latest to Sydney Affolter for a layup. Colorado is 0-for-4 from 3-point range.
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Iowa 11, Colorado 5 (7:03 1st)
Caitlin Clark is exploiting Colorado in the pick-and-roll. Assist to Hannah Stuelke puts the Hawkeyes up six.
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Iowa 5, Colorado 1 (9:13 1st)
Caitlin Clark drives for a layup for the game's first basket, then Gabbie Marshall drills a 3.
Gabbie Marchall 🎯@GabbieMarshall x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/mhdKYCf0o1
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 30, 2024 -
Colorado 1, Iowa 0 (9:49 1st)
Kate Martin fouls Colorado 6-foot-3 center Aaronette Vonleh on the first possession. Vonleh hits 1 of 2 free throws for the game's first point.
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Injury update
Iowa guard Molly Davis is inactive.
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Final: LSU 78, Colorado 69
Tigers vs. Iowa/Colorado winner on Monday.
Hawkeyes and Buffaloes will start around 2:50 (CT).
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Crazy is the new normal for Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women’s basketball team
Every word and gesture scrutinized, a $5 million offer to play 10 games against men — every day is bringing greater attention on Caitlin Clark as Iowa proceeds in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
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Same opponent, same level, different coast: Iowa, Colorado collide in Sweet 16 again
Second-ranked Iowa and No. 17 Colorado collide in an NCAA women’s basketball regional semifinal Saturday at MVP Arena. Last year, the Hawkeyes claimed an 87-77 decision over the Buffaloes in a Sweet 16 encounter at Seattle, then eventually advanced all the way to the national-championship game.
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Iowa vs. Colorado game notes
• It’s a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 encounter in Seattle, won by the Hawkeyes, 87-77. Four Colorado starters are back from last year’s team, led by Aaronette Vonleh (14.0 ppg), Jaylyn Sherrod (12.9 ppg) and Frida Formann (12.5 ppg), all three of whom fouled out last year against the Hawkeyes. Iowa is led by likely national player of the year Caitlin Clark (31.8 points per game).
• Colorado is one of five Pac-12 teams that reached the Sweet 16, joining Stanford, USC, UCLA and Oregon State. Iowa and Indiana are the Big Ten’s two Sweet 16 representatives.
• The Hawkeyes are making their 10th appearance at this level, their second straight. They defeated Holy Cross (91-65) and West Virginia (64-54), closing the second-round game with a 12-2 run. Colorado’s first two wins came against Drake (86-72) and Kansas State (63-50), at Manhattan, Kan.
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How to watch Iowa vs. Colorado
What: No. 2 Iowa (31-4) vs. No. 17 Colorado (24-9), NCAA women’s basketball tournament regional semifinal
When/where: 2:30 p.m. (CT) Saturday, MVP Arena, Albany, N.Y.
TV: ABC
Live stream: ESPN3