IOWA CITY, Iowa — College basketball’s greatest show went off script.
Caitlin Clark’s last NCAA Tournament started with a turnover.
Four more followed by the end of the first quarter.
It showed the all-time leading scorer in Division I history missing nine of his first 11 shots.
It depicts a superstar being defeated by an ambitious Cinderella.
The Queens were pushed to the ground by the 16th-seeded Farmers, and Clark frustrated her with shoulder blows, elbows to the jaw, double teams and a flurry of face guards.
Clark’s father, Brent, yelled at her from the stands, trying to end his angry accusations of recent injustices.
As the first quarter ended, Holy Cross trailed by two points, with several rows of purple-clad fans making the only noise in a packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Despite Clark’s early struggles, that illusion quickly dissipated as top-seeded Iowa escaped with a 91-65 victory in the first round.
There was never any question about the outcome of the monumental mismatch, with Holy Cross losing by 38.5 points.
But it’s questionable whether Iowa State can make it out of this year’s toughest region and return to the national title game.
It’s questionable whether Clark, who set the NCAA Tournament scoring record last year, can make his final dance as memorable as this one.
With a crushing loss already underway, Clark finally took advantage of his undersized midfielders, scoring 27 points (8-of-19 from the field), 10 assists, and 8 rebounds in his penultimate home game. .
The Hawkeyes (30-4) held Holy Cross to 32 percent from the field, with Clark’s senior partner Kate Martin contributing 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Clark’s last game in his home state will be Monday against the winner of No. 8 West Virginia/West Virginia. 9 Princeton.
During Clark’s sophomore season, second-seeded Iowa was upset by No. 10 seed Creighton in Iowa City in the Round of 32.
“We know this is a team sport,” Clark said before the win. “I have four other guys on the court at the same time, so I can trust them. If we want to reach our goals in March, we’re going to need them. It’s not just me. And they play great basketball. I have also played.”
The Hawkeyes, who won the Big Ten Tournament for the third straight year, showed some rust in their first game in 13 days, with Holy Cross (21-13) leading 11-10 after the first five minutes.
After Clark took a breather after not making his first field goal until 22 seconds left in the first quarter, Iowa went on an 8-0 run and never trailed again, taking an 18-point lead at halftime. Built.
As Clark’s defense increased in intensity, she also established her shot, making two 3-pointers in the third quarter and opening the fourth with three scoring drives.
She was ejected to a standing ovation with 4 minutes and 49 seconds remaining.
Four years later, Iowa City will soon witness its final show.
“We understand we’re only guaranteed one more game from here, but I think just going out there and having fun and working like we always do will lead to success, and that’s what will lead us to success in the end.” ‘Year,”’ Clark said. “Don’t worry too much about when it’s going to end or how it’s going to end. Just enjoy the moment, live in the moment, and don’t let it pass you by.”
