Clark, No. 10 Iowa beat Wisconsin for 26th straight time
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her seventh career triple-double to break the Big Ten record in No. 10 Iowa’s 102-71 win over Wisconsin on Sunday.
Clark surpassed the record of six career triple-doubles set by former Iowa player Samantha Logic, who achieved the feat from 2012-2015.
Monika Cziano added 18 points for Iowa (6-3), which stopped a two-game skid and beat the Badgers (3-7) for the 26th straight time. It was the conference opener for both teams.
Clark, a preseason All-American who came into the game as the nation’s scoring leader at 29 points per game, reached double figures in the first quarter with 12 points.
Clark had 10 rebounds and 10 assists to post her second triple-double of the season. McKenna Warnock and Sydney Affolter scored 13 points each and Molly Davis had 10 for Iowa.
The Hawkeyes used a 21-2 run to race to a 57-34 halftime lead. They shot 68% (21 of 31) in the opening 20 minutes and finished at 63% (39 of 62).
Serah Williams scored 14 points, Maty Wilke 13 and Sydney Hilliard 11 for the Badgers, who have lost six games in a row. The one highlight for Wisconsin was its free-throw shooting — the Badgers made 22 of 23 from the foul line.
Iowa’s defense held Wisconsin to 39% (21 of 54) shooting. The Badgers had a seven-minute scoring drought in the second quarter, and only had two field goals in that quarter.
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said she was pleased with Clark’s control of the game and doing “anything she wanted out there.”
Clark said there’s always room for improvement and that her five turnovers against Wisconsin was too many.
”She wants to become perfect at a game that is imperfect, and you can’t be perfect,” Bluder said. “I think that’s what makes her really, really good. She is so vested in this game.”
Wisconsin coach Marisa Moseley was impressed with Clark’s performance, and said she hoped that Wisconsin’s Williams will grow into a dominant player.
The Iowa game marked William’s first league game.
“In two years, I’d like to Serah in that same position, if not next year — to be a dominant post player,” Moseley said. “She’s already dominating but in a way that teams really can’t stop her.”
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