Caitlin Clark hits long 3-pointer at the buzzer, scores 40 as No. 4 Iowa beats Michigan State 76-73

Caitlin Clark made a 3-pointer from the Hawkeyes logo at the buzzer finishing with 40 points and giving No. 4 Iowa a 76-73 victory over Michigan State on Tuesday night.

Clark, the nation’s leading scorer, was 14 of 34 from the field and went more than 14 minutes without a point in a stretch in the second and third quarters. The Hawkeyes were able to get her the ball in the final seconds — though a long way from the basket — but Clark took the pass from Hannah Stuelke and hit from 30 feet as the buzzer sounded.

The Hawkeyes (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to 11 games behind Clark and Stuelke, who had 15 points.

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Michigan State (11-3, 1-2) had tied the game at 73 on DeeDee Hagemann’s layup with 22 seconds left. After a timeout, the Hawkeyes worked the clock down. Stuelke fumbled the ball momentarily, but recovered to get the ball to Clark for the winning shot.

Clark had 19 of Iowa’s first 33 points, but went from the six-minute mark of the second quarter to the 1:32 mark of the third without a point as the Spartans built a six-point lead with 2:23 left in the third quarter. She then scored eight points in the span of 70 seconds, and the teams were tied at 55 at the end of the quarter.

Michigan State opened the game with an 8-0 run that was answered by Iowa’s 14-0 run. The Hawkeyes built a 10-point lead late in the first quarter, but their offense struggled after that. Iowa shot just 25% in the second quarter, and the Spartans closed the half with a 9-0 run to lead 37-35.

Julia Ayrault had 16 points for the Spartans. Hagemann had 14 points. Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment each had 10 points.

BIG PICTURE

Michigan State: The Spartans, who came into the game on a four-game winning streak, kept pace with the Hawkeyes on their home court, a good sign for a team under first-year coach Robyn Fralick.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes struggled from the field midway through the game — the 10-point second quarter was their lowest output in a quarter this season. But Clark recovered from the scoreless stretch and delivered big shots down the stretch.

UP NEXT

Michigan State: Hosts Maryland next Tuesday

Iowa: At Rutgers on Friday

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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