Caitlin Clark's buzzer-beater heroics lead Iowa to thrilling victory over Michigan State

Hawkeyes' Star Shines with 40 Points, Including Jaw-Dropping Shot from Hawkeye Logo. Frenzied Celebration in Carver-Hawkeye Arena Ensues! Recap of the Nail-Biting Clash and Clark's Late-Game Magic.

Caitlin Clark took center stage on Tuesday night during Iowa's thrilling 76-73 triumph over Michigan State. The standout Hawkeye delivered an astounding performance, scoring an impressive 40 points, including a jaw-dropping buzzer-beater from the Hawkeye logo, igniting a frenzied celebration in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

"We practice those plays every single day at practice," Clark told the media after the game. "We ran a play to inbound the ball, got it cleanly. Molly did set a clean pick on my girl, but Hannah's defender was up guarding her pretty well.I think it kind of worked out in my favor because my girl almost went for a steal a little bit, and then I was able to get to my stepback to the left — which is the shot I want to get to."

Clark’s late-game heroics outshined the near upset. Once again, the Michigan State women's basketball team found itself on the brink of securing a notable victory over Iowa for the second consecutive year. However, mirroring the previous season's outcome, the Spartans fell agonizingly short.

Caitlin Clark, the standout for Iowa, dashed MSU's upset hopes by sinking a game-winning 3-pointer as the clock expired, propelling the No. 4-ranked Hawkeyes to a hard-fought 76-73 triumph in a Big Ten conference game. This victory marked Iowa's second consecutive narrow win against the Spartans, following an 84-81 overtime thriller at Breslin Center in the previous January.

Hannah Stuelke chipped in with 15 pts and 8 rebs on 7/11 shooting, while Kate Martin had 6 pts, 11 rebs, and 4 stls. As a team, Iowa shot 9/30 from deep but all that mattered was the last one that was made.

The fourth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, led by the sensational Clark, will take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey on Friday, January 5, 2024.