Iowa holds off determined UConn to reach second consecutive title game 71-69

CLEVELAND – A remarkable NCAA Tournament national semifinal and a controversial illegal screen call in the waning moments, saw No. 1 seed Iowa advance 71-69 over No. 3 seed Connecticut .

The Huskies led Iowa by as many as 12 points, but a six-player rotation gave way to a charge led by Associated Press Player of the Year Caitlin Clark and sophomore center Hannah Stuelke.

Iowa outscored UConn 45-37 in the second half.

Connecticut junior Paige Bueckers missed a 3-pointer with just over a minute to play that looked to be the end of the Husky rally, but a steal and made 3-pointer from Nika Muhl trimmed the deficit to three points. The Huskies attempted to set up a final play off a Bueckers steal with under 10 seconds to play, but an offensive foul on All-American forward Aaliyah Edwards cut off the possession before a shot was attempted.

UConn’s forwards struggled to contain Stuelke all game, and she finished with a game-high 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting with three rebounds. Coach Geno Auriemma went to Ice Brady off the bench early in the first quarter for a different look in place of Edwards, and he eventually put both forwards on the floor for extended time together in the third to try to limit Iowa’s interior presence. The Hawkeyes finished with 38 points in the paint to UConn’s 32.

Clark fittingly kicked off the scoring for Iowa, but UConn opened the game shooting 4 for 4 from the field to take a 10-5 lead before missing a basket. The Huskies’ freshmen excelled in their first Final Four: Ashlynn Shade, who had zero points in the Sweet 16 against Duke, logged UConn’s first points of the day on a long jump shot. KK Arnold added the team’s first 3-pointer of the game a moment later.

The Huskies cooled off as the game progressed, ending the first quarter shooting 46.7% from the field though they went 4 for 7 from 3-point range. Bueckers shot poorly early, going just 1 for 4 in the first half, but Clark, who finished with 21 points, also had trouble against Muhl’s relentless faceguard defense. Clark shot 3 for 11 from the field before halftime, and she did not connect on a long-range 3-pointer until 8:08 left in the third quarter.

UConn opened up a double-digit lead with more than five minutes left in the second quarter, but two late shots from Clark cut it to six points as the teams entered halftime.

Arnold was UConn’s first player with double-digit points, and the freshman finished with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, plus five assists. She also added five steals, and Edwards grabbed a career-high five as well. The Huskies forced 16 total turnovers against the Hawkeyes, including four on Clark.

Iowa started the third quarter on a 10-4 run to tie the score at 36 points, but Bueckers answered Clark’s first 3-pointer with one of her own to put the Huskies back ahead. Bueckers hit three of her first four shot attempts, but she finished with just 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting from the field and 3-for-8 shooting from 3-point range. She added four rebounds and three assists.

However, the third quarter ended tied 51-51, and Clark gave Iowa momentum early in the fourth with her third made 3-pointer of the day. The Hawkeyes opened up their largest lead of the game, nine points, behind a 6-0 run just over halfway through the fourth quarter, but Edwards ended the drought with a layup.

Iowa will meet undefeated South Carolina in Sunday’s championship game.