Iowa beats South Carolina!

[Conndog]

Iowa holds off and slays the Giant! 77-73

 

[Ouremblem]

Caitlin rocks!!! She’s a joy to watch!!! You go girl!!!!

 

[Happydad745]

Shows us no team is unbeatable....next year we need to take the crown.

 

[Hayven]

Dawn just said in the post game presser that if Boston asks her for advice regarding her decision to declare or not, Dawn will tell her to go…I don’t believe that

 

[The deacon]

Dawn just said in the post game presser that if Boston asks her for advice regarding her decision to declare or not, Dawn will tell her to go…I don’t believe that

After watching that game, I believe Dawn believes she'll have a title-level team without Boston.

 

[Dillon77]

Clark responsible -- via scoring or assists -- for every Iowa point in the 4th Quarter.

Meg Warnock grabs a Clark missed three-pointer for seeming their only offensive rebound and that give possession to Iowa and a string of Clark made FT's. Nothing but net.

Stellar performance.

 

[connie]

Caitlin Clark for president!

Scores the last 11 points for Iowa. Scored or assisted on 75% of Iowa’s total points. Scored or assisted on every 4th quarter Iowa point. Most points ever scored in a WCBB final four. Only player ever to score 40 or more points in two consecutive tournament games. Broke down the best defense in women’s college basketball.

And you know what, folks? Iowa didn’t shoot particularly well from 3-point land, and were out-rebounded 49-25. But they did sink 14-14 FT. If they can win on Sunday, Valhalla awaits.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Boston held to 8 points.. That's the game right there.. Aalyah starts the offense for south Carolina. And the offensive rebounds south Carolina grabbed is a testament of what the Iowa's game plan was all along, prevent Boston from scoring. Iowa was literally ignoring Raven Johnson, daring her to shoot. Excellent scouting.

Sidenote: I wholeheartedly believe that we (Uconn) could of beaten Virgona Tech and then beat Iowa in the final.

 

[gold2323]

I was one of the few that felt Iowa could win.
Whenever a team is crowned and heralded like they can’t lose ….they usually do….
And the refs called the game where South Carolina were not allowed to play their usual ramming game.
This loss proves how difficult is or will be for teams to duplicate what Geno ….CD and UCONN have accomplished.
It felt so strange us not being at FF…..
Congrats to Iowa and Clark is Paigenasque

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

As a sage once said long ago, "That's why they play the games."

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Back in preseason I said Iowa would make the Final 4 and would beat SoCar in the semi's to make the Finals vs UCONN!
I had UCONN beating IA in the Finals but in the 2nd Semi's IA beat So Car 77 -73
Caitlin Clark had 41 points in the game!
They'll play LSU in the Finals Sunday at 3:30pm on ABC!

 

[connie]

Caitlin Clark for president!

Scores the last 11 points for Iowa. Scored or assisted on 75% of Iowa’s total points. Scored or assisted on every 4th quarter Iowa point. Most points ever scored in a WCBB final four. Only player ever to score 40 or more points in two consecutive tournament games. Broke down the best defense in women’s college basketball.

And you know what, folks? Iowa didn’t shoot particularly well from 3-point land, and were out-rebounded 49-25. But they did sink 14-14 FT. If they can win on Sunday, Valhalla awaits.

Agreed.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Of the six seniors South Carolina have, how many of them have one or two years of eligibility left? Asking anyone.

 

[Plebe]

Caitlin the Great.

Putting in a postseason performance for the ages.

 

[uconnfan68]

Boston held to 8 points.. That's the game right there.. Aalyah starts the offense for south Carolina. And the offensive rebounds south Carolina grabbed is a testament of what the Iowa's game plan was all along, prevent Boston from scoring. Iowa was literally ignoring Raven Johnson, daring her to shoot. Excellent scouting.

Sidenote: I wholeheartedly believe that we (Uconn) could of beaten Virgona Tech and then beat Iowa in the final.

Ignoring Johnson almost bit Iowa. She hit 3 3s that I remember, and no misses. Of course, if she missed, SC would just keep playing volleyball with the rebounds until they scored from 2.

 

[Hayven]

Of the six seniors South Carolina have, how many of them have one or two years of eligibility left? Asking anyone.

Beal and Cooke have said they are draft bound. Amihere and Boston have their Covid year left and no one knows what they are going to do. Fletcher and Saxton have exhausted their eligibility I believe.

 

[wingsfan055]

Couple of notes:

• Geno probably kicking himself for the lost opportunity this year. SC and Stanford were bad matchups but he wouldn't have to face them as it turns out. His Top 7 could or should have beaten the remaining teams even with all the injuries and fatigue. Just a horrible performance against an inferior OSU team.
• Congrats to SC for a good season but boy Staley had a bad night. She let 1 player beat her, without double and triple teaming her and trapping her. She had the depth to do it for 40 minutes. SC out rebounded Iowa 2 to 1 and still lost. Iowa shot much better, mainly through Clark and her assists.

 

[willtalk]

Shows us no team is unbeatable....next year we need to take the crown.

This is the new WCBB scenario. Dynasties are a thing of the past. No team will ever be a lock to win one championship let alone multiple ones any more. There are just too many good players on too many good teams for teams to run the gauntlet without some luck and playing their A game every night.

Nothing will change next year for the top rated teams. They can not even be assured of not getting knocked off before they even get into the final four. You might want to remember that all this applies to UConn as well if their team is loaded and favored next season.

To understand this change, one had to be aware of the drastic change in the high school basketball feeder system. Back just ten years ago very few high school players had personal trainer and played basketball year around. The few elite players were grabbed up by the top teams with Uconn taking the cream of the crop every year. Now almost every high school level player plays AAU and has had personal trainers long before they even get to high school. As Gino stated a few years ago. most players know "how" before the get to college. Now they just need to learn "when".

The Boneyard has always been the most knowledgable posting ground for WCBB. They know their college level teams and player well. But the discussion about Mo'ne Davis in respect to her college potential reveal a lack of knowledge in the level of the feeder system. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge would have known that Mo'ne chances in getting even a D1 scholar ship let along one from UConn of any simular level program, were slim and none. She was already too far behind in development. Her rec league and parents were clueless of the level of players she would be competing against and discouraged her from focusing on basketball. She finally figured it out and chose to focus on softball knowing her chance for her favorite sport basketball was non existant.

There are just too many very good players availble to very good programs to allow a few to dominate the sport as they once did in the past.

 

[Alydar]

I was one of the few that felt Iowa could win.
Whenever a team is crowned and heralded like they can’t lose ….they usually do….
And the refs called the game where South Carolina were not allowed to play their usual ramming game.
This loss proves how difficult is or will be for teams to duplicate what Geno ….CD and UCONN have accomplished.
It felt so strange us not being at FF…..
Congrats to Iowa and Clark is Paigenasque

+1

Boston was treated tonight like Edwards has been treated for 3 years. When she put her shoulder into her defender and a foul was called she was legitimately shocked and so was I. I watched her do that 3 times in a row to a defender, finally knocking them on their butt on the third hit. No whistle.
Cardoso was herself. When she got low position she was basically unstoppable but Iowa didn't compound it by fouling.

The game was iced with an Iowa offensive rebound and also that Iowa was 14-14 from the line while SCar was 9-13. Missed shots and failure to rebound did in the Gamecocks at the end.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Beal and Cooke have said they are draft bound. Amihere and Boston have their Covid year left and no one knows what they are going to do. Fletcher and Saxton have exhausted their eligibility I believe.

Thank you for the clarification. I think Aalyah will join the draft. But something tells me she might come back for one more. And to be honest, why not come back. Boston,Cardoza, and Amihere on a starting line up will be dynamic. Amihere should definetly play one more season for the sake of her development. If Boston and Amihere come back, south Carolina will still be a top 5 team.

 

[fomalhaut]

Boston was treated tonight like Edwards has been treated for 3 years. When she put her shoulder into her defender and a foul was called she was legitimately shocked and so was I. I watched her do that 3 times in a row to a defender, finally knocking them on their butt on the third hit. No whistle.

Better late than never, I guess, after four years.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Couple of notes:

• Geno probably kicking himself for the lost opportunity this year. SC and Stanford were bad matchups but he wouldn't have to face them as it turns out. His Top 7 could or should have beaten the remaining teams even with all the injuries and fatigue. Just a horrible performance against an inferior OSU team.
• Congrats to SC for a good season but boy Staley had a bad night. She let 1 player beat her, without double and triple teaming her and trapping her. She had the depth to do it for 40 minutes. SC out rebounded Iowa 2 to 1 and still lost. Iowa shot much better, mainly through Clark and her assists.

I freaking love Nika's game. To me, Nika is a top ten point guard. With that being said, all of Uconn's championship teams had a point guard who can break the press with ease just with their speed, a dominant center, and perimwter defense. Nika unfortunately lacks speed (not her fault), our center lacked interior strength, and Aubrey was our only perimeter defender (Back issues). And that right there was the ball game.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

+1

Boston was treated tonight like Edwards has been treated for 3 years. When she put her shoulder into her defender and a foul was called she was legitimately shocked and so was I. I watched her do that 3 times in a row to a defender, finally knocking them on their butt on the third hit. No whistle.
Cardoso was herself. When she got low position she was basically unstoppable but Iowa didn't compound it by fouling.

The game was iced with an Iowa offensive rebound and also that Iowa was 14-14 from the line while SCar was 9-13. Missed shots and failure to rebound did in the Gamecocks at the end.

Failure to rebound? South Carolina had loke 15 offensive rebounds. Maybe even more.

 

[mtblancalas]

Wow

 

[Cuango]

I have to agree with wingsfan055. With a team as deep as SC is, Dawn surely could have just sent waves of defenders at Clark to deny her the ball, trap her and make her give it up. Of course, there’s no guarantee Iowa might not have won anyway but knowing Clark had just scored a 40 point triple double, I would think you would make her the focus!
On the other hand, she may have (probably did) figured her team’s defense, arguably the best in the country, would never give up 41 points to anyone! Clark is truly a great player and great players do things that merely good players can’t. I’m pulling for her and her team to produce one more great effort on Sunday. What a performance!
Finally, I think a lot of people, coaches etc have said that, taking Boston out of the game and making the rest of the team beat you is probably the most likely way to beat SC. Some have even tried it but with little success. Either they were unable to shut Boston down, abandoned the strategy midway through, or the rest of the team was good enough to win anyway. I think Bluder showed a lot of guts to go with this strategy in the FF! She rolled the dice in the most important game of her career and won! (With a pretty big assist from one of the great players in history!)