Clark lifts Iowa past Iowa State in top-20 matchup

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 19 points after a slow start and Monika Czinano added 18 points and 10 rebounds as No. 16 Iowa defeated No. 10 Iowa State 70-57 on Wednesday.

Kate Martin added 13 points for the Hawkeyes (7-3). They have won six of the last seven games in the rivalry against the Cyclones (6-2).

Clark, who came into the game as the nation’s leading scorer at 28.7 points per game, missed her first nine shots and was 2 of 14 from the field in the first half. But she was 3 of 4 in the third quarter, all of them 3-pointers, as the Hawkeyes outscored the Cyclones 27-8.

Iowa shot 61.5% in the second half, outscoring the Cyclones 47-29.

The game was expected to be a showcase for Clark and Iowa State’s Ashley Joens, both Associated Press preseason All-Americans, but both had problems making shots.

Clark was 7 of 20 overall. Joens had 15 points, but had just nine points through the first three quarters and shot 5 of 13 for the game.

Emily Ryan also had 15 points for Iowa State. Stephanie Soares had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half. The Cyclones missed 13 of their first 14 shots, and the Hawkeyes had a stretch midway through the half in which they missed 10 consecutive shots.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa State: The Cyclones needed a big game from Joens, who grew up in Iowa City, but she was consistently shadowed by Martin and McKenna Warnock all game. Soares was effective, but was 0 for 6 on free throws, missing at key times early in the game. Iowa State got zero points off the bench.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes, who have struggled on defense at times throughout the start of the season, held the Cyclones to just 36.4% shooting. Iowa got Czinano, who led the nation in field-goal percentage the last two seasons, involved in the offense early, something the Hawkeyes didn’t do in a home loss to North Carolina State last week.

UP NEXT

Iowa State: Hosts Jacksonville on Sunday

Iowa: Hosts Minnesota on Saturday.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25