No. 15 Ohio State rallies back for OT win over No. 2 Iowa women's basketball
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For all the times regular-season college basketball games will be erroneously compared to high-stress March matchups in the coming weeks, Sunday's high-profile showdown offered No. 2 Iowa the best NCAA Tournament test late January can provide.
Ohio State's spacious Schottenstein Center gives off a strong pro-arena vibe, especially with nearly 19,000 gleaming-red seats chocked full of energy and emotion for two-plus hours. The cavernous intensity resembled what the Hawkeyes faced in Seattle and Dallas last season.
The deep March run Iowa wants to make this year will feature more of the same. Four intense quarters (and more) where nothing is safe is what the Hawkeyes know is coming, and that's exactly what they received a large helping of Sunday afternoon.
Despite Iowa holding a double-digit advantage early in the fourth quarter, No. 15 Ohio State came charging back to force overtime before emerging victorious in the extra period, 100-92, in front of a program-record 18,660 fans. The Hawkeyes (18-2, 7-1 Big Ten Conference) add to the loss column for the first time in two months, with what they hope ultimately becomes a productive moment in a long season.
"We didn't respond too great when they went on their run when we were up 12 points in the fourth quarter. But that's what good teams are going to do on their home court," said Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who finished with a staggering 45 points on 12-for-25 shooting. "I think we know we're still a great team, too. They're a great team."
For all the raucous road venues Iowa has successfully ventured in and out of this season, few have produced an on-court showing that mirrored the elite turnout. Ohio State was always going to be different in that regard. The Buckeyes didn't disappoint.
Still, reaching overtime seemed unlikely early in the fourth. Iowa, which rarely coughs up any cushion, owned a solid 70-58 lead with 8:55 left — Clark quieting the noise almost every time it tried to fire up. Then came an emphatic Ohio State charge Iowa couldn't absorb.
As part of their dynamic performances headlining the Buckeyes attack, Cotie McMahon (33 points) and Jacy Sheldon (24 points) combined to score Ohio State's next 17 points while Iowa sputtered on the other end. The Buckeyes (15-3, 6-1) grabbed a one-point advantage with 3:42 left — then again with 16 seconds remaining — as the Hawkeyes tried to process what just unfolded.
"I take the blame for that," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. "I tried to call some timeouts to slow it down, but I probably should've switched up our defenses a little bit more. Basically, they made a great run at it. They got to the free-throw line a lot, 3-point plays. Even in overtime, they went to the free-throw line seven times in five minutes. That's a lot."
The Hawkeyes needed their own charity-stripe conversion to force the extra period, after Hannah Stuelke was fouled on an offensive rebound off a Clark miss with 10 seconds to go in regulation. Stuelke split the pair, and Iowa forced one more stop to put five more minutes on the clock.
"Just tried to clear everybody to the left side and rip and go to my right," Clark said of Iowa's final regulation possession. "They helped over pretty good on my layup, and luckily, Hannah got the offensive rebound. That's the reason we went to overtime. It was a clear-out drive to my right side. I thought they contested it pretty well. I kind of double-clutched in the air. You make some, you miss some."
Any momentum Iowa tried to salvage there didn't carry over to the extra period. Clark had all nine of Iowa's overtime points — but too much McMahon and others carried the Buckeyes home without another black-and-gold response.
Clark finished 7-for-18 from deep and 14-for-16 at the line, but watched as the Buckeyes themselves drained 11 treys and delivered a 19-for-24 showing at the line. Molly Davis added 14 points to go with Stuelke's 10 before she fouled out in the extra period. Kate Martin, who played a bulk of the second half with four fouls, finished with eight points and seven boards.
The Hawkeyes have been self-aware all season that they're the crown jewel on everyone's schedule, and nothing emphasized that more than the unfortunate postgame scene that followed.
Clark, while trying to exit the floor amid an immediate court-storming, collided hard with a charging Ohio State fan trying to film the madness. Clark was in pain as she was escorted to the locker room by a policeman with teammates by her side.
Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff apologized for the incident, and Clark said Buckeyes AD Gene Smith did the same. Clark was diplomatic in her assessment of the situation. Her head coach was more direct with the frustration.
"It's unfortunate the game ended that way, Caitlin gets taken out on the floor," Bluder said. "Gets some inappropriate words yelled at her by fans and students. That just should not happen. It should not happen.
"Our players should be safe. They should be able to walk off the floor. That's very disappointing. Ohio State — great team, great environment — but obviously very disappointed with the postgame, our players getting injured trying to walk out of the gym. That's wrong."
More: Caitlin Clark collides with court-storming fan after Ohio State upsets Iowa basketball
Iowa walked out of this one with more wounds than it entered with, although the level-headed approach the Hawkeyes have mastered can turn this into a 45-minute lesson full of ample benefit. March-esque tests can be hard to come by for teams at the top. Iowa got a good one Sunday.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.