Caitlin Clark, Iowa overcome slow start, beat UConn for title game berth

April 5 (UPI) -- Caitlin Clark failed to make a 3-pointer in the first half, but smoldered late, scoring 15 points in the second to lead Iowa over UConn in a frantic Final Four face off Friday in Cleveland.

"We knew at some point our shots were going to go down," Clark told reporters after the 71-69 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The top-seeded Hawkeyes, who trailed by as many as a dozen, outscored the No. 3 Huskies 45-37 over the final 20 minutes. Sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke made 9 of 12 shots for a game-high 23 points in the victory.

"I couldn't be happier with our performance tonight, in the second half," Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder said. "The first half was a little rough for us, but we really kept believing."

The Hawkeyes will meet the No. 1 overall seed South Carolina Gamecocks in the national title game Sunday in Cleveland.

Senior guard Nika Muhl and the Huskies harassed Clark early on, leading to eight Hawkeyes turnovers in the first quarter. They carried a 19-14 lead into the second, with Clark scoring just two points over the first 10 minutes.

The Huskies pushed their lead to a dozen, before a 10-2 Hawkeyes run tightened the score, but still led 32-26 at halftime. Clark made just 3 of 11 shots, and was 0 for 6 from 3-point range, en route to six points in the first half.

The Huskies forced 12 Hawkeyes turnovers over the first 20 minutes.

The Hawkeyes nearly matched their offensive output from the first half, with 25 points in the third quarter. Clark hit her first 3-pointer of the night 1:49 into the second half.

The Hawkeyes went on to tie the game several times before using an 8-1 run to take a 47-45 lead with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter. The Huskies rallied to tie the score 51-51 at the end of the frame.

Clark ignited early in the fourth quarter, scoring seven points in a 68-second span as the Hawkeyes opened up a five-point lead. That edge ballooned to nine a few minutes later.

Turnovers nearly doomed the Hawkeyes down the stretch, when they gave the ball away on two-consecutive possessions. Muhl first stole the ball from Hawkeyes senior guard Kate Martin and made a 3-pointer with 49 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 70-69.

Huskies freshman guard K.K. Arnold then intercepted a pass from Stuelke about 37 seconds later.

The Huskies called a timeout with 10 seconds remaining to set up a potential game-winning shot, but All-American forward Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul with less than four seconds remaining, giving the ball back to the Hawkeyes.

Clark then stepped to the line and made a free throw for the final point of the night. The two-time National Player of the Year made 7 of 18 shots overall, including 3 of 11 3-point attempts, in the Final Four victory. She also totaled nine rebounds and seven assists to secure the Hawkeyes' second national title game trip in as many seasons.

Edwards and All-American guard Paige Bueckers scored 17 points apiece for the Huskies. Arnold chipped in 14 points in the loss.

Clark will lead the Hawkeyes against the Gamecocks in the 2024 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament finale at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday in Cleveland.