COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Caitlin Clark faked the defender off her feet, took a dribble to her left and then released a 3-pointer.
It was no surprise when the ball dropped in, and Iowa was ahead to stay.
“That was probably the loudest the crowd was at that point, all night,” Clark said of the sellout of 17,950 at the Xfinity Center. “That was a huge shot, and then I think Sydney (Affolter) gets that layup, get a couple stops on defense that we string together.”
Clark had 38 points and 12 assists, and No. 3 Iowa withstood a gritty effort by Maryland, outlasting the Terrapins 93-85 on Saturday night. The Terps rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit, but Clark and the Hawkeyes had enough answers down the stretch.
The Hawkeyes (21-2, 10-1 Big Ten) won at Maryland for the first time since December 1992, when the Terps were in the ACC.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been happy in this press room,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said afterward.
Clark now needs 66 points to pass Kelsey Plum atop the NCAA career scoring list for women’s basketball.