‘She’s just that terrific’: Indiana's best defensive efforts can't slow down Caitlin Clark

IOWA CITY, Iowa — It’s hard to tell from the box score, but the Indiana women’s basketball team didn’t make life easy for Caitlin Clark on Saturday night. 

In Iowa’s 84-57 win, Clark had a game-high 30 points (10 of 21) with six 3-pointers (6 of 16). The only one of those numbers that exceeded her impressive season averages was her six 3-pointers. 

The Hoosiers relied on Chloe Moore-McNeil and Lexus Bargesser to slow down the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year. 

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“We made it hard for her,” Indiana women’s basketball coach Teri Moren said. “We knew she was going to hit tough shots. I'll probably go back and feel like, gosh, she looked awfully comfortable, but in the moment I thought they were not doing a bad job.”

Clark agreed. 

“Honestly, I thought they played really good defense,” she said. “I thought they were up in my space a lot, they were pressuring me.”

Moore-McNeil started off on Clark, but IU brought help early in the game whenever the senior put the ball on the floor. 

The Hoosiers' respect for Clark opened up shots on the perimeter for the Hawkeyes with Molly Davis knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes. 

Bargesser faced off against Clark when Moore-McNeil got a brief rest (80 seconds) in the quarter. Clark tried to take IU’s sophomore off the dribble after she checked in, but Bargesser forced her to take a contested shot in the lane from just outside the circle in the lane. 

Clark finished the first quarter with eight points (3 of 9) with two assists. She was 0 of 6 from 3-point range, but that zero didn’t last for long.

Her first 3-pointer came less than a minute into the second quarter over the outstretched hand of Bargesser, who did a nice job shadowing Clark around the perimeter. The lack of separation wasn’t an issue for the two-time defending Big Ten Player of the Year. 

She hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions again at the end of the half with Moore-McNeil in her face to put her team up 43-37. 

“She makes things look easy out there,” Moren said. “I thought Chloe and Lexi knew the assignment. I'm proud of their effort, no doubt about that.” 

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The only time Clark wasn’t a threat on Saturday night was during a two-minute stretch in the second quarter when she had to go to the bench with two fouls. She was whistled trying to drive against Bargesser again for pushing off with her elbow. 

In the third quarter, Moore-McNeil ramped up the ball pressure on Clark to force a couple turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. She hit a pair of deep 3-pointers from near the logo at mid-court that pushed Iowa’s to 20 points and put the game out of reach. 

“She's just that terrific,” Moren said. “She's an extraordinarily special player. She makes things look easy out there.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.