Iowa City, Iowa – Caitlin Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to victory in their opening game of March Madness by scoring 27 points against Holy Cross Crusaders. Despite a slow start, Clark’s performance was instrumental in the 91-65 win for the No. 1 seeded Iowa team. The game took place at Carver–Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
The 22-year-old Clark initially struggled with her shooting but compensated with 10 assists and eight rebounds, showcasing her versatility on the court. Following the first-round triumph, Clark expressed some frustration with the team’s start but praised their ability to regroup and dominate the game.
Kate Martin and Addi O’Grady made significant contributions to the team’s success, with Martin scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while O’Grady added 14 points to the scoreboard. Clark, who achieved the title of NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer in the regular season, increased her career points total to an impressive 3,798.
Iowa now advances to the second round, where they will face the No. 8 seed West Virginia in the round of 32. Meanwhile, the NCAA women’s tournament witnessed a referee being replaced during the first-round matchup between No. 3 NC State and No. 14 Chattanooga due to a reported “background conflict.”
The decision to switch officials mid-game was made to ensure the integrity of the match, with Angelica Suffren taking over the umpire position for the second half. NC State went on to secure a comfortable 64-45 victory over Chattanooga and will now face Tennessee in the upcoming round of March Madness.