The third day of the women’s NCAA Tournament is underway, leading off with another dominant win by reigning national champion South Carolina and a victory by Iowa.
The Athletic has you covered with takeaways from the biggest games of the day:
Iowa holds off Georgia, advances to Sweet 16
Iowa (28-6) advanced to its first Sweet 16 since 2021 with a 74-66 win against Georgia in a hard-fought battle from tip-off to the final buzzer. Georgia’s length and athletic ability prevented Iowa from driving and making passes into the paint and negated most second-chance opportunities after a missed shot. With 3:50 left in the game, Iowa had only two second-chance points.
But the Hawkeyes were solid from the perimeter, which is where they were most effective. Caitlin Clark was more of a facilitator rather than an outright scorer but when she needed to score, she did. With 42.8 seconds left and the shot clock dwindling, Clark drove the lane, put the ball off the glass and gave Iowa a four-point lead. Georgia’s Jordan Isaacs and Javyn Nicholson each were whistled for intentional fouls in the final 3.8 seconds. Clark closed it out with four free throws and cupped her ears toward the crowd after her final make. She finished with 22 points and 12 assists. — Scott Dochterman
