Caitlin Clark breaks Steph Curry's season record for most 3-pointers as Iowa dominates Penn State

Another day, another record for Caitlin Clark.

Clark broke Steph Curry’s single-season record for 3-pointers in Iowa’s 95-62 victory over Penn State on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. She now has 164 for the year, two more than Curry made in his sophomore season at Davidson.

This latest mark comes one game after Clark passed Pete Maravich to become the all-time leading scorer in college basketball.

“I’ve lost track. She breaks a new record every single night so I’m losing track of them,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said, with a smile.

It looked for much of the game as if Curry would keep his record for another day. Clark missed her first 11 shots from long range, finally connecting with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter. She lifted her arms in triumph and stuck out her tongue as she ran back down the court, and her teammates celebrated on the sideline.

Clark made another later in the quarter. She finished with a game-high 24 points and also had 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Iowa, the second seed in the tournament, plays Michigan in the semifinals Saturday.

Impressive as Clark’s continuous assault on the record books is, what should really scare every other team with designs on the national title is how the rest of the Hawkeyes stepped up on what was an off night for their leader.

Iowa had four other players in double figures, including a career-high 18 from Sydney Affolter. The Hawkeyes also made 15 3s, and only two of them came from Clark.

“My teammates were tremendous,” Clark said after the game. “The Indiana game, especially, that’s really when we looked in the mirror and said we’ve got to find ways to succeed when teams are taking me away and making it hard and I thought everyone stepped up.

“I’m just proud of them. They’re capable of doing it every night.”

Iowa also held Penn State to 62 points. That’s quite a turnaround from the 93 the Hawkeyes allowed in their regular-season meeting last month. Lindsey Kapinus (19) and Ashley Owusu (18) were Penn State’s only players in double figures.

“We played great defense except for the third quarter,” Bluder said. 

Caitlin Clark on passing Steph Curry: 'A cool moment'

Caitlin Clark’s admiration for Steph Curry wasn’t going to keep her from breaking his record.

Clark’s 3-pointer with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter was her 163rd of the year, breaking Curry’s single-season NCAA record.

“Steph’s amazing,” she said after the game. “Somebody I grew up idolizing, so a cool moment.”

Clark had missed her first 11 shots from 3-point range. When she finally made one, she lifted her arms in triumph and stuck out her tongue.

“It took me a while,” she said, laughing. “Some of (the) best shooters in the world have off nights.”

Clark would make another later in the quarter, and now has two more than Curry made in his sophomore year at Davidson. - Nancy Armour

FINAL: Highlights from Iowa's win over Penn State

Watch the key moments from the Hawkeyes' 95-62 victory over the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.

Iowa's Sydney Affolter collects career high as Caitlin Clark has slow night

Penn State brings out the best in Caitlin Clark’s teammates.

Sydney Affolter has a career high, with 18 points midway through the fourth quarter. That’s four more than her previous best, set earlier this season against Bowling Green and Purdue.

Affolter’s big night comes after Hannah Stuelke went off the last time Iowa and Penn State played. The sophomore had 47 against Penn State last month, which was the second-highest single-game output in program history at the time.

Clark would break that mark, scoring 49 against Michigan in the game in which she passed Kelsey Plumas the all-time scoring leader in women’s NCAA basketball.

The big nights by Clark’s teammates are good signs for Iowa heading into the postseason. Spectacular as Clark is, she can’t do it all by herself, and her teammates getting hot late at this time of year can only help the Hawkeyes. - Nancy Armour

Caitlin Clark passes Steph Curry for single-season mark

Step aside, Steph Curry.Caitlin Clark made her 163rd 3-pointer this season with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter, breaking Curry’s single-season NCAA record from his days at Davidson. After hitting the shot, Clark lifted her arms in triumph and stuck her tongue out while her teammates held their fingers up in the 3-point symbol.

Clark looked relieved as the ball swished through the net and no wonder. She’d missed her first 11 shots from long range, a rarity for her. - Nancy Armour

Caitlin Clark’s weird night continues.

College basketball’s all-time leading scorer has 13 points after three quarters. But with Ashley Owusu in her face on every possession, Clark has just two field goals and is 0-of-8 from 3-point range.

Iowa still has a commanding lead over Penn State, 65-48, thanks to Iowa’s balanced offense. Sydney Affolter also has 13, and Gabbie Marshall has been hot from deep, going 3-of-4 from 3-point range. - Nancy Armour 

Halftime: Iowa 46, Penn State 26

Holding Caitlin Clark to a single field goal in a half would ordinarily be a good sign for an opponent.

Not for Penn State.

College basketball’s all-time leading scorer was just 1 of 8 in the first half Friday. But she knocked down her free throws, grabbed rebounds and set up her teammates as Iowa used a balanced offense to take a 46-26 lead over Penn State at the midway point of the quarterfinals in the Big Ten Tournament.

Clark finished the half with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. Sydney Affolter, who started in place of the injured Molly Davis, also had 10 on 3-of-4 shooting. Iowa’s other three starters all had five points or more, too.

“The balance, oh my gosh, that’s when we’re at our best,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said at halftime. “I love that other people are stepping up and shooting the ball really well.”

Ashley Owusu leads Penn State with 11 points and Leilani Kapinus has nine, but the Nittany Lions aren’t getting much from anyone else. - Nancy Armour

Caitlin Clark doesn't hit a field goal until second quarter

Caitlin Clark won’t go scoreless.

After missing her first five shots, Clark finally made a field goal with 4:48 left in the second quarter. It also was Iowa’s first field goal of the quarter, after the Hawkeyes missed their first seven shots of the period. - Nancy Armour

1Q: Iowa 31, Penn State 13

Penn State missed its chance.

Caitlin Clark was 0-for-3 in the first quarter, getting her four points on free throws. But Iowa’s other starters had at least four points each, led by Sydney Affolter’s eight. Penn State, meanwhile, couldn’t get anything to drop early. It missed its first six shots and didn’t score until there were almost four minutes gone. By that point, Iowa was up 10-3 and continued to widen the lead from there.Caitlin Clark has truly dedicated fans

It’s not enough just to get into the building to see Caitlin Clark. You need to get a good seat.

With seats in the upper bowl of the Target Center first-come, first-serve, people began lining up at 9 a.m. Friday – 8½ hours before tipoff of Iowa’s quarterfinal game against Penn State. According to Chantel Jennings, a reporter for The Athletic, with two hours to go before the game, the line stretched at least a quarter of a mile long. - Nancy Armour