IOWA CITY, Iowa — The best show in college basketball went off script.
Caitlin Clark’s final NCAA Tournament began with a turnover.
It continued with four more before the first quarter concluded.
It featured the greatest scorer in Division I history missing nine of her first 11 shots.
It saw the superstar outworked by an aspiring Cinderella, the queen pushed around by 16th-seeded peasants, who hit Clark with hard shoulders and an elbow to the nose, who pestered her with double-teams and face-guarding.
It captured Clark’s father, Brent, yelling at her from the stands to “stop!” during an angry diatribe about the latest injustice.
It saw the face of the sport slam a ball into her forehead in frustration.
When the first quarter ended, Holy Cross — a 38 ¹/₂-point underdog — was within two, inspiring the few rows of purple-clad fans to produce the only sound in sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“I was standing there just kind of in awe of what we were doing consistently,” said Holy Cross coach Maureen Magarity. “We were just doing a great job on her … just making her feel really frustrated.”
Even with Clark’s early struggles, top-seeded Iowa soon ran away with a 91-65 first-round win.
The outcome of the monumental mismatch was never in question.
But doubt remains whether Iowa can escape this year’s toughest region and return to the national title game, whether Clark — who last year set the NCAA Tournament scoring record — can make her final run as memorable as the one that made her a household name.
“I would say I probably could have smiled a little more tonight,” Clark said. “I think the first quarter kind of frustrated maybe all of us in a way. I feel like this is a game you want to come out and dominate from the start because this is what fuels your run.”
In the second half, Clark eventually exploited the undersized mid-major, finishing with 27 points (8 of 19 field goals), 10 assists, eight rebounds, three steals and six turnovers.
The Hawkeyes (30-4) held Holy Cross to 32 percent shooting from the field, while Clark’s senior sidekick, Kate Martin, contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Clark’s final game in her home state will come Monday against No. 8 West Virginia.
After winning their third consecutive Big Ten Tournament title, the Hawkeyes showed rust in their first game in 13 days, and Holy Cross (21-13) led, 11-10, after the game’s first five minutes.
When Clark — who didn’t make her first field goal until the final 22 seconds of the first quarter — took a short breather, Iowa went on an 8-0 run and never trailed again, establishing an 18-point lead at halftime.
“I think I was a little frustrated, but I feel like that comes from knowing what it takes to be where we want to be,” Clark said. “I think from here on out, every single team is going to give us a really good game. Every single team is basically a top-25 team at this point. That’s what makes March so much fun. I definitely think I could have smiled a little bit more, but, hey, I’m competitive, I want to win, and I expect us to be really good all the time.”
They survived. They advanced.
The last dance continues.
