Caitlin Clark stats today: How did Iowa superstar perform in First Round matchup against Holy Cross

The top-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes picked up the first of six victories needed to hoist the 2024 NCAA National Championship as they clinched a 91-65 win over the 16-seeded Holy Cross Crusaders on Saturday. With senior guard Caitlin Clark leading the way, the team was able to dominate, scoring at least 20 points in each quarter.

Caitlin Clark bounced back after struggling to find her shot early to put up some strong numbers. She finished the contest with a game-high 27 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, one block and six turnovers. While the turnover numbers are a bit higher than what you'd want to see, with her running the offense, they still score an incredible amount of points.

Clark's shooting numbers showed a bit cold despite the 27 points. She finished shooting 8 of 19 from the floor, 3 of 9 from the 3-point line and nailed all but one of her nine free throws.

Will Caitlin Clark be able to lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to a national championship?

The Iowa Hawkeyes have been one of the best teams in college basketball and can score the basketball at a level many teams cannot approach. They are one of the top seeds in the entire NCAA Tournament and are considered one of the favorites to win the tournament.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are only behind the South Carolina Gamecocks in terms of their betting odds to win the national championship (+550). While their path to the NCAA Tournament Finals will seemingly include a matchup against another star guard in USC's JuJu Watkins, the Hawkeyes may fall short of the illustrious championship once again.

A Final Four appearance seems likely as the only other notable threat in their region is the UCLA Bruins, but they are not on the same level. However, winning the national championship does not feel like a great bet to make.

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