Caitlin Clark sets all-time NCAA scoring record, passing basketball legend Pete Maravich - Chicago News Weekly

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Caitlin Clark sets all-time NCAA scoring record, passing basketball legend Pete Maravich

Caitlin Clark is officially the all-time NCAA Division I basketball scoring leader.

The star Iowa guard broke Pete Maravich’s scoring record for men or women in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against No. 2 Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

Clark entered the matchup needing 18 points to surpass Maravich’s record of 3,667 points. Her record-setting bucket came on a free throw in the final second of the half.

It was a slow start for Clark on Sunday — she scored six points on 2 for 7 shooting in the first quarter, but the senior turned it on in the second quarter. She hit a 3-pointer in the opening minute, then hit another long-range jumper followed by a layup to reach 14 points with more than six minutes to play in the first half.

Sitting just four points away from Maravich’s record, Clark scored on another layup in the final minute of the second quarter. Then, with 0.3 seconds left, she hit two free throws to tie and break the record.

Clark previously became the all-time NCAA women’s scoring leader after breaking Kelsey Plum’s record of 3,527 career points on Feb. 15. She then broke Lynette Woodard’s women’s major college scoring record of 3,650 points on Feb. 28.

Clark’s latest scoring feat came in the final home regular-season game of her college career after announcing she will forgo her final year of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2024 WNBA Draft. The 22-year-old will likely be selected with the No. 1 overall pick, which is owned by the Indiana Fever.

The Fever, after finishing 13-27 last season and a combined 18-58 over the last two seasons, won the WNBA Draft Lottery held on Dec. 10. It was the second straight season that the Fever won the lottery, using the top pick last year to select Aliyah Boston, who went on to be named Rookie of the Year.

Who is Pete Maravich?

Pete Maravich, nicknamed Pistol Pete, was a star on LSU’s men’s basketball team (1967-1970). His father, Press, was the team’s head coach.

In only three years playing for the Tigers, Maravich earned 3,667 points to set the NCAA Division I scoring record.

Maravich was selected in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Hawks. He stayed in Atlanta for four seasons before playing for New Orleans and the Utah Jazz (1974–1980). In 1980, he joined the Boston Celtics before retiring at the end of that season due to knee problems.

The Hall of Famer died suddenly at age 40 during a pickup game in 1988 after dealing with a heart defect.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.



from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/3ewQDA6

No comments:

Post a Comment