South Carolina is a 6.5-point favorite and -278 on the moneyline to complete the first perfect season since 2015-16 UConn. Iowa comes back as a +225 underdog to win the title while the total is sitting at 160.5.
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Hawkeyes Win Thriller Over UConn in Final Four
After a lethargic first half against #3 UConn in the Final Four trailing 32-26 after the opening 20 minutes Iowa used a big second-half effort to book its ticket to its second national championship game in as many seasons. The Hawkeyes led by as many as ___ in the second half against the Huskies and ultimately held on for a nail-biting 71-69 victory, despite a rare off-night from Clark.
The back-to-back Wade Trophy-winner had just 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-of-11 from three. College basketball s all-time leading scorer did add a team-high nine rebounds and seven assists, though.
Sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke had a team-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, tying the second-highest output of her two-year career in Des Moines.
Iowa s performance on the boards was a huge part of their comeback effort. The Hawkeyes finished the game +8 in rebounding (37-29) and +5 at the offensive end (11-6).
Iowa is just 2-3 against the spread in the NCAA Tournament. They failed to cover the spread in their first two games: 91-65 over #16 Holy Cross as 38.5-point favorites, and 64-54 as 14.5-point chalk against #8 West Virginia.
They crushed the number in the Sweet 16, beating #5 Colorado 89-68 as 6.5-point favorites, and covered comfortably in their 94-87 win over #3 LSU in the Elite Eight as 2.5-point chalk. Iowa ATS bettors were left heartbroken in the Final Four as Caitlin Clark missed a free-throw in the final seconds that allowed UConn to cover as 2.5-point underdogs (71-69).
In last year s national championship game against LSU, Iowa was routed 102-85 as 1.5-point favorites. An ugly 60-42 first half all but put the nail in the coffin of their title hopes. Clark finished with a game-high 30 points, while abysmal defense cost the Hawkeyes a championship.
South Carolina Dominates Again
The Gamecocks Final Four matchup with #3 NC State was close for a half, as South Carolina held just a one-point lead after 20 minutes (32-31). But in the third quarter, Dawn Staley s team showed its championship mettle, obliterating the Wolfpack 29-6 to establish an insurmountable 24-point lead heading into the final ten minutes.
Senior center and leading scorer Kamilla Cardoso (14.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG) had one of her best games of the season, dropping a team-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting with 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins was an absolute beat on the boards, with a game-high 20 rebounds, helping South Carolina finish with a huge +16 rebounding margin (44-28).
Like the Hawkeyes, the Gamecocks are also 2-3 against the spread in the NCAA Tournament. They failed to cover an insane 55-point spread against #16 Presbyterian in the first round, though they came close in a 91-39 victory. In round two, they covered easily as 21.5-point chalk against #8 UNC (88-41). In the Sweet 16, Cardoso and company almost let the entirety of a 17-point halftime lead evaporate against #5 Indiana, holding on for a narrow 79-75 win as 17.5-point favorites.
The Gamecocks narrowly missed covering in the Elite Eight, beating #3 Oregon State 70-58 as 15.5-point favorites, but they got back in the ATS win column in the Final Four with a 78-59 win over NC State as 11.5-point chalk.
Iowa vs South Carolina Player Props
