Some college basketball fans, including one veteran NBA star, were disappointed in the apparent lopsided officiating in Iowa’s win over West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament Monday night.
Caitlin Clark and the No. 1 seed Hawkeyes survived a poor offensive effort against the No. 8 Mountaineers, 64-54, but when it came down to foul calls, the box score showed that West Virginia was called for 27 personal fouls, while Iowa was only whistled for 11 fouls.
Iowa made 25 of 30 free throws on the night — while West Virginia shot five, and made three, the entire game.
And many took to social media claiming the referees were favoring the home team at a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“I feel like West Virginia women’s team getting did bad by these refs,” Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard said in a post on X.
“If Iowa played the Lakers who would get more calls?” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons wrote.
“West Virginia is getting jobbed by these refs,” USA Today columnist Dan Wolken added.
“This is absurd. Absolutely infuriating,” he continued in a follow-up post. “I feel for the West Virginia team. They’ve played a better game than Iowa and they’re not going to get rewarded at all. Hope these refs don’t advance.”
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Clark finished with 32 points, including 11 from the free throw line, to help the Hawkeyes advance to the Sweet 16.
The Mountaineers went on a 10-0 run to tie the game with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Clark and Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke made nine free throws to secure the win.
Iowa was 14-of-17 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
“I think we used our crowd,” Clark said of Iowa’s fourth quarter effort. “We gave up a 10-0 run to start the quarter, but this team was never flustered. It speaks to our experience. … Wanted to go out on a high note.”
Clark broke the single-season NCAA Division I scoring record of 1,109 points, which was previously held by Kelsey Plum, with free throws in the final stretch.
“This is definitely up there with the best of them — mentally, emotionally, physically grinding out this out and getting a win,” Clark said of the victory.
The Hawkeyes will face No. 5 Colorado in Saturday’s Sweet 16 in Albany after the Buffaloes beat No. 4 Kansas State in the Round of 32.
