The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday night at the the last four to earn a spot in the national championship game against LSU.
They did it by dropping regularly The South Carolina Shooterschallenging them to take jump shots in a game the Gamecocks shot just 4-for-20 from beyond the 3-point line.
Caitlin Clark (22) of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles against Raven Johnson (25) of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the third quarter of the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final Four at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark, who led Iowa with 41 points, went viral for greeting South Carolina guard Raven Johnson in the first half when Johnson held wide over the arc.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S DAWN STALEY ON SUGGESTED TEMPLE JOB NAME: ‘I DON’T WANT TO COACH THE MEN’S GAME’
The strategy seems to have upset some LSU players.
«I watched the game, and I’m watching them protect South Carolina. I don’t think they can protect us like that.» LSU guard Alexis Morris he said Saturday, according to ESPN. «I don’t think you can leave me open on the perimeter or leave us open on the perimeter.
«I, personally, find it very disrespectful. So, I’m going to take that personally going into that game. You’re going to have to defend ourselves. That’s just the competitor in me and the will to win.»
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
against a South Carolina’s greatest teamIowa made the decision to pack the paint and live with the Gamecocks’ shooting from the outside.
South Carolina shot 31.5% from three during the 2022-23 season.
The South Carolina Gamecocks bench reacts in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final Four at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
«We’re not going to protect LSU the way we defended South Carolina,» Clark said. «Obviously with South Carolina, you have to pick your poison. If they were going to beat us, we’d let it go on the 3-point line. You have to pick your battles. We can.» Don’t protect everything.
«That’s the game of basketball. You have a scout. You know the player staff. What are you going to give up? That’s what we were going to give up. We had all the respect in the world for South Carolina, and especially for its post. play.»
LSU’s Alexis Morris reacts during the fourth quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final Four at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
While LSU shot just 23.1% from three in their win over Virginia Tech in the Final Four, the Tigers shot 35.9% from the other side of the arc as a team this season.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«That was very disrespectful, and [South Carolina] he didn’t take advantage of that,” LSU guard Kateri Poolev said, according to ESPN. «If they do it to us, we will take advantage of it.»
LSU and iowa squared in the national championship game on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET.