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Iowa Hawkeyes basketball star Caitlin Clark was lucky to not suffer any injuries after colliding with an Ohio State fan on Sunday. Despite the No. 2 Iowa's best efforts, No.18 Ohio State secured a 100-92 OT win at the Value City Arena.
After the victory, Ohio State fans stormed the court to celebrate their victory before the Iowa Hawkeyes players could leave for the locker room. That's when Clark collided with a fan and was sent spinning and falling to the floor. The fan, though, immediately got up and started celebrating again.
Caitlin Clark said that she was not injured after the collision. She added that Ohio State AD Gene Smith apologized for the mishap:
"Kind of scary. Could have caused a pretty serious injury to me and knocked the wind out of me. But luckily my teammates picked me up and got me off the court. Their AD already came and apologized to me.
"You know, it just comes with the territory. I'm sure they try their best to do whatever they could. But, obviously, that didn't work, and that's disappointing. Just focused now on the game, ways that we can get better."
While court storming is a long-standing tradition in the world of sports, this incident with Clark has sparked a debate about the safety protocols that need to be followed and if it should be banned altogether.
As for the fan who collided with Clark, there have been no reports about receiving any action for the incident. Nevertheless, Clark is lucky to have escaped a season-ending injury following the collision.
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Caitlin Clark's performance against Ohio State
The Iowa guard put up an incredible performance against the Buckeyes. She's also expected to be on course to break the NCAA Divison I women's scoring record next month.
Clark scored a season-high 45 points along with seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. She converted 38.9% of her 3-pointers and went 48.0% of her field goals.
Unfortunately, her contribution wasn't enough, as the Buckeyes emerged victorious, securing an eight-point lead with 30 seconds to play in OT. The Hawkeyes next face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Jan. 29 at their home.
