PHOTO BY STEPHEN MALLY/HAWKEYESPORTS.COM - Iowa guard Kate Martin (20) makes a basket during the fourth quarter of Thursday's game against Penn State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

IOWA CITY — Led by Freshman Caitlin Clark and a career night from redshirt sophomore Kate Martin, the University of Iowa women’s basketball team battled back from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Penn State, 96-78.

Clark had 32 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, for the Hawkeyes. It was her NCAA-leading eighth 30-point game of the season and fourth-straight. For Martin, it was a career-high kind of day with 19 points, 11 assists and five 3-pointers, shooting 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Clark and Martin combined to score 37 of Iowa’s 55 points in the second half while the Hawkeye defense limited Penn State to only 26 points.

Junior Monika Czinano had 17 points, and sophomore McKenna Warnock had 15 more for the Hawkeyes (12-6, 8-6).

“Overall scoring balance for our team is what is going to lead us down the road and help us win games, and win hard games,” Clark said. “It can’t just be one or two people every night. When we have four players over 15-plus points, it is going to be hard to stop us.”

Despite being outrebounded 32-14 and having faced a barrage of 10 made Penn State three pointers, the Hawkeyes went into halftime knowing they had a chance to get back in the game.

“Thankfully, we scored pretty well especially in the second quarter where we had 24 points. That was keeping us in the game, really,” head coach Lisa Bluder said. “Then we took it to a different level in the second half, not only offensively, but also defensively and rebounding.”

In the second half, the Hawkeyes chipped away at the Nittany Lion lead with a 6-0 run making it a five-point game with five minutes left in the third quarter. With a little over two minutes left in the third, the Hawkeyes took their first lead, 65-64, of the game when Clark hit a 3-point bucket.

Penn State would match it on their trip back down the court, but sophomore Gabbie Marshall responded with a 3-pointer of her own and the Hawkeyes would lead the rest of the way.

Iowa locked down on defense in the fourth quarter holding Penn State to 11 points. The Hawkeyes went on a 15-3 run to close out the game, and Clark hit a dagger from well beyond the arc with 30 seconds remaining in the game to cap the 18-point victory.

Penn State tied its program record with 14 3-pointers. Maddie Burke led the Nittany Lions (8-10, 5-9) with 20 points behind six made 3-pointers while also adding eight rebounds. Anna Camden finished with a career-best 18 points. Niya Beverley and Shay Hagans added 13 points apiece.

Iowa 96, Penn St. 78

PENN ST. (8-10) — Camden 8-16 0-0 18, Beverley 5-12 1-1 13, Burke 7-17 0-0 20, Hagans 5-13 0-0 13, Marisa 1-11 0-0 2, Cash 4-11 1-2 9, Garcia 1-3 0-0 3, Sabel 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 31-83 2-3 78.

IOWA (12-6) — Warnock 6-9 1-2 15, Czinano 8-11 1-1 17, Clark 12-21 2-2 32, Marshall 2-7 1-1 6, Martin 7-10 0-0 19, Cook 1-2 0-0 2, Meyer 0-1 0-0 0, Taiwo 2-4 0-0 5, Goodman 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 38-65 5-6 96.

Penn St. 23 29 15 11 — 78

Iowa 17 24 28 27 — 96

3-Point Goals–Penn St. 14-38 (Camden 2-6, Beverley 2-6, Burke 6-15, Hagans 3-5, Marisa 0-5, Garcia 1-1), Iowa 15-28 (Warnock 2-4, Clark 6-11, Marshall 1-4, Martin 5-5, Meyer 0-1, Taiwo 1-3). Assists–Penn St. 20 (Marisa 8), Iowa 29 (Martin 11). Fouled Out–None. Rebounds–Penn St. 48 (Hagans 9), Iowa 31 (Czinano 8). Total Fouls–Penn St. 9, Iowa 7. A–274.