IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark brought them here.

She guaranteed every one of the 14,000-plus seats would be filled, as they were all season. She made sure they wouldn’t think twice about the price, even those who couldn’t find a ticket for under $300 in the hours before tip-off.

She made sure it was a night to remember. She made sure to say goodbye with the most powerful promise she could offer: They will see her again.

In the final home game of her legendary career, Clark carried Iowa back to the Sweet 16, putting up 32 points and eight rebounds in the No. 1 Hawkeyes’ tightly contested 64-54 win over No. 8 West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa (31-4) continues its quest for another Final Four berth Saturday in Albany, where they will face No. 5 Colorado (24-9) in a rematch of last year’s regional semifinal.

“I would have never left the court if I wasn’t forced to get off,” Clark said. “I think the biggest thing is just thank you [to the fans]. I’m forever grateful.”

Clark’s final home game was nearly the final game of her collegiate career.

West Virginia’s (25-8) defense did its best to incorporate roller derby into each moment. It held the highest-scoring team in the nation to nearly 30 points below its season average and its lowest-scoring half (26) of the season.

It forced the Hawkeyes into 15 turnovers, while allowing just seven assists to the team that averages more than any other in the nation.

It made possessions a test of desire, of quickness to loose balls, of stubbornness to cede an inch of real estate in the paint.

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Buoyed by Clark’s five 3-pointers, Iowa led by 10 entering the fourth quarter, then went 5:14 before scoring another point, allowing West Virginia to tie the score with less than three minutes remaining.

Iowa made just one field goal in the fourth quarter, but pulled away by making 14 of 17 free throws down the stretch.

“This is definitely up there with the best of them, mentally and emotionally and physically, grinding this out and getting the win,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of positives to take away from this when maybe we didn’t even play our best basketball or look as pretty. That’s more fulfilling of a win for us than going out there and winning by 30 points.”

It was a familiar scene for the Iowa core, who bore the scars of second rounds past. In 2022, the season ended at home with an upset loss to Creighton. Last year, a last-minute win over Georgia fueled the Hawkeyes’ run to their first-ever national championship game.

Clark repeatedly screamed to the crowd, tapping into Iowa’s second-greatest advantage. When her shots fell, she demanded the crowd match her effort.

No request had ever been so persuasive.

Because of Clark, they enjoyed one more night as the capital of college basketball. They brought signs, giving thanks and love and the impression that nothing existed outside of the arena walls.

They were diehards and casuals, grandparents and grade-schoolers, sharing the wardrobe of a 22-year-old who represented them long before a generation of Americans.

They cheered when it was needed most, when momentum vanished and doubt creeped in, when the offense looked lost and having the country’s best player didn’t seem like enough.

“I’ve always been one to play to the crowd,” Clark said. “That’s just who I am. That’s kind of what I do, an entertainer in a way. I always want to get them going.

“I thought our crowd was tremendous tonight. They really willed us to this victory.”

When the final buzzer sounded, Clark exhaled and smiled, knowing the ride could continue. She took a lap around the court, making a heart symbol to the crowd, before jumping and celebrating with her teammates at midcourt.

It was what they came to see.