Playing in front of one of its biggest crowds all season, the top-seeded Stanford women’s basketball team made the most of its home-court advantage on Saturday afternoon as it opened the NCAA Tournament with an 86-59 win over UC-Davis.
After trading baskets with the Aggies (24-9, 10-6 Big West) in the opening minutes, junior forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike powered the No. 2 Cardinal (30-2, 18-0 Pac-10) to a commanding lead with 22 points and seven rebounds.
The Cardinal couldn’t pull away early on, struggling to find a rhythm against the Aggies’ unshakable zone defense. UC-Davis managed to pressure Stanford’s long-range shooters on the perimeter and prevent it from passing the ball down low, which stifled the Cardinal until its three-point shots started falling. Stanford finished the day with 13 baskets from beyond the arc in 22 attempts, led by a 4-for-5 performance from junior shooting guard Lindy LaRocque.
Senior center Paige Mintun led UC-Davis with 17 points – a silver lining in what proved to be her final game. The contest was career-ending for Aggies coach Sandy Simpson as well, whom Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer embraced on the sideline as time expired.
The win pushes Stanford one step closer to a fourth consecutive appearance in the Final Four, and puts the team just one win away from finishing another perfect year at Maples Pavilion. If the Cardinal defeats St. John’s (22-10) on Monday night, the Stanford seniors will leave the Farm with an undefeated record on their home court.
Ninth-seeded St. John’s, which defeated No. 8 Texas Tech 55-50 in Saturday’s opening game, will face Stanford on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
–Nate Adams