No. 6 Stanford (22-3, 11-2 Pac-12) took down Washington (13-10, 3-9 Pac-12) and Washington State (15-10, 4-8 Pac-12) this week, in their final matches as conference rivals. The Cardinal now sit alone atop the Pac-12 conference after their victorious weekend away, passing No. 4 Colorado (20-4, 10-3 Pac-12) after the Buffaloes’ loss to No. 17 Oregon State (20-3, 9-3 Pac-12).
Stanford vs. Washington
Stanford defeated the Huskies 64-59 in an overtime contest on Feb. 9. Coach Tara VanDerveer was honored before the game for becoming the all-time winningest college basketball coach, in a presentation that featured former Stanford player Kate Starbird.
Despite tallying just 22 points in the first half, the Cardinal had productive moments of ball movement through their 20-5 run to open the match.
Junior guard Elena Bosgana initiated the run with a three, 15 seconds into the game.
Senior forward Cameron Brink registered a block as her first stat in the game, helping to turn Washington’s 2-on-1 fastbreak possession into a shot from the perimeter by graduate guard Hannah Jump.
Washington responded with an 11-2 run late in the second period, led by guard Hannah Stines and her back-to-back three-pointers. After possessing a 15-point lead earlier in the game, Stanford was up by just 6 heading into halftime, with a score of 22-16.
Freshman forward Courtney Ogden recorded 11 points off the bench on a career-high five field goal makes. After a slate of games with minimal play time, the freshman found herself back in rotation and proved to be an asset in scoring production — scoring 7 points in the second half, all off jump shots.
Junior forward Brooke Demetre also had pivotal contributions to the Cardinal’s offense late in the game. She nailed a contested shot from the perimeter in the fourth period, her swift form making for an easy catch-and-shoot three that increased Stanford’s lead to 8 points.
The Huskies, however, still had fight left in them. They outscored Stanford 17-9 in the fourth to tie the match at 50 apiece, sending the match into overtime. Stanford had not had this low of a point tally in regulation since losing to Ole Miss in the 2023 NCAA tournament.
“I think they were more aggressive than us at times. So we just kind of took that on our chin and we were like, ‘This game is ours,’” Brink said. She opened the overtime period with a 3-point play for the Cardinal.
With the Cardinal up 61-59 and less than 15 seconds left in overtime, Demetre grabbed an offensive rebound to deny Washington a potential game-winning possession. Ogden followed with the final basket of the game off a baseline cut to the basket, securing the win 63-59.
“[Ogden] had a great game,” said head coach Tara VanDerveer. “In fairness to [Ogden], she’s had two setbacks this year with two injuries, so she basically has missed a month of our season and that really sets you back when you’re a young freshman.”
Brink came just short of a double-double, with 22 points and nine rebounds, as well as six blocks. Junior forward Kiki Iriafen also came short of a double-double, with 9 points and nine rebounds.
Sophomore guard Talana Lepolo scored 10 points — 9 from beyond the arc.
Stanford vs. Washington State
Stanford triumphed over Washington State 73-58 on Sunday, remaining undefeated (74-0) against the Cougars — who have been on a losing streak since guard Charlisse Leger-Walker suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
The Brink-Iriafen duo took charge on both sides of the ball in the first period. On offense, Iriafen totaled 6 points and four boards, including two offensive rebounds, in less than eight minutes of play. On defense, Brink logged two steals and both of her game blocks.
However, Washington State ended the quarter ahead of the Cardinal 18-11 thanks to a distributed scoring effort from the Cougars.
The Cardinal came back in the second quarter to put themselves in the driver seat. Brink scored 11 of her 21 points during the quarter, shooting 100% from the field. A 4-point play by Brink initiated a 9-0 run that put Stanford in the lead.
At halftime, the Cardinal led 38-35 by one-possession.
Stanford produced a score margin as high as 8 in the third period, but the Cougars tailed close behind. Jump led the scoring campaign in the second half, with 13 points going 3-6 from the arc. She concluded the match with a season high of 20 points, shooting 50% from the perimeter.
In the fourth quarter, Brink and Jump helped Stanford extend their lead to double-digits. Stanford ultimately beat Washington State 73-58 and now stands alone as first in the Pac-12 conference.
Three players scored in double figures: Brink, Jump and Iriafen. Brink had a standout performance with 21 points, 11 boards, five assists, five steals and two blocks. This match was Brink’s 14th double-double of the season. Iriafen additionally notched her 11th double-double this season, contributing 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinal.
Next up
The Cardinal returns home for its last slate of home games this season. On Friday, they are set to host one final rivalry match against Cal (15-10, 5-8 Pac-12) as members of the Pac-12. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.