March 18, 2002
STANFORD, Calif. - Nicole Powell wouldn't call her second triple-double in as many games impressive, so her Stanford teammates - and the opposition - did.
Powell had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Stanford beat Tulane 77-55 Monday night in the second round of the NCAA West Regional.
"I don't know what to say. It's incredible," said Lindsey Yamasaki, who had 24 points for second-seeded Stanford (32-2). "Needless to say, she's risen to this occasion."
The Cardinal advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 1996-97 season. They will play Colorado (23-9) in Boise, Idaho in the West Regional semifinals.
"Good luck to Colorado - finding someone to stop her and Yamasaki," Tulane guard Sarah Goree said.
Teana McKiver had 16 points for 10th-seeded Tulane (24-11), making its eighth-straight NCAA tournament appearance.
Stanford is playing in its 15th consecutive tournament. The Cardinal have advanced to the Final Four six times, and won NCAA Championships in 1990 and 1992.
Paced by McKiver, the Green Wave kept up with the taller and more athletic Cardinal until midway through the first half when Yamasaki made a 3-pointer that put Stanford ahead 23-14.
The home crowd at Maples Pavilion jumped to its feet when freshman guard Kelley Suminski nailed a 3-pointer and got fouled with 3:36 left in the half. Although she missed the free throw, her 3 put Stanford up 35-18. The Cardinal took a 40-24 lead into the half.
The second half was all Stanford, but the attention was on Powell after her triple-double led the Cardinal to a 76-51 victory in the first round Saturday against Weber State. Powell, the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year, had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in that victory.
Powell amassed 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists by the half Monday night en route to her sixth career triple-double. The 6-foot-2 sophomore is the only player in Pac-10 history with more than one.
When she finally left the game with just under two minutes left, she pumped her fist and grinned.
"It's just so fun to play with her," Cardinal forward Bethany Donaphin said. "The sky's the limit. Two triple-doubles in a row. I think that speaks for itself."
Yamasaki, the team's top scorer, missed the Pac-10 tournament after she had an emergency appendectomy. She eased her way into the tournament, playing 18 minutes in the first-round game.
The Cardinal, ranked as high as No. 2 this season, took the conference title with a perfect 18-0 record but lost in the Pac-10 tournament to Arizona State.
The Green Wave, who advanced to the second round with a 73-69 victory over Colorado State, had won eight of nine with the only loss coming in the Conference USA championship game against Cincinnati.
By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer