Dec. 29, 2002
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Sebnem Kimyacioglu credited her teammates for helping her get open. It resulted in her best performance yet.
Kimyacioglu scored a career-high 19 points and blocked a crucial shot in the closing minutes as sixth-ranked Stanford rallied from a 13-point, second-half deficit to defeat No. 21 Arizona 82-74 Sunday.
"I was never really open," said Kimyacioglu, who grew up minutes away from Stanford. "They were really tight on the guards and a lot of my shots came off screens and the other guards penetrating. We just attacked them from everywhere."
Susan King added 17 points as the Cardinal (8-1, 2-0 Pac-10) won their 23rd consecutive conference game. Azella Perryman added 10 points and 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, and Kelley Suminski had 14 points and a season-high eight assists. Stanford had six players reach double figures.
Kimyacioglu blocked Julie Brase's shot with 1:30 left and the Cardinal holding a four-point lead.
"Sebnem shot the ball very well and she got the crowd into it," said Arizona associate head coach Denise Dove Ianello. "She's just another one of the great perimeter players at Stanford. She has a lot of savvy and awareness and finds her spots."
Kimyacioglu was 6-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. She made three 3-pointers in the second half to help spark Stanford's comeback.
"She just knocks them down, period," said King. "It feels great because you can rely on everyone."
Krista Warren scored 19 of her career-high 25 points in the first half for Arizona (7-3, 1-1), which had won three games in a row. Shawntinice Polk added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Dee-Dee Wheeler had 15 points.
"They have weapons and a young team," said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer. "They're just going to get better and better. They are up there with the best we've played."
Stanford extended its home winning streak to 16 games.
Arizona coach Joan Bonvicini missed her second consecutive game to remain with her family in Connecticut following the death of her brother on Wednesday. She's expected to return in time for the Wildcats' game against Oregon on Thursday. It's the first time she's missed games in her 22-year career.
Dove Ianello ran the team.
Polk gave Arizona a 72-70 lead with 3:40 remaining, but Stanford went on an 11-0 run, which included a 9-of-10 effort from the foul line, over the next three minutes.
"This team has shown me that we get knocked down but we get back up," said VanDerveer. "I don't like us getting in these holes but I feel like we're just scratching the surface."
Arizona scored the first eight points of the second half to open a 46-33 lead with 18:28 to play.
The Cardinal rallied to pull to 46-43 less than three minutes later, but the Wildcats were able to maintain a slim lead until King hit a 3-pointer with 5:47 remaining to tie the game at 68.
The game was tied six times, and the lead changed hands four times during the first half before Arizona began to take charge.
The Wildcats outscored Stanford 14-6 over the final four minutes of the first half to take a 38-33 lead at the break. Warren and Polk combined for 11 of those points.