Jan. 4, 2005
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Candice Wiggins is determined to start off the new year by being more aggressive. Yet she's learning it's a fine line, because playing harder can lead to fouls.
After logging only six minutes the first half because of foul trouble, Wiggins scored 12 of her 15 points after halftime, and No. 8 Stanford won its 30th straight Pac-10 home game, 74-61 over Washington on Tuesday night.
Wiggins, the early favorite for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors, converted 9-of-9 free throws and also contributed seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
She knows she could have done more.
"I got into foul trouble early and that takes me out of the game," she said. "I have to really work on that."
Kristen Newlin added 14 points, a season-high 11 rebounds and two blocks, and Brooke Smith had 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks as the Cardinal (11-2, 3-1 Pac-10) improved to 32-2 on their home court dating to the 2002-03 season.
Stanford beat Washington for the third straight time and sixth in seven, and has won the past six meetings in Maples Pavilion, which received a $30 million facelift last year.
"I don't think it's anything about here," coach Tara VanDerveer said of Stanford's impressive play at home. "But in the Pac-10, there seems to be a really strong home court. Our team takes pride that this is our house."
Kristen O'Neill, who missed last season with a knee injury, made four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists for Washington (6-8, 2-2), which shot 31.5 percent, was outrebounded 56-44 and committed 18 turnovers. Jill Bell added 11 points.
Washington guard Kayla Burt sprained her right ankle early in the second half and sat for about five minutes, but she didn't consider it serious. Burt went 1-for-8 and was held to four points.
"I got the looks, but my shots were a little off," she said.
Smith, a talented transfer center from Duke, made an impact on both ends for Stanford in the second half, going hard to the glass and sparking the offense with her quick passes. She scored back-to-back baskets for an eight-point lead. Kelley Suminski followed with a layin with 12:21 left and Newlin's basket the next time down the floor gave Stanford a 12-point lead, 49-37.
"At times, I felt we were really in there defensively, but we had a couple lapses," Washington coach June Daugherty said. "They got all over the glass (in the second half). There was a whole different energy on rebounding by Stanford."
Newlin scored six straight points during one first-half spurt, but Washington's youthful roster kept things close with hustle and hard work.
Susan King Borchardt, usually Stanford's starting point guard, came off the bench to score five points, but was limited to 13 minutes as she works her way back from a stress reaction in her left foot that caused her to miss the first nine games of the season.
Both teams came out cold - Stanford made only one of its first nine shots and was 5-for-17 midway through the first half, while Washington began 6-of-15 then made only one of its next nine field-goal tries. The Huskies were effective with their scrappy man-to-man defense that forced the Cardinal into some off-balanced shots.
But Stanford ended the half with a 13-8 run for a 33-29 lead at the break.