Feb. 26, 2005
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's special season is ready for the next stage.
Candice Wiggins had 20 points, three rebounds and two assists, and the third-ranked Cardinal completed an undefeated home season with an 84-41 victory over overmatched Oregon State on Saturday.
Stanford won its 17th straight game with another dominant performance to go unbeaten at home for the first time since 1996-97, the last year the Cardinal reached the Final Four.
"It's a wow season," Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer said. "We just want to keep putting those exclamation points on that. We want nine exclamation points on that wow."
She's referring to three wins in the upcoming conference tournament, then another six victories it would take to be NCAA champions.
Brooke Smith added 14 points and four rebounds as the Cardinal (26-2, 17-1 Pac-10) won their 37th straight Pac-10 home game with former Stanford and WNBA star Jennifer Azzi in the stands - she led the Cardinal to their first national title 15 years ago.
The Cardinal haven't lost to a conference opponent in Maples Pavilion since a 62-59 defeat to Southern California on March 1, 2001.
Kelley Suminski, one of five Stanford seniors honored before the game with flowers in a tearful ceremony, had 12 points, four rebounds and two assists. Sebnem Kimyacioglu added 11 points, three blocks, two assists and two steals.
"We're really excited about what's ahead," said Suminski, whose senior class has never lost a Pac-10 home game. "We'll work hard to prepare for the Pac-10 tournament, improve from here and be ready for the NCAA tournament."
Senior T'Nae Thiel hobbled to midcourt on crutches, the result of a partial fracture in her left foot sustained in Thursday's win over Oregon. She's expected back in time for the Cardinal's first NCAA tournament game March 19 or 20.
Junior Krista Rappahahn called VanDerveer late Thursday night to check on the coach and let her know the players were prepared to go on without Thiel.
Such gestures are what make this team so special.
"In this day in age, what you see in sports with the selfishness, this is a joy," VanDerveer said. "We want to keep this joy ride going because we have a lot of tread left on our tire."
Stanford already wrapped up the Pac-10 title last week, giving the Cardinal the top seed in next weekend's conference tournament in San Jose. Their average margin of victory in conference play was 24.9 points.
The team had a 50-7 run in Thursday's 76-45 win over second-place Oregon.
This is one of the best Stanford teams in VanDerveer's 19 seasons at the school, and the Cardinal have high hopes of reaching the Final Four after falling one shot short against Tennessee in the round of eight last March.
Wiggins dedicated her performance to the seniors who have helped her from day one.
"I just think it was the seniors' day," said Wiggins, a lock for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors and also the top candidate to be conference Player of the Year. "I look up to them so much."
Mandy Close and Shannon Howell had eight points apiece to lead the Beavers (6-22, 1-17), who lost their seventh straight and 10th in a row to Stanford. Oregon State, whose last victory was Feb. 1 against Utah Valley State, has never won in 19 meetings at Maples Pavilion.
The Beavers finished last in the Pac-10 for the fifth time, and the first since they went 3-15 in 1998-99 to share that distinction with USC. Oregon State matched its worst conference finish at 1-17, also the team's record in 1989-90.
The Cardinal established a new school record for lowest opponent scoring average in conference play at 56.9 points per game.
Their 17-game winning streak is the sixth longest in school history and best since Stanford won 22 straight in the 2001-02 season.
"It was lambs going into slaughter," Oregon State coach Judy Spoelstra said. "Your worst fear is you come into a game like this and your kids aren't ready to play and are standing there watching. You have to do one of two things, slow them down or counter them offensively. They're really efficient."
Stanford jumped to a 15-1 lead less than five minutes into the game behind two 3-pointers from Kimyacioglu and one from Suminski. The Cardinal, who won their regular-season finale for the 17th straight year, shot 58.6 percent in the first half on the way to a 44-14 lead at the break. Stanford ended the half on a 15-4 run.
The Beavers made their first field goal on Close's layin at the 15:11 mark.