March 5, 2006
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Krista Rappahahn's role with Stanford has finally evolved beyond the limited time she used to get.
After the Cardinal lost five key seniors a year ago, she knew she'd have an opportunity - and it was Rappahahn's accurate shooting touch that helped her team move one step closer to another automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
Brooke Smith had 15 points and eight rebounds and Rappahahn added 14 points with four 3-pointers in No. 13 Stanford's 73-44 victory over Southern California on Sunday night that advanced the Cardinal to the Pac-10 tournament title game for the fifth straight year.
"It's been a lot of fun this year to be in there and to contribute," Rappahahn said. "I knew losing five seniors there would be an opportunity. I just shoot when I'm supposed to shoot."
Her supporting cast isn't bad, either.
Candice Wiggins - Stanford's sophomore two-time Pac-10 player of the year - had 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Cardinal's seventh straight win over USC. Freshman Rosalyn Gold-Onwude added eight points, four assists and four rebounds.
"Holy cow, they're a great team," USC coach Mark Trakh said. "Where do you beat them? They have all the ingredients."
Top-seeded Stanford (23-6) eliminated the Women of Troy in the semifinals for the second straight year and advanced to play Monday night for the tournament title against UCLA, which shocked No. 11 Arizona State 60-59 in Sunday's early game and also beat the Cardinal once during the regular season.
Stanford is still mad about its lack of energy in that 90-80 loss on Jan. 27.
"We did not have the intensity we needed," coach Tara VanDerveer said. "We did not play them well last time and it will help us coming out and being hungrier. I'm excited for UCLA. It's exciting to have new teams (in the final)."
Stanford has reached the tournament final in all five years of the event's existence, winning the past three after losing the inaugural championship game to Arizona State in 2002.
The Cardinal won their fifth straight overall and 10th in 11, beating the Women of Troy for the third time in as many meetings this season. USC (18-11) has lost 24 of 27 to Stanford and hasn't beaten the Cardinal since a 59-56 win on Jan. 25, 2004, in Los Angeles.
The Women of Troy led 37-32 at halftime of last year's semifinal meeting with Stanford in the conference tournament but couldn't hold it.
Smith had 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists by halftime a night after finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and two steals in a 77-50 quarterfinal win over Arizona.
"Brooke Smith commands a double down," Trakh said. "She's so skilled and her footwork is so good. She's like an old-time player with her back to the basket, and she's got all the moves."
The Cardinal, headed to their 20th straight NCAA tournament, used crisp ball movement to find open shots both inside and on the perimeter to fluster USC's man defense and quickly turned the game into a rout. Stanford also established a tournament record with 59 rebounds, 24 on the offensive end.
Eshaya Murphy reached double digits for the 23rd straight game with 14 points to lead the cold-shooting Women of Troy, but she went 0-for-8 from behind the arc after making a career-high five 3s in a 70-67 win over Washington on Saturday night.
Wiggins scored six straight points during one first-half stretch when Stanford pulled away and Rappahahn hit consecutive second-half 3-pointers for the Cardinal, who will try for their fourth straight conference tournament title after winning a school-record sixth straight Pac-10 regular-season championship.
Stanford made only 11 of its first 32 shots but USC started 5-for-27 and missed 10 of 11 3-pointers in the first half to fall behind 40-19 at the break. The Cardinal had a 36-21 rebounding edge by halftime.
"At one point, they were draining 3 after 3 after 3 and we weren't fast enough to get out there after them," USC guard Jamie Hagiya said. "When they get going, you just have to try to stay together and stay positive."