Nov. 13, 2006
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Stanford missed key shots, made poor decisions with the ball in crunch time and didn't block out when it most needed to rebound.
"No one got it done," coach Tara VanDerveer said. "We can't make the mistakes we're making and expect to win."
Haley Hall banked in a go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.5 seconds left and the shot clock expiring and Stanford then missed three chances to score from close range, lifting No. 24 BYU to a 55-52 upset of the fourth-ranked Cardinal in the second round of the preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament on Monday night.
The physical Cougars (2-0) used an 18-2 run over the final 7:23 to steal a rare win from Stanford on its home court in Maples Pavilion. BYU advances to play at Baylor on Thursday night in the semifinals of the 16-team event.
"I'm excited for our program. This is a big win for us," BYU coach Jeff Judkins said. "Stanford is a program others try to match. I'm proud of my team because they never quit. As a coach, you always want that and you believe in that."
Brooke Smith had 13 points and eight rebounds for Stanford (1-1), which couldn't survive a sloppy, inconsistent performance. Two-time reigning Pac-10 Player of the Year Candice Wiggins matched her career-low with seven points and missed a layin in the waning seconds.
Hall scored 15 points and Mallary Gillespie 12 to lead BYU. The Cougars made Stanford work for every shot and kept Smith and Kristen Newlin from having their way in the paint.
With Wiggins swarming, Hall didn't think her 3-pointer would fall.
"I heard the bench counting down and I knew I needed to throw it up," she said. "She had a hand in my face. I got a bounce."
Gillespie's 3-pointer pulled the Cougars within 52-49 with 1:44 to play and Shawnee Slade's layin the next time down made it a one-point game. Newlin missed two putback tries after Wiggins' miss late.
"I told them, 'Let's just keep cutting it down and keep defending them,"' said Judkins, whose team advanced with a 73-50 first-round victory over Idaho State.
Wiggins never looked in sync facing Slade's relentless defense all game. She didn't take a shot until hitting a jumper 5:58 before halftime and made her first assist with 7:40 remaining in the half on a basket by Michelle Harrison.
Smith made the first 3-pointers of her career, hitting back-to-back shots from behind the arc early in the first half. Stanford shot only 7-for-13 from the free-throw line and committed 17 turnovers.
The Cardinal had five of those turnovers in the final 7:23 and shot 1-for-8 during that span.
"They did a great job but a lot of it was our own fault," Smith said. "They're all things we can fix."
Stanford began the second half 4-for-15, but held the Cougars without a field goal for nearly five minutes to take a 13-point lead it couldn't hold.
Cissy Pierce added 10 points and was the only player aside from Smith to score in double figures. Stanford missed all but three of its 12 3-pointers.
"As disappointing as this loss is, it's early and we can only learn from this game and try to improve," Pierce said. "Toward the end, we weren't taking care of the ball well and we weren't getting offensive rebounds."
Heralded Stanford freshman Jayne Appel made her first appearance after sitting out about a month with an injured left shoulder, which she protected with a sleeve that covered her upper arm. She checked in at 17:19 of the first half and finished with four points, five rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes.
Stanford had 10 first-half turnovers, allowing BYU to stay within 28-26 at halftime despite shooting 33 percent.
The Cardinal won the last meeting between the schools 105-64 victory on Dec. 21, 1990.
NOTES: Tonight's meeting was the first between Stanford and BYU since the Cardinal notched a 105-64 win back on Dec. 21, 1990 ... Freshman Jayne Appel made her collegiate debut at the 17:19 mark of the first half, as now all four Stanford rookies have seen court time ... BYU did not record its first free throw attempt until the 13:44 mark of the second half ... Candice Wiggins' seven points tied her career-low, as she also scored seven points on 3-6 shooting at Washington State on Jan. 29, 2005. She has been held to less than 10 points now five times in her career ... Stanford suffered its first home loss since Dec. 4, 2005, when Tennessee registered a 74-67 win at Maples Pavilion. Tonight's loss snapped the Cardinal's 12-game home winning streak ... Brooke Smith led the Cardinal in scoring for the second straight game ... Despite an 0-5 mark from the field in two games, JJ Hones has pulled down five boards and dished out 10 assists ... BYU was 11-27 from three-point territory while Stanford was just 3-12 ... Stanford started 1-1 last year, en route to a 26-8 overall finish.