Feb. 25, 2006
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Candice Wiggins scored 14 of her 22 points in the second half to help No. 15 Stanford win the Pac-10 title with a 78-47 victory over Washington State on Saturday.
Jillian Harmon added 19 points for the Cardinal (21-6, 15-3 Pac-10), which enter Friday's conference tournament as the top seed. Brooke Smith had 11.
Kate Benz, who led the Cougars (8-19, 2-16) with 10 points and eight rebounds, moved into fourth place on Washington State's all-time rebounding list with 689. Amanda DuRocher had 12 points.
Wiggins, the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year last season, moved into 20th place on Stanford's all-time scoring list with 1,198 points. Former All-American Kate Starbird finished her collegiate career with 2,215.
Stanford won its conference-record sixth straight title and 15th overall. The Cardinal also won their 46th consecutive home game against a Pac-10 opponent and improved to 169-11 all-time in Pac-10 home games.
Washington State has never won in 42 meetings with the Cardinal.
Senior Krista Rappahahn, playing in her final home game, sparked a 14-0 run early in the second half that put Stanford up 48-29.
The Cardinal took a 30-point lead into the final 5 minutes.
Stanford missed eight of its first nine shots, including an 0-for-6 effort from Wiggins, and didn't have the lead until Harmon hit a follow shot with 7:50 left in the half.
The Cardinal used a 9-0 run -- Harmon and Wiggins accounting for all the points -- to outscore Washington State 17-5 in the final 9:33 of the half to take a 31-23 lead into halftime.