STANFORD, Calif. – Recording its best shooting performance this season, No. 13 Stanford dominated Arizona at home on Friday evening, rolling past the Wildcats, 82-58.
Coming off a Battle of the Bay sweep, the Cardinal upped its win streak to five, shooting 30-of-58 (51.7 percent) from the field with three players in double-figures. Erica McCall led the way with 12 points and 5 rebounds, Lili Thompson added 11 and Kaylee Johnson followed closely with 10.
The Cardinal (20-5, 10-3 Pac-12) never trailed against Arizona (11-14, 2-11 Pac-12), led by 20 at halftime and went up by as many as 34 midway through the fourth. Eight points apiece from McCall and Karlie Samuelson and seven courtesy of Brittany McPhee spurred Stanford in the first half, while Thompson and reserves Alanna Smith and Alexa Romano helped keep the team well in control over the final two quarters.
Smith put in seven points, blocked a career-high four shots and made several hustle plays as the Cardinal pulled away in the third and Romano poured in a career-high seven off the bench in the fourth. All but two Stanford players scored and the Cardinal put up 80 points for the first time in Pac-12 play.
McPhee topped Stanford with a season-high seven boards and Karlie Samuelson stuffed her line with eight points, four rebounds and four assists. Marta Sniezek led all players with five assists. Jalea Bennett and Michal Miller put in 12 points each to lead Arizona.
TURNING POINT » Stanford was all over the Wildcats from the opening tip, taking leads of 8-0 and 17-2 en route to 24-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Cardinal offense was well-balanced, with all five starters scoring just over three minutes into the game. Samuelson and McCall led the attack, combining for 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting to go along with six rebounds. And the defense kept Arizona at bay, not allowing the Wildcats to get within 17 points the rest of the way.
TARA VANDERVEER » I really liked how we got out of the gate and got our offense going. I thought Bri Roberson pushed the ball, Marta came in and pushed the ball. We were knocking down shots and playing the way we want to play. And then it was fun to have everyone on our team get some playing time, so we could rest some people to get ready for Sunday.
ON FIRE IN THE FIRST » Twenty-four points was the Cardinal's third-highest first quarter total this season, trailing 27 and 26 point performances against Cornell and Washington. Key to Stanford's fabulous first period was its accuracy from the field (9-of-16) and winning the turnover battle (6-1).
TARA VANDERVEER II » I think it was really important (to come out strong in the first quarter). It wasn't just one person; it was nice to have some balanced scoring. It's fun for people to experience success.
PHENOMENAL FROM THE FIELD » Its 51.7 percent shooting clip was Stanford's highest this season, topping its 50.8 percent performance against CSU Bakersfield in December. The team went 14-of-28 in the first half and outdid that torrid pace in the second, shooting 53.3 percent (16-of-30) over the final twenty minutes (including 68.8 in the third quarter).
TWICE IS NICE » The win gives the Cardinal its second five-game winning streak of the season, with the first coming from Dec. 16 to Jan. 2. During the latest run, the team has averaged 66.6 points per game, while surrendering 52.8 points.
ROBBERS » Stanford's 13 steals - nine of which came in the first half - surpassed its previous season-high 11 against Chattanooga on December 28. It also more than doubled its 2015-16 average of 6.46 per contest. Sniezek topped the team with three thefts and Kaylee Johnson, McPhee and McCall totaled two each.
TARA VANDERVEER III » I liked our defensive aggressiveness. I didn't like the fact that we gave them too many three-point plays. A lot of what Arizona does, Arizona State does better, so it was good practice for us to get picked up full court, them being aggressive defensively. It was good for us to play against it and experience success.
