STANFORD, Calif. – Erica McCall saved the best game of her career for her team's regular-season finale, leading No. 13 Stanford to a 69-42 rout of Oregon on Sunday in Maples Pavilion.
McCall finished with 25 points and a career-best 18 rebounds against the Ducks (20-9, 9-9 Pac-12), spurring the Cardinal (24-6, 14-4 Pac-12) to its fourth consecutive victory heading into the postseason. The junior forward averaged 25 points and 11.5 rebounds during the weekend homestand against No. 7 Oregon State and Oregon, going 23-of-41 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep.
Briana Roberson's perimeter shot-making and leadership was key for the Cardinal, which was without leading scorer and floor general Lili Thompson for a second consecutive game. Roberson tallied 10 points, four assists and four steals and turned the ball over just once in 30 minutes of play. Alanna Smith had another strong game off the bench, scoring nine points to go with five rebounds. Stanford finished with 48 rebounds, 22 of which were offensive.
Playing without Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate Jillian Alleyne (19.0 ppg, 13.6 rpg), the Ducks never found a rhythm on offense, shooting 2-of-15 in the first quarter and 16-of-55 for the game. Freshman guard Maite Cazorla led UO with 17 points and Lexi Pederson added ten. Lauren Yearwood and Jacinta Vandenberg topped the team with seven rebounds each.
TURNING POINT » Stanford dominated on both ends of the floor in the first quarter, combining strong shooting with suffocating defense to build an insurmountable 24-4 lead. The Cardinal scored the game's first 15 points, holding the Ducks without a point for the first 7:08 of the period and 0-of-10 from the floor. Superb ball movement was key to the host's offensive attack, reflected by the team's eight assists on ten made field goals. The trio of McCall, McPhee and Samuelson totaled all but two of the Card's first quarter points, with McCall nearly recording a double-double (10 points, nine rebounds) in the opening ten minutes. Kaylee Johnson didn't score, but was active on the boards (six rebounds) and as a passer (three assists). Oregon never came closer than 17 points and suffered its most lopsided loss since early January.
ERICA MCCALL » We needed a really big boost going into [the Pac-12 tournament], so the captains said, 'Don't take this game lightly.' The way we started--with a lot of energy--just carried over to the whole game.
NOT LIKE THE LAST ONE » In the teams' previous meeting in Eugene in January, Oregon led for a majority of the game, going up by as many as nine midway through the third quarter. Stanford used two Lili Thompson layups in the final minute to inch in front of the Ducks, holding on for a 64-62 win. This time, however, the Cardinal never trailed and went up by as many as 29. The win is Stanford's 50th against Oregon in 59 total meetings (28-1 at home).
TARA VANDERVEER » We didn't have [Erica] in [the previous] game, she didn't play. They're different without Jillian Alleyne, let's be honest. She gives them a whole different dimension inside. We didn't have Lili this game, and that was tough coming into this week, but other people really stepped up. [McCall] stepped up big.
MCCALL MAINTAINS MOMENTUM » McCall has now scored in double-figures in 14 of her team's last 15 games, averaging 15.0 ppg during that span. She's also grabbed on average of 9.6 rebounds in this latest run, which dates back to January 8. Sunday was her 15th double-double of the season, and her first since February 5 at Cal. Besides her career-high 18 boards, McCall also made a career-best 12 shots against Oregon.
ERICA MCCALL II » I just play with a lot of confidence. I think my team is really confident in me, and that keeps me going. I'm happy that I knocked down my shots. I've been working hard on them throughout the summer with my dad. To see the results in the end feels really great. I'm proud of myself, and hopefully this continues on into the tournament.
TARA VANDERVEER II » I think Erica has turned a big corner in her game. Her 3-point shot, her confidence adds a whole new dimension. Every day, she's the first one in the gym and the last one to leave, and it's paying off for her. She was the consistent scorer and rebounder for us [today]. I think she's playing great and she's definitely an All-Pac-12 player this year.
HELPING HANDS » Stanford tied its season-high with 22 assists, with Samuelson leading the way with five. Roberson and Marta Sniezek had four apiece and Kaylee Johnson added three. The Cardinal assisted on 75.9 percent (22-of-29) its baskets on Sunday.
TARA VANDERVEER III » [Passing] is a really key part of our offense. We're not in the Warriors' league yet, but we're working on it.
SENIORS HONORED » Departing seniors Alex Green (fifth-year), Tess Picknell and Kiran Lakhian were honored in a postgame ceremony. Since Green arrived on the Farm for the 2011-12 season, the Cardinal has gone 151-25 (.858) with a pair of NCAA Final Four appearances. During Picknell and Lakhian's career, Stanford has a 116-23 (.835) record.
PAC-12 TOURNEY AWAITS » With Stanford's win and UCLA's win against Arizona State, the Cardinal will be the No. 4 seed in the Pac-12 tournament. Stanford will have a bye and starts its postseason with a quarterfinal on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 5 Washington and No. 12 Colorado.
TARA VANDERVEER IV » I'm focused on us. This weekend, we made progress. We played very well against Oregon State [and] we played very well in spurts against Oregon. I think we're built for the tournament and we're playing our best basketball of the season. We're improving. We had major minutes from a lot of different people, and I thought this whole weekend they contributed.