SALT LAKE CITY – Three players scored in double figures and No. 13 Stanford used a 27-point fourth quarter to put away Utah 77-58 at the Hunstman Center on Friday night.
Karlie Samuelson led the charge with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc while Erica McCall added 11 and Alanna Smith contributed all 10 of her points in the second half.
Stanford, up eight heading after three, opened the final period on a 14-4 run to take a commanding 64-48 lead with 6:16 to go. Briana Roberson and Smith sandwiched 3-pointers around a Samuelson jumper to start the spurt. Smith then hit on another from deep less than minute later before McCall wrapped up the run by splitting a pair of free throws and converting a layup after one of the Cardinal's 15 offensive rebounds.
Stanford (14-3, 4-1) shot 50.0 percent in the final quarter, went 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and 5-of-6 at the line to outscore Utah 27-16. The Cardinal's 27-point fourth quarter was its best of the season, eclipsing the 26 it scored in the final frame at Arizona on Jan. 1.
While Smith tallied her 10 in seven second-half minutes, Samuelson carried the Cardinal in the first. The senior sharpshooter scored all 12 of her points in the game's first 15 minutes on four 3-pointers. Her final bomb, which came with 4:59 on the clock in the second quarter, was the 192nd of her career and moved her past Jennifer Azzi and into a tie for eighth in program history with Lindsey Yamasaki.
Stanford had a double-digit lead late in the first quarter and built a 35-24 halftime lead. The Utes pulled to 40-34 with about five minutes left in the third quarter, but didn't get closer.
Emily Potter scored 15 points to lead Utah (12-4, 1-4), which made just 19-of-56 field goals (33.9 percent). Stanford shot 43.3 percent and is undefeated this season when making more than 40 percent of its attempts from the floor.
Brittany McPhee added nine points and six rebounds and Marta Sniezek had nine points and seven assists. McCall grabbed six rebounds and is now ninth in Stanford history in that category with 785 in her career. She climbed past Rachel Hemmer and Kristen Newlin (780) on Friday.
The Cardinal moved to 21-0 all-time against Utah with the win.
Stanford is at Colorado on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT for a game televised on Pac-12 Bay Area and Pac-12 Mountain.
