LAS VEGAS – Alanna Smith recorded her fourth career double-double and No. 14 Stanford put the defensive shackles on Belmont in the second half to beat the Bruins 74-53 in the semifinals of the Play4Kay Showcase on Friday night.
Smith connected on 10-of-16 shots from the floor and grabbed 11 rebounds for Stanford (4-2), which had its hands full in the first half. Belmont's Sierra Jones buried a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left in the second quarter to pull the Bruins (4-2) even at 37 at halftime.
But the second half was a different story. Stanford held Belmont to 16 total points on 6-of-24 shooting, including a 10-minute stretch across the third and fourth quarters without a point. Kylee Smith hit a 3-pointer and then made a layup on back-to-back possessions for Belmont to cut the Cardinal lead to 45-44 with 7:19 left in the third quarter, but the Bruins wouldn't score again until Maura Muensterman hit a triple at 7:18 in the fourth.
Stanford scored 19 during Belmont's dry spell, dominating down low. Alexa Romano hit a 3-pointer to start the spurt and the final 16 points came in the paint with seven from Smith, four from Kaylee Johnson, three from Maya Dodson and two from DiJonai Carrington.
At one point during the stretch, Stanford stole the ball and used two crisp passes without a dribble to go the length of the court for a breakaway Carrington layup.
Romano made half her 10 shots in a career-high 35 minutes and scored 11 for Stanford, her second game in double figures.
Darby Maggard paced the Bruins with 13 points and six rebounds, but she scored just two in the second half. Kylee Smith added 10 points for Belmont.
Thirty-six of Belmont's 56 shots were from behind the arc. Belmont made 8-of-22 (.364) in the first half, but just three in the second on 14 attempts.
Marta Sniezek had seven of Stanford's 12 assists and just one turnover and has 14 assists three turnovers in the first two games of the tournament.
Stanford gets a rematch with No. 9 Ohio State in tomorrow's championship at 8 p.m. The Cardinal opened the season at then-No. 5 Ohio State on Nov. 10 and lost 85-64.
