SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Chandler Smith scored 20 points, including two late free throws, as Gonzaga beat No. 8 Stanford 79-73 on Sunday.
Katie Campbell and Jill Townsend scored 15 points each for Gonzaga (8-1), which won for the second time in 10 games against Stanford. The Bulldogs' only loss this season is to No. 1 Notre Dame.
Kiana Williams scored 18 for Stanford (6-1), which was enjoying its best start in six seasons. All six Stanford wins this season were by at least 22 points.
Stanford was hurt by woefully shooting in the first three quarters, as the Zags outshot the Cardinal 54 percent to 43 percent on the afternoon. Gonzaga also won the battle on the boards 38-24.
Gonzaga closed the second quarter with a 13-4 run, as Stanford missed nine of its last 10 shots, to lead 43-32 at halftime.
Stanford made just 2 of 12 shots in the third quarter as the Bulldogs took a 58-41 lead.
The Cardinal found the range early in the fourth, outscoring the Zags 10-3 to cut the deficit to 61-51 with nearly seven minutes left.
Stanford pressed and the Zags started committing turnovers and missing shots.
DiJonai Carrington's basket and free throw cut Stanford's deficit to 65-62 with 4:16 left. Townsend's 3-pointer with 2 minutes on the clock put Gonzaga up 70-64.
Stanford cut the lead to 74-71 on Carrington's basket with 37 seconds to go, but Smith's jumper put the Zags up 76-71 with 10 seconds remaining.
Williams sank a pair of free throws to cut Gonzaga's lead to 76-73 with nine seconds left.
Jenn Wirth hit one free throw and Smith a pair to ice the win.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: The game was a homecoming for Stanford freshman twins Lacie and Lexie Hull, who grew up in the Spokane area. Lexie is hampered by an injured foot and did not play. The Cardinal came in averaging 87 points per game, 11th in the nation, while Gonzaga averages 65.9.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs' only previous win in the series was in 2016 at Stanford. Gonzaga lost to Stanford in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga senior guard Laura Stockton, who leads the team in assists, is the daughter of Gonzaga legend John Stockton. Several members of the top-ranked Gonzaga men's team attended the game.
