Stanford Makes A Statement

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Cameron Brink had 20 points and 17 rebounds to help No. 15 Stanford rout ninth-ranked Indiana 96-64 on Sunday, dominating an early-season matchup between two ranked teams.
 
"I think this is just the tip of the iceberg of how good this team can be," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said.
 
The Cardinal (2-0) jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and more than doubled up on the Hoosiers (1-1) with a 54-26 lead by halftime, controlling the game both in the paint and from the outside.
 
"What I saw out there today was unselfish basketball," VanDerveer said. "Whoever had the hot hand, we were feeding them. People just stayed with things."
 
Kiki Iriafen added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinal. It was Stanford's highest-scoring game against an AP top-10 opponent since the Cardinal recorded 97 points against then-No. 6 Tennessee on Dec. 20, 2011.
 
Brink made back-to-back 3-pointers to give Stanford an early 14-4 lead. Six Stanford players made 3-pointers by halftime, as the Cardinal shot 53 percent in the first half while holding the Hoosiers to 30 percent shooting. The preseason AP All-American forward also recorded her 300th career block in the first quarter, finishing with four blocks.
 
Brink said she was a little nervous before the game.
 
"It's weird," Brink said. "I usually don't get nervous. But I just told myself, 'I'm going to have fun.' Kiki did a great job. She matched my energy."
 
Stanford pulled away with a 28-11 second quarter and led 75-42 after three quarters.
 
Indiana star Mackenzie Holmes was held without a point in the first half, missing all five of her shot attempts. Stanford's post players bothered Holmes, who committed three turnovers and finished with just eight points.
 
Sydney Parrish and Sara Scalia led Indiana in scoring with 15 points apiece.
 
"It was just a good old fashioned butt kicking," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. "That's what it looked like. I thought Stanford was terrific. And we had some good moments, but certainly you need a lot of really good moments to beat a team like that, that had the combination going on inside and outside today."
 
Stanford outscored Indiana 44-24 in the paint, and was 38 percent from distance with the Hoosiers going 5-of-32 from deep.
 
Brink made a layup off a spin move in the second quarter to give the Cardinal a 35-20 lead, then blocked Holmes on the other end leading to a layup by Iriafen.
 
Iriafen, who led Stanford in its 87-40 season-opening win over Hawaii with 23 points and 13 rebounds, recorded her second consecutive double-double to start the season. The 6-foot-3 forward's improvement this season gives Stanford two post players, along with the 6-foot-4 Brink.
 
"I think it's incredible," Iriafen said of playing with Brink. "This is our first year on the floor together at same time. I think we just balance each other out. We have great energy. We kind of just play off each other. We're always looking for each other."
 
Brink called Iriafen the "most improved player in the country."
 
"Your growth from last year to this year is insane," Brink said. "I think she's going to surprise a lot of people this year. I'm really excited."
 
BIG PICTURE
 
Stanford: Both teams were coming off blowout wins in their respective home openers, but it was Stanford that made a statement at home with head coach Tara VanDerveer notching a win over her alma mater. The Cardinal should expect a bump in the Top 25 rankings.
 
Brink said the team is enjoying being in more of an underdog role.
 
"Since my freshman year, we've always been top five — so it's fun to hunt," she said.
 
Indiana: After a 96-43 home win over Eastern Illinois to start the season, the Hoosiers go back to the drawing board with a humbling road defeat to a ranked opponent. Moren said she scheduled Stanford as part of the non-conference schedule to give her team an early-season test.
 
"We wanted this to be an early test against a team that we have a tremendous amount of respect for.," Moren said. "We just wish we could have played a lot better, because we know we are a lot better than what we had on the floor today."