STANFORD, Calif. – One game after making a school-record 18 3-pointers, Stanford sank another 14 to beat former conference foe Washington State in Maples Pavilion on Thursday night, 94-65.
The Cardinal’s 14 triples came on just 20 attempts (70.0 percent) and through the season’s first two games, Stanford (2-0) is shooting 59.3 percent from deep (32-of-54).
Elena Bosgana scored 19 for the second consecutive game to pace Stanford in scoring. She drew seven fouls and went 9-of-10 at the line, led all players with three steals and was a +41 in her 26 minutes on the floor. Nunu Agara had 18 and eight boards and hit a 3-pointer as the third-quarter horn sounded to put the Cardinal up 21 (69-48).
Tess Heal made her Stanford debut and scored 14 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from downtown, and Chloe Clardy chipped in another 13 for the Cardinal.
Stanford’s lead dwindled to eight midway through the third quarter when WSU’s Tara Wallack put back a miss by Alex Covill. The teams traded misses on each of their next two trips down the floor, which prompted Cardinal head coach Kate Paye to call timeout with 3:18 on the clock.
The media timeout was backed up with another media stoppage after one possession, and when played finally resume in earnest, Stanford closed the third on a 15-2 run over the final three minutes, capped with Agara’s buzzer beater.
In an insane shooting display, the Cardinal made 6-of-7 from downtown in the third and grew a lead as large as 38 in the fourth before ultimately winning by 29.
In available records dating to 2002-03, Stanford’s 3-point percentage was its best when attempting at least 20, eclipsing a 13-of-20 (.650) effort at Washington State on Jan. 2, 2004. The Cardinal is the 15th DI team to hit at least 70.0 percent on 20+ attempts over the last 23 seasons, and first since South Dakota went 19-of-27 (.704) in a win over Midland Lutheran on Nov. 7, 2022. A team hadn’t done it against a DI opponent since Valparaiso at Southern Illinois on Feb. 27, 2021. Valpo was 15-of-20 (.750).
Winners of its first two under new head coach Kate Paye, Stanford plays its first linear TV game of the season on Sunday when it hosts Gonzaga at noon on ESPN2. Prior to the game, Stanford will unofficially unveil Tara VanDerveer Court, named in honor of the recently retired, NCAA’s all-time winningest coach.