STANFORD, Calif. – Nunu Agara put together her fourth double-double of the season to lead four Cardinal in double figures, but Stanford dropped a 67-60 contest to Duke in Maples Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.
Agara had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Courtney Ogden and Chloe Clardy each scored 11. Alexandra Eschmeyer had 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks in a career-high 28 minutes off the bench.
Stanford (14-5, 3-2 ACC) trailed by as many as seven late in the second quarter and again early in the third and worked its way back to even multiple times but was unable to ever regain the lead. Duke was up 39-32 with 7:43 on the clock in the third period and Stanford tied it 42-42 four minutes later after a pair of Ogden baskets.
The Blue Devils stretched it to five on an Arianna Roberson jumper to start the fourth, 50-45, and again the Cardinal responded. Clardy had a steal and fastbreak score and then hit a 3-pointer and it was 50-50 with 8:12 left.
Stanford was down one, 56-55, with 4:29 to go after an Agara jumper before Duke reeled off an 8-0 run over the next 3:33 to put the game away. Following Agara’s basket, Duke made five of its final six field goals while the Cardinal missed four straight and turned it over twice. Late buckets from Ogden, a 3-pointer, and Clardy, a layup, were not enough.
Stanford outshot Duke 43 percent to 39 percent and from behind the arc 46 percent to 15 percent. But the Cardinal had 19 turnovers to Duke’s eight. The Blue Devils outscored Stanford 21-12 in points off turnovers.
Eleventh nationally in free throw percentage entering the game, Stanford was just 2-of-5 at the line on Sunday and did not attempt a free throw until there was 1:34 left in the third quarter.
Stanford returns to the road next weekend, beginning with a game at Boston College on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on ACCNX.