No. 2 Stanford takes down No. 8 Arizona, 75-69, in national championship rematch
No. 2 Stanford beats No. 8 Arizona, 75-69, in national championship rematch
No. 2 Stanford took down No. 8 Arizona, 75-69, in the national championship rematch from last year.
Even though Arizona fought back to lead the game numerous times, and even kept the score close at the end, Stanford’s performances from Cameron Brink and Jana Van Gytenbeek were just too much to handle.
Brink posted a game-high 25 points, most notably scoring seven down the stretch of the third quarter to help put the Cardinal in a commanding 55-46 lead after 30 minutes.
Bucket 𝗔𝗡𝗗 the foul ‼️
— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) January 30, 2022
💪 @cameronbrink22 💪
📺 » https://t.co/sK7VzviZWg#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/A1ALG2dkee
Her play in the paint and around the opposing rim helped Stanford outscore Arizona, 36-30, in the paint. That was shown in her team-high 15 rebounds.
Van Gytenbeek was massive from beyond the arc, scoring 6-of-8 from three. She finished her day with 18 points, matching her season-total to this point.
Still, Arizona wasn’t without top performers.
Cate Reese was superb. She was most important when she went on a 9-0 run of her own to open the third quarter and bring the Wildcats to within one point. She finished the day with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
3Q | @Shainap_14 with a steal and finds @cate_reese for the transition three!!
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) January 30, 2022
🅰️ | 39
🌲 | 43
📺 | ESPN2 / https://t.co/RFbsKNOmRz#MadeForIt pic.twitter.com/puzy6AjoOq
Shaina Pellington, her teammate, was also a key cog, scoring 16 points and facilitating play for the Arizona offense.
With the win, Stanford improves to 7-0 atop the Pac-12. Arizona falls to 5-3.
Stanford leads, 55-46, after three quarters
Stanford's last seven points? All Cam.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ac7tnxVfZs
— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) January 30, 2022
Despite Arizona's Cate Reese going on a 9-0 run of her own, Stanford went on to dominate the third quarter, leading 55-46 after 30 minutes.
Cameron Brink led the way for Stanford, scoring nine points in the quarter, including converting seven of the Cardinal's nine points to end the quarter. Brink has a game-high 19 points on the day.
Cate Reese on fire for Arizona to open the third quarter
Stanford notched two free throws to open the second half to extend its lead to 43-33. Arizona's Cate Reese wasn't a big fan of that.
Reese went off, converting on three-straight three-pointers and going on a 9-0 run of her own to bring Arizona back to within a point.
3Q | @Shainap_14 with a steal and finds @cate_reese for the transition three!!
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) January 30, 2022
🅰️ | 39
🌲 | 43
📺 | ESPN2 / https://t.co/RFbsKNOmRz#MadeForIt pic.twitter.com/puzy6AjoOq
Stanford currently leads 43-42 with 7:02 to play in the third.
Stanford leads, 41-33, at halftime
The Cardinal ended the first half on a 12-3 run en route to a 41-33 lead after two quarters.
Stanford's Jana Van Gytenbeek has been key in getting her squad the lead with her team-high 12 points so far. She's been clutch from three, shooting 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. Also important has been sophomore forward Cameron Brink who's finished off many plays down low for Stanford, helping the Cardinal outscore Arizona, 22-16, in the paint.
Not in @cameronbrink22’s house. 👋
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) January 30, 2022
📺 ESPN2
📱 https://t.co/4lyLhRitRw#GoStanford | #Pac12WBB | @StanfordWBB pic.twitter.com/pRmfNPo4L4
However, the half wasn't without a fight from Arizona.
The Wildcats snagged their first lead of the game when they led, 22-21, early in the second quarter. The only problem for them was Stanford's response: an 8-0 run. Arizona called a timeout and earned a 6-0 run of their own to lead 30-29, but that vanished after Stanford got hot once again.
Senior Shaina Pellington has led the way for Arizona through 20 minutes, driving play, causing turnovers and scoring buckets. She has a team-high eight points so far and three rebounds. Senior Cate Reese has been big around the hoop, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds.
Stanford leads, 17-16, after one quarter
Ball movement is 𝘾𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙋
— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) January 30, 2022
📺 » https://t.co/sK7VzviZWg#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/dP1ZXAnpX6
We knew this national championship rematch was going to be close.
After 10 minutes, Stanford leads, 17-16. The Cardinal have their lead due to outscoring the Wildcats in the paint, 12-6. Guards Haley Jones and Anna Wilson have been masterful in getting their teammates the ball around the hoop.
Despite being down by six points twice so far, Arizona has stayed close with its two three-pointers.
How to watch No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 8 Arizona
WHEN: You can watch No. 2 Stanford battle No. 8 Arizona at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 29.
HOW TO WATCH: The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2. You can also stream on WatchESPN.
LOCATION: Maples Pavillion in Stanford, CA
Click or tap here to see the full women's basketball scoreboard.
Preview: No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 8 Arizona
Nothing like a national championship rematch, right?
No. 2 Stanford hosts No. 8 Arizona Sunday afternoon in a top-10 clash between two of the Pac-12's best teams. But it's hard to forget how intense last season's championship game was when Stanford edged out Arizona, 54-53, to win a national title.
Stanford's leading scorer in that game was guard Haley Jones, who posted 17 points and eight rebounds in the win. She leads her team in scoring this season with 13.1 points per game. She also leads her team in rebounds with 8.3. In that final game, Lexie Hull and Cameron Brink were tied for second in scoring with 10 apiece. This season, Brink ranks second on the team in points per game with 13 and Hull is third with 11.1.
On the Arizona side, its leading scorer this season has been senior forward Cate Reese, averaging 14.8 points per game. Senior guard Shaina Pellington is averaging 10.2 points per game on the season and senior forward Sam Thomas is averaging 9.2. Both have been crucial in the Wildcats offense.
In the Pac-12, Stanford is currently in first place and Arizona is in third. No. 19 Oregon is in between them.
Tale of the tape
Both squads enter Sunday on winning streaks. The Cardinal enter on a seven-game win streak, while the Wildcats have won their last three.
Here's how they stack up:
Stanford | STAT | Arizona |
---|---|---|
15-3 (6-0 in Pac-12) | Record (conference games) | 15-2 (5-2 in Pac-12) |
2 | Current AP poll ranking | 8 |
Champions | 2021 NCAA tournament finish | Runner-up |
74.4 | Points Per Game | 71.4 |
.452 | Field Goal % | .452 |
.341 | 3-point % | .364 |
.678 | Free-throw % | .700 |
42.4 | Rebounds Per Game | 35.6 |
15.1 | Assists Per Game | 15.5 |
14.7 | Turnovers Per Game | 14.1 |
8.8 | Steals Per Game | 11.4 |
5.8 | Blocks Per Game | 5.0 |
First in-season top 16 revealed
In the first in-season top 16 reveal, Stanford ranked No. 2 and Arizona ranked No. 8. Click here for a full breakdown of the rankings.
Also check out NCAA.com women's basketball beat reporter Autumn Johnson's conversation with NCAA committee chair Nina King.
Latest AP Top 25 rankings
Below is the most recent AP Top 25 women's basketball poll, updated on Monday, Jan. 24. Stanford is No. 2 and Arizona is No. 8.
Here's the rest of the poll:
RANK |
TEAM |
RECORD |
POINTS |
PREVIOUS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Carolina (29) | 17-1 | 748 | 1 |
2 | Stanford | 14-3 | 708 | 2 |
3 | NC State (1) | 18-2 | 695 | 4 |
4 | Tennessee | 18-1 | 657 | 5 |
5 | Louisville | 16-2 | 632 | 3 |
6 | Indiana | 14-2 | 605 | 6 |
7 | Michigan | 16-2 | 566 | 8 |
8 | Arizona | 14-2 | 538 | 10 |
9 | Texas | 14-3 | 426 | 15 |
10 | UConn | 11-4 | 424 | 9 |
11 | Baylor | 13-4 | 419 | 15 |
12 | LSU | 17-3 | 411 | 11 |
13 | Iowa State | 16-3 | 369 | 7 |
14 | Georgia Tech | 15-4 | 350 | 18 |
15 | Georgia | 15-4 | 344 | 13 |
16 | BYU | 15-1 | 302 | 17 |
17 | Maryland | 13-6 | 293 | 12 |
18 | Oklahoma | 16-3 | 186 | 14 |
19 | Oregon | 11-5 | 155 | NR |
20 | Notre Dame | 14-4 | 154 | 19 |
21 | Duke | 13-4 | 149 | 21 |
22 | Ohio State | 15-3 | 116 | NR |
23 | Iowa | 12-4 | 107 | 25 |
24 | Ole Miss | 17-2 | 96 | NR |
25 | Kansas State | 15-4 | 93 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Florida Gulf Coast 90, North Carolina 83, Virginia Tech 13, Florida 12, DePaul 4, Missouri 2, UCLA 2, Kansas 1