Last Updated 6:25 PM, January 30, 2022
Evan Marinofsky

No. 2 Stanford takes down No. 8 Arizona, 75-69, in national championship rematch

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Women's basketball rankings: Arizona reenters, NC State rises in latest Power 10
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10:46 pm, January 30, 2022

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.

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. 

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. 

10:18 pm, January 30, 2022

Stanford leads, 55-46, after three quarters

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. 

10:03 pm, January 30, 2022

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. 

Stanford currently leads 43-42 with 7:02 to play in the third. 

9:41 pm, January 30, 2022

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. 

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. 

9:17 pm, January 30, 2022

Stanford leads, 17-16, after one quarter

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. 

12:43 am, January 30, 2022

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.

12:28 am, January 30, 2022

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
1:49 am, January 30, 2022

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. 

Committee chair Nina King breaks down first women's basketball top-16 rankings of 2022
1:46 am, January 30, 2022

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: 

Through Games JAN. 23, 2022

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