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.
SCOREBOARD: Follow all of Sunday's wild action
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.