Series domination continues

When it comes to setting a tone for her team, Kaylee Johnson doesn’t waste time. In the first 3½ minutes of Sunday’s game against Washington, the Stanford forward had six points, two rebounds and a block.

“The aggressiveness that Kaylee shows is contagious, and the rest of the team catches on,” teammate Alanna Smith said.

Johnson had 12 rebounds and five blocks to go with eight points as the Cardinal rolled to a 71-45 win over the Huskies at Maples Pavilion.

“She gets my vote for player of the week,” head coach Tara VanDerveer said after her team completed a sweep of the Washington schools.

Stanford (11-7, 5-1 Pac-12) has won 16 straight home games against Washington. It hasn’t lost to the Huskies at Maples since 1999. Overall it was the Cardinal’s 38th win in their past 46 games against Washington.

Smith scored 19 points and Brittany McPhee had 15 as the Cardinal led almost wire to wire in a rugged game. Washington (6-11, 0-6) is in last place in the conference after losing Kelsey Plum, the nation’s leading scorer, and rebounds leader Chantel Osahor to graduation.

Jody Wynn, in her first year as head coach after eight seasons at Long Beach State, has the Huskies playing a scrappy,

physical style. They forced Stanford into 20 turnovers but scored only 13 points off them.

McPhee and sophomore guard DiJonai Carrington, who scored 11, held Amber Melgoza, the Pac-12’s third-leading scorer, to five points. She averages 17.7 overall and 22.8 in league games.

VanDerveer lauded Carrington’s athleticism and toughness, among her other qualities. She was injured her senior year at Horizon Christian in San Diego, the coach pointed out, and that might have hampered her development. She had five assists and five rebounds Sunday, but she helps in many ways that don’t show up on the stat sheet, like scrapping for loose balls.

“I love her energy,” VanDerveer said. “I love her aggressiveness. She and Kaylee in a lot of ways are our emotional leaders out there. They’re battlers. They’re warriors.”

Jenna Moser had 14 points and Hannah Johnson 10 to lead the Huskies (6-11, 0-6), who sagged noticeably in the fourth quarter. They shot just 24 percent for the game.

Washington led briefly at 6-4 before Stanford took command. A 15-11 lead after one quarter opened to 31-23 at the half.

The halftime margin would have been bigger except for a rare fivepoint play that let the Huskies cut into a 31-16 lead in the final minute.

Hannah Johnson hit a three while Stanford’s Nadia Fingall was called for a foul on Moser — who hit the ensuing two free throws. VanDerveer didn’t think the shot should have counted, but the officials told her Johnson was going up for the shot — even though she hadn’t released it — when the foul was called.

Hannah Johnson added a put-back before the half ended.

“It was a big momentum changer for them,” VanDerveer said.

It took Smith, McPhee and their teammates just minutes to get the momentum back in the third quarter.