Cardinal’s McPhee closes out Ducks

NO. 24 STANFORD 78, NO. 6 OREGON 65

EUGENE, Ore. — Stanford’s Brittany McPhee picked the perfect day to turn in a super performance.

Or, as head coach Tara VanDerveer put it, “She really put the team on her back.”

McPhee scored 31 of her career-high 33 points in the second half to lead No. 24 Stanford over No. 6 Oregon 78-65 on Sunday.

McPhee had the last 19 points for the Cardinal (16-8, 10-2 Pac-12), tied for the conference lead with the Ducks (21-4, 10-2). Alaina Smith and Kiana Williams each had 14 points.

“Brit was just not going to let her team lose. Period,” VanDerveer said. “She just said no, it ain’t happening and give me the ball and I’m going to make shots and make defensive plays, and that’s what she did.”

McPhee shot 13-for-18 from

the floor in the second half, including 9-for-11 in the fourth quarter. Her 31 second-half points topped her previous game high by three.

“My teammates were getting me open,” McPhee said. “It wasn’t like I was just forcing it up. They were making really good passes, really good screens.”

Stanford snapped Oregon’s home winning streak at 14 games. The Ducks trailed 67-65 before being outscored 11-0 over the final 5:08 of the game.

Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said he ran every possible defense at McPhee, to no avail.

“That kid is fearless,” Graves said. “It’s funny, we actually called that at halftime. We said No. 12 is going to come out, because she didn’t do much in the first half, and we figured she was going to do what she did.”

Sabrina Ionescu (Miramonte-Orinda) led the Ducks with 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Ruthy Hebard added 16 points and Satou Sabally had 14.

Hebard’s eight rebounds led Oregon to a 36-34 edge on the boards, but she attempted only one shot and failed to score in the second half. It was the Ducks’ first loss in 21 games after leading at halftime.

“I think we worked harder not to let her get in deep and get her spot,” VanDerveer said. “I thought Brit did a really nice job of doubling and trying to make other people make shots.”

Graves went almost exclusively with his starters, getting no points in 19 minutes from his three reserves.

“Congratulations to Stanford,” Graves said. “They deserved it, they earned that.”

Stanford reasserted itself in the Pac-12 with the road sweep of No. 16 Oregon State and No. 6 Oregon. The Cardinal are 4-7 against ranked teams.

Chris Pietsch / Associated Press Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, from Miramonte-Orinda, walks off the court as players for No. 24 Stanford celebrate after beating the sixth-ranked Ducks.

Chris Pietsch / Associated Press Stanford's Nadia Fingall (left), Alanna Smith and Marta Sniezek celebrate with teammate Brittany McPhee (12), who scored the Cardinal’s final 19 points.