Stout Cardinal defense too much for Sun Devils
Kiana Williams scored 18 points and had three steals to lead a Stanford defense that held Arizona State without a basket for the first nine minutes of the game and the sixthranked Cardinal throttled the Sun Devils 8041 on Friday night.
Hannah Jump added a seasonhigh 17 points for Stanford (202, 172 Pac12). Lexie Hull had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Haley Jones scored 11.
Stanford never trailed, led by 41 and dominated in the paint on both ends of the floor while winning its ninth straight.
Stanford’s defense made the biggest impact, tipping passes and converting the deflections into turnovers and easy buckets. The Cardinal allowed seven points in the first quarter, 11 in the second and seven in the third.
Arizona State (108, 58) missed its first 10 shots and was on the brink of not making a basket at all in the first quarter until Taya Hanson’s 3pointer with 4.6 seconds remaining. Prior to Hanson’s bucket, the Sun Devils’ only points came on four free throws.
Eboni Walker scored 11 points for Arizona State. Hanson had 10.
Williams, who had 13 points in the first half, scored five as part of an 120 run that put Stanford ahead 5823 in the third, including on a fadeaway shot as she was falling out of bounds at the baseline. Williams was held out of the fourth quarter when coach Tara VanDerveer pulled her starters.
Before the game, players from both teams formed a huge oval around the court in a symbol of unity in the fight to end racial injustice. A moment of silence was held as coaches from both teams and the referees stood by.