Stanford faces a bigger challenge
Mack leads potent Oklahoma State team
SAN ANTONIO >> Kiana Williams’ homecoming couldn’t have gone much better for the senior guard or the Stanford Cardinal, who looked every bit the part of the No. 1 overall seed in its NCAA Tournament-opening blowout win over Utah Valley.
But another native Texan, also playing her final games as a collegian, could pose a significant challenge to the Cardinal’s pursuit of its third national championship tonight in Stanford’s second-round game against Oklahoma State. (Tipoff is at 6 p.m. on ESPN2).
Williams, a San Antonio native, became Stanford’s career leader in made 3-pointers in Sunday night’s 87-44 drubbing of Utah Valley. The Cardinal (26-2) has won 15 in a row, and now it’s a showdown against the high-scoring Cowgirls (198), Led by Natasha Mack, who scored 27 points in Oklahoma State’s 84-61 win over Wake Forest on Sunday, the Cowgirls average nearly 72 points per game.
Mack, who grew up about 300 miles northeast of San Antonio in Lufkin, Texas, leads the Cowgirls in scoring (19.9 ppg) and rebounding (12.3 rpg.) The Big 12 defensive player of the year, and Ja’Mee Asberry (17.4 ppg.) to give No. 8 seeded Oklahoma State one of the top scoring tandems in the country.
The Cardinal counters with a dominating defense that allowed more than 60 points just five times this season, and the Cardinal
has a variety of offensive weapons. Stanford showed a glimpse of its depth in the lopsided opener with nine players scoring at least six points.
Leading the way was Williams, who scored 20 points and, with family and friends in the stands, moved past Candice Wiggins in the Stanford history book. She made six 3-pointers against Utah Valley.
“It’s great she had like 52 people here, she really got us going,” coach Tara VanDerveer said. “Our whole team shot the ball well, especially in the first half. I think the best thing was we were able to rest people and no one got hurt. I thought we did a really good job.”
Stanford never trailed after Williams, who made 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, hit a 3 for the first basket in the opening minute. She tied the school mark of 295 held by Wiggins. Williams set the record with her second 3 midway through the first quarter to put the Cardinal up 18-3.
“She just challenged me to be a pesky defender, to get my defense going so I could get my offense going,” Williams said of advice she has received from Wiggins. “Haven’t really had a conversation with her about the 3-point record. It hasn’t really been at the top of my list. I just want to win.”
Wiggins, who starred for the Cardinal from 2005-08 and helped lead the team back to the Final Four in ’08, ending an 10-year drought, was happy for Williams surpassing her mark.
“She’s incredible. I have no words to describe ... just that I’m so grateful that I got to work with her a few summers ago at Stanford camp,” Wiggins wrote in a text message to the AP. “Her and I have a major soul bond. Love and appreciate her so much!!!”
Lacie Hull added 12 points for Pac-12 champion Stanford, the No. 1 overall seed for the first time since 1996.
Josie Williams had 18 points to lead Utah Valley (13-7), the WAC runner-up in the regular season that lost its first conference tournament game but represented the league in the NCAA Tournament because undefeated California Baptist was ineligible to advance while still completing the transition from Division II to Division I.