NCAA Tournament: Stanford headed back to Sweet 16
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STANFORD – Stanford star Alanna Smith was stripped of the ball on the first possession Monday night, leading to an uncontested lay-up for BYU.
It was a sign that the Cardinal would be in for a physical struggle against the Cougars in its NCAA Tournament second-round game. But after an even first half, No. 2 Stanford exerted its will on No. 7 BYU in the third quarter of a 72-63 win at Maples Pavilion, which could bode well for the Cardinal’s attempt to make its eighth Final Four in 12 seasons this weekend in Chicago.
Stanford (30-4) advanced to its 12th straight Sweet 16, where it will face No. 11 Missouri State Saturday, thanks to a 16-0 run against the Cougars that took up almost seven minutes in the third quarter.
“Stanford’s really physical, and they are physical on us coming off ball screens with using their body and pushing and hitting us, and I think after a period of time it sometimes wears you out more than running up and down the court,” BYU coach Jeff Judkins said. “It’s just getting hit constantly. It’s kind of like an offensive lineman that keeps hitting the guy and eventually the defensive line gets slower and gets tired.”
A physical edge will be important against Stanford’s next opponent. The only double-digit seed left in the tournament, No. 11 Missouri State has made the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1991 by outrebounding 29 of its 34 opponents and placing in the top 25 in rebound margin and free throw attempts.
Stanford outrebounded BYU 43-40 Monday despite the presence of 6-7 Cougars center Sara Hamson. It also a 19-8 edge at the line.
Smith was held to just four points in the first half against BYU, but exploded for 19 points after halftime to ensure her final game on The Farm would be a happy one. Kiana Williams also fought threw a tough game (4 of 13 shooting) to make clutch plays during the decisive run.
“Even when things were not going Alanna’s way early, and she stayed with things,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “You know, it wasn’t (Kiana’s) best game, but she kept playing hard. So I’m really proud of our team and how hard they work.”
A second-team espnW All-American, Smith added 14 rebounds and three assists as Stanford improved to 15-1 at home. The lone loss was a 40-point blowout against Oregon, which the Cardinal avenged by beating the Ducks in the Pac-12 Tournament final.
“Had a couple of my teammates just talk to me and tell me, ‘Keep shooting,’” Smith said. “Like “we love that you’re taking those shots and we know that they are going to go in eventually,’”
The senior forward from Australia is the only player in men’s or women’s basketball with 600 points, 70 3-pointers and 70 blocks since Shane Battier of Duke in 2001.
“I love Stanford. It’s been the best four years of my life,” Smith said. “But you know, it’s not over yet. We have more games coming up in the next couple weeks, hopefully. And while it’s sad that it was my last game in Maples, I have another one in Chicago, so I’m just trying to ride this wave and ride it as long as possible.”