STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Kiana Williams wanted to stay in the flow of the offense.
After hitting a couple of shots, the sophomore guard found her rhythm and sparked a run that doesn’t happen much against one of the top defensive teams in the country.
Williams scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half, leading No. 11 Stanford past No. 7 Oregon State 61-44 Friday night.
“We were focused,” Williams said. “We locked in on defense and collectively did our job. That helped me get into a rhythm.”
Alanna Smith added 17 points for the Cardinal (19-3, 9-2 Pac-12), who won their 22nd consecutive home game. Smith also blocked three shots early in the game that turned the momentum.
“Her defense at the beginning helped set the tone,” Oregon State coach Scott Rueck said. “Those blocks were big.”
Maya Dodson, in her third game back from an injury, had a career-high 10 rebounds and matched her career-high with four blocks.
Destiny Slocum scored 23 points for Oregon State (19-4, 9-2), which had won four straight since losing to Arizona State. The Beavers have lost three straight to the Cardinal.
“We stepped up to the challenge of really playing defense,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “We had to focus on getting out on their shooters. The defense was outstanding.”
After a slow start, Stanford rapidly pulled away, outscoring the Beavers 24-12 in the second quarter, and maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the contest. The Cardinal led by as many as 23 points.
Smith blocked three shots, all in the first half, becoming the fifth Stanford player to record at least 200 blocks in a career.
Oregon State’s 10-game winning streak in road conference games came to an end.
“We had a tough time getting shots,” Rueck said. “I liked the way we defended early but all that went away once we started missing. In the second quarter, we were searching for anything that might work.”
Stanford took a 50-29 edge into the final quarter.
The Beavers scored the game’s first six points, but that only served as a wake-up call as Stanford used a 17-1 run during the second quarter, with Williams hitting three of her four 3-pointers, to take a 19-point edge with 2:11 left in the first half.
The Cardinal played without Smith and DiJonai Carrington, both in foul trouble, for much of that run.
“That was awesome,” VanDerveer said. “It shows great depth. We want more people to contribute.”
Lacie Hull hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Cardinal a 36-20 halftime lead.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon State ended a 29-game losing streak at Maples Pavilion in its last trip in January 2017, beating the Cardinal in double overtime. … The previous four meetings between the schools have been decided by five points or less. … Beavers coach Scott Rueck needs two wins for 200 at Oregon State. … The Beavers have led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage in each of the past five seasons and lead in the conference this year.
Stanford’s Williams matched her season-high (4) in made 3-pointers by halftime. … Smith moved into 17th on the all-time scoring list. … Stanford leads the Pac-12 with 5.1 blocks per game. The Cardinal blocked seven in the first half against the Beavers.
UP NEXT
No. 7 Oregon State: At California on Sunday.
No. 11 Stanford: Hosts No. 3 Oregon on Sunday.
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