Stanford women’s basketball weathers the storm, overpowers Miami Hurricanes at home

In an intense matchup at home at Maples Pavilion, Stanford (15-13, 7-10 ACC) overcame the University of Miami (14-14, 4-13) with a score of 86-69. The Cardinal’s ability to hit shots outside the paint ultimately allowed them to emerge victorious.

The Cardinal dominated, beginning the game opening on a 8-0 scoring run. The Hurricanes bounced back though, taking advantage of Stanford’s lack of size to get to the paint. The two teams exchanged points, ending the first quarter trailing Stanford by just one point.

Four minutes before the end of the first half, on a key drive to the basket, freshman guard Shay Ijwoye committed a hard foul that was initially ruled a charging foul, but upon review was upgraded to a technical foul, leaving Miami with two free throws and possession of the ball. The two teams went back and forth for the rest of the quarter. With just two minutes left, senior forward Brooke Demetre hit a key three-pointer that ignited the crowd. Stanford went into the leading half with a score of 45-44.

Stanford began the third quarter strong, opening on a 12-0 scoring run which put the total score at 58-46. The run was fueled by back-to-back three-pointers hit by sophomore guard Chloe Clardy and senior guard Elena Bosgana. This momentum carried on as the third quarter unfolded but it slowed down as Miami began to press Stanford and finish in the paint.   

Despite getting slowed down by Miami’s press initially, the Cardinal took advantage of it in the fourth quarter to push the ball and get easy finishes at the basket. They also drew on Miami’s 11 second-half turnovers to gain points and extend their lead.

The Cardinal eventually ended the game strong, with Demetre’s 19 points and 5 rebounds leading the team. Clardy’s four three-pointers also played a significant part in the win. 

While the Cardinal are out of the March Madness picture, they look to end their season strong before they begin the ACC tournament. They take on Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon for their Senior Night at home at Maples Pavilion, with tip-off at 1 p.m. 

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