Women’s basketball shakes off shooting woes in win over Pittsburgh

The crowd inside Maples Pavilion erupted as sophomore guard Chloe Clardy finally broke through from beyond the arc, sinking a three-pointer with 8:35 left in the third quarter. 

The shot snapped an 0-for-16 start from deep for Stanford (11-9, 3-6 ACC) and provided a crucial spark as the Cardinal pulled away for a 58-46 victory over Pittsburgh (9-13, 1-8 ACC) on Thursday night.  

“I couldn’t be more proud of Chloe Clardy,” said head coach Kate Paye. “Her growth has been tremendous, especially these last few weeks. She is just getting better and better.”  

Despite a slow start offensively, Stanford found its rhythm in the second half, using defense and rebounding to overcome its early struggles. Clardy led the team with 14 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore forward Courtney Ogden added 10 points and nine boards. Ogden provided a much-needed spark in the second half, knocking down two consecutive three-pointers shortly after Clardy had broken the ice from behind the arc.

Defensively, the Cardinal held Pitt to 33% shooting from the field and kept the Panthers scoreless from beyond the arc (0-for-15). The game was a defensive battle from the outset, with both teams struggling to generate offense.  

Stanford and Pitt combined for just 33 first-half points, as neither team shot above 25% from the floor through the first two quarters. The Cardinal took an 11-6 lead after the first, buoyed by a late and-one conversion from junior forward Elena Bosgana.  

Pitt’s defense, anchored by graduate center Khadija Faye, made scoring difficult inside. Faye finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, disrupting Stanford’s interior attack throughout the night. At halftime, Stanford held a 19-14 edge despite their shooting woes. 

“We didn’t hit a three in the first half, but that just shows our team that if you play great defense and rebound, you have an opportunity to be successful in games no matter what’s happening on the offensive end,” Paye said.

Pitt trimmed the deficit to three early in the third quarter, but Clardy’s long-awaited three-pointer opened the floodgates for Stanford’s offense. Moments later, Ogden’s aforementioned three-pointers, extended the lead to 11 and the lead was never in jeopardy from that moment on.  

Stanford’s offense also capitalized at the free-throw line, finishing a perfect 15-for-15 from the charity stripe. Sophomore forward Nunu Agara made key contributions inside, going 6-for-6 from the line and finishing with 10 points. 

This game marked the first meeting at the Farm between these two ACC opponents, with Stanford now 3-0 all-time against the Panthers. Despite an up-and-down season, the Cardinal continued their strong play at Maples Pavilion, improving to 10-2 at home.

Up next, Stanford will welcome No. 15 North Carolina (19-4, 7-3 ACC) to the Farm on Sunday. The Tar Heels are coming off an impressive double-digit win over No. 19 Cal Thursday evening. The Sunday matinee is set to tip-off at noon.

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