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For the second-straight NCAA Event, the Stanford Cardinal confronted a fourth-quarter deficit on their dwelling courtroom within the second spherical, staring down the potential of a shocking upset.
Because the Pac-12 participant of the yr Cameron Brink spent many of the evening in foul bother in opposition to No. 7 Iowa State, the No. 2 Cardinal turned to their different twin tower to hold them dwelling. After being restricted to 5 scoreless minutes off the bench within the 2023 loss to Ole Miss, Kiki Iriafen scored 41 factors, tied for ninth all-time in a single NCAA Event recreation, and added 16 rebounds and 4 assists, main Stanford to an 87-81 victory in time beyond regulation. The Cardinal superior to the Candy 16 to face the winner of No. 3 NC State vs. No. 6 Tennessee.
SWEET SIXTEEN BOUND#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/xw0AyZQYor
— Stanford WBB 🤓🏀 (@StanfordWBB) March 25, 2024
There was nothing Iriafen couldn’t do. The convention’s most improved participant scored in each which method in opposition to Audi Crooks and the No. 7 Cyclones. She drilled jumpers. She confronted up from a distance and blew previous her defender. She posted up and completed by way of contact. Iriafen was additionally huge on protection, forcing first-round darling Audi Crooks into 3-of-21 capturing as Iowa State collectively shot 12 of 27 on layups.
Stanford wanted all the things out of Iriafen in a recreation that was within the steadiness for 45 minutes. Neither crew led by greater than two possessions after the primary quarter. There have been 12 ties and 18 lead modifications, and Iowa State was up 1 with 31 seconds to play earlier than a cold-blooded 3-pointer from Brooke Demetre proved decisive. Demetre collected the rebound after Addy Brown missed the potential tying bucket on the following possession, and the Cardinal — and the nervous dwelling crowd at Maples Pavilion — might lastly breathe.
In what ought to turn out to be an immediate traditional, Iowa State delivered the primary blow. The Cyclones went up seven within the first quarter due to sizzling capturing past the arc and regular playmaking from senior guard Emily Ryan, who cashed in three triples of her personal. Stanford placed on the clamps within the second quarter and squeezed simply sufficient offense out of Iriafen and capturing guard Hannah Leap to tug inside two, establishing a barn burner of a second half.
Ryan was dazzling off the dribble and along with her step-back jumper, totaling a career-best 36 factors, although her 10 turnovers gave the Cardinal additional alternatives. Whereas Crooks was bottled up by Iriafen and Brink and fellow freshmen Brown and Jalynn Bristow have been unbothered, chipping in 25 factors, together with 10 in time beyond regulation.
Stanford discovered simply sufficient exterior of Iriafen’s manufacturing. Brink had 5 blocks in her 22 minutes and added eight factors and eight rebounds. Leap was the main target of many Iowa State schemes — the Cyclones even threw a box-and-one on the tremendous senior on one possession — however she pounced on each defensive miscue to attain 15. Nunu Agara was tasked with defending Ryan and was chargeable for a number of of these 10 turnovers. And Demetre got here up with the clutch buckets, the one 3-pointers she’s ever made within the NCAA Event exterior of rubbish time.
Even with the sport of Iriafen’s life, the Cardinal nonetheless barely prevented a large disappointment. Two straight years of bowing out on their dwelling courtroom — after being upset within the convention event every season — would have solid doubt on Stanford’s toughness.
As a substitute, coach Tara VanDerveer and her workers have been capable of push the best buttons to maintain Iriafen going and optimize their bench. Super shotmaking on each side prevented both crew from constructing a large lead, however the essential takeaway for the Cardinal was once they wanted to execute offensively, they have been capable of.
Neither crew deserved to lose, however Stanford was a worthy winner behind Iriafen. The participant VanDerveer might barely discover minutes for a yr in the past rocketed into the nationwide highlight with among the best event performances in latest reminiscence and saved her squad dancing.
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(Photograph: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Photos)
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