Brink leads No. 2 Stanford over No. 23 Gonzaga
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Cameron Brink had 14 points and a season-high 16 rebounds and Brooke Demetre made five 3s and scored 17 points, leading second-ranked Stanford past No. 23 Gonzaga 84-63 on Sunday.
The Cardinal (10-1) have now won five straight games after falling to top-ranked South Carolina in overtime on Nov. 20.
Hannah Jump hit four 3s and scored 14 points and Haley Jones had 12 points for Stanford.
Short-handed Gonzaga (7-2), limited to seven players because of illness and injuries, had won three in a row.
The Zags kept the pressure on Stanford early in the game, thanks to a 20-point first half from Kaylynne Truong.
Truong shot 4 of 9 from deep and finished with a career-high 22 points.
Brynna Maxwell contributed 19 points. Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga’s leading scorer, was held to two points in the first three quarters but added six points in the fourth.
BIG PICTURE
Gonzaga: Lost its fourth straight in the series with Stanford and dropped to 1-7 on the Cardinal's home floor. The Zags haven't won any matchups since a 79-73 victory at home on Dec. 2, 2018. ... Despite playing short-handed, Gonzaga did not yield an easy win to its higher-ranked opponent, trailing by just one point after the first quarter before fading in the second half.
Stanford: Shot 15 for 28 (53.6%) from deep and held a 37-23 rebounding advantage. ... This win marked the beginning of a crucial stretch in the Cardinal’s season. Stanford’s next two games come against Tennessee — receiving votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll — and No. 13 Creighton, followed by the start of Pac-12 Conference play against rival California on Dec. 23.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs return to McCarthey Athletic Center to start a five-game homestand, starting with a Tuesday matchup vs. Queens University of Charlotte.
Stanford: After a two-week break for final exams, the Cardinal will continue their seven-game homestand vs. Tennessee on Dec. 18.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25