Iriafen, Brink power No. 3 Stanford past rival California
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Kiki Iriafen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, powering a balanced attack and leading No. 3 Stanford past California 84-49 on Friday night for the Cardinal's 11th straight victory in the Bay Area rivalry.
Cameron Brink contributed 14 points and the nation's leader in blocked shots had four more for the Cardinal (23-3, 12-2 Pac-12), who won their fourth straight since a 67-58 loss to 15th-ranked USC that ended a 12-0 start at home.
Ugonne Onyiah scored 12 points to lead cold-shooting Cal (15-11, 5-9), which never got in sync against the more physical, fast-paced Stanford attack.
Marta Suarez scored five straight points during a 7-0 Cal run in the first as the Golden Bears stayed close early.
Iriafen shot 10 for 13 while Hannah Jump went 6 for 7 for 14 points. Elena Bosgana scored 12 and Brooke Demetre had 11 as Stanford continued its domination in the series with the average margin of victory at 25.8 points during the 11-game unbeaten run.
Cal leading scorer Ioanna Krimili was held to two points on 1-for-5 shooting, below her 15.9 scoring average.
The game marked the Bay Area programs’ final regular-season meeting as members of the Pac-12 Conference before both schools join the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.
BIG PICTURE
Cal: The Bears haven't won vs. Stanford since an 81-80 victory at home on Jan. 31, 2019. And they haven't won at Maples Pavilion since Feb. 22, 2015. ... Cal was trying for its first win against a top-five opponent since beating then-No. 5 Stanford 67-55 on Jan. 13, 2013. ... The Bears missed a chance at their first three-game conference winning streak since the 2018-19 season.
Stanford: The Cardinal defense kept Cal in check from the perimeter and in the paint. The Bears shot just 7 for 22 from deep and 32% overall. ... Stanford is 38-8 vs. Cal all-time at home. ... The Cardinal attempted just two 3-pointers in the first half and finished 5 of 11 from long range.
UP NEXT
Cal: Hosts Arizona State next Friday.
Stanford: Hosts Arizona next Friday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball