Carrington leads No. 7 Stanford past Washington 72-53
SEATTLE (AP) — With Oregon clinching the Pac-12 regular season title minutes before tipoff, No. 7 Stanford had little more than pride to play for against Washington.
The Cardinal still made sure to enter the conference tournament with momentum on their side.
Dijonai Carrington had 19 points and eight rebounds, leading Stanford to a 72-53 victory over the Huskies on Sunday.
Kiana Williams scored 13 points for Stanford (25-4, 15-3 Pac-12), and Alanna Smith finished with 12 points and seven boards.
"I thought we had some people play really well," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "I thought we played well defensively. I'm just thankful no one got hurt, because we are going into the tournament and want everyone to be healthy and play well."
No. 6 Oregon beat No. 21 Arizona State 66-59 on Sunday to clinch their second straight regular-season conference title, locking in Stanford for second place. The Ducks defeated the Cardinal 88-48 in Palo Alto in their lone matchup this season.
But the Cardinal showed no lingering disappointment against the Huskies. Carrington and Williams combined for 17 first-quarter points as the Cardinal used a 17-2 run to erase an early 5-2 deficit.
Already leading 38-20 at halftime, the Cardinal erased any hopes of a comeback by knocking down four 3-pointers and shooting 60 percent from the field in the third quarter to open a 62-39 lead. They led by as many as 29 in the fourth while closing out the regular season with their sixth straight victory.
Hannah Johnson and Haley Van Dyke led Washington with 10 points each. Mai-Loni Henson had eight points and seven rebounds.
Amber Melgoza, Washington's leading scorer at 18.3 points per game, was held to six points on 3-of-15 shooting. Melgoza scored 40 points against the Cardinal in Seattle last season, but was held to just 14 points in two losses to Stanford in 2019.
"She's a great player, but things just weren't going in for her," VanDerveer said.
Stanford knocked down 11 3-pointers and outscored Washington 28-18 in the paint.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: The Cardinal will have plenty of chances to bolster their resume during the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. Five Pac-12 teams enter the postseason ranked in the AP Top 25.
Washington: The rebuilding Huskies will need a run in the conference tourney to extend their season.
SENIOR NIGHT
Seniors Jenna Moser, Deja Strother and Johnson were honored after playing their final game at Alaska Airlines Arena. Moser finished with five points and six rebounds. Strother has missed the last two seasons with an Achilles injury.
Johnson switched from her usual No. 1 jersey and wore Strother's No. 34 to honor her fellow senior.
"She and Deja are very close," coach Jody Wynn said. "That's a great sign of incredible friendship over the years. ... That just shows you how close they are and how much Deja means to our program still, even though she is not able to complete."
UP NEXT
Stanford: The Cardinal earned a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 2 seed, and will begin play postseason Saturday in Las Vegas.
Washington: The Huskies open Pac-12 Tournament play Friday as the No. 11 seed.
