No. 5 Stanford stymies seventh-ranked California
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Chiney Ogwumike scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed six rebounds on Tuesday, as No. 5 Stanford stymied No. 7 California in the second half to take a 62-53 decision at Haas Pavilion.
Amber Orrange followed with 15 points and eight boards for the Cardinal (14-1, 3-0), who have won three straight since a Dec. 29 setback at Connecticut.
Layshia Clarendon led the Golden Bears (12-2, 2-1) with 17 points and six rebounds, while Brittany Boyd chipped in nine points and nine boards for California, which had won six straight.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
California led by as many as six in the first half before taking a 31-29 edge into the break. It remained a one-possession game early in the second, as Reshanda Gray's layup knotted the game at 42-42 with 13:08 left in the half.
The Bears, though, went the next 10-plus minutes without a field goal and the Cardinal pulled away.
California went 4-for-4 from the free throw line early in the drought to pull even at 46-46, but the Cardinal countered with the next eight points to build a 54-46 lead with under five minutes left in the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Boyd finally quelled the drought with a layup to make it 57-49 with 2 1/2 minutes left, but it was too little, too late, as Stanford cruised to victory down the stretch.
These two teams will meet again on Jan. 13 when Stanford welcomes the Bears to Maples Pavilion.