SPOKANE, Wash. — Reigning national champion Stanford Cardinal secured a return to the Final Four Sunday night, becoming the second No. 1 to reach this year’s national semifinals with a 59-50 win over the No. 2 Texas Longhorns.
It is the Cardinal’s 14th Final Four appearance under legendary trainer Tara VanDerveer.
When those teams met in Palo Alto in November, Texas spoiled Stanford’s ring-night celebration of last season’s title win with a fourth-quarter comeback and a 61-56 win on the Cardinal’s home court. Stanford went into the closing stages on Sunday with an identical five-point lead. This time, the Cardinal prevailed thanks in large part to the play of senior Lexie Hull, who scored a game-high 20 points in front of family and friends in her hometown.
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After recovering from a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the first meeting, the Longhorns threatened to do the same on Sunday. They had cut Stanford’s lead to two when Hull drove for a runner while he was fouled and turned the ensuing free throw into a three-point play. On the ensuing possession, Hull made two free throws to finally put the Cardinal in the lead with two possessions.
Although Hull’s twin sister Lacie remained goalless, her game was also a crucial difference from the November matchup. Back then, Stanford was struggling to replace point guard Kiana Williams, who went to the WNBA after the championship. The Cardinal dished out a season-low seven assists and rotated the ball 20 times against pressure from Texas.
Turnovers remained an issue for Stanford on Sunday as the team gave away 20 times, including 11 in the second half. But Lacie Hull and Haley Jones – who also had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds – each had four assists when the Cardinal doubled his total in November. And center Cameron Brink played a key role despite struggling with foul problems, scoring all 10 of her points in the third period and blocking six shots.
After a disappointing 4-2 start to the season, Stanford has not been beaten since a 65-61 loss to their Final Four team South Carolina on Dec. 21 — a winning streak that is the nation’s longest at 24 consecutive games .
Texas was on Sunday on a 14-game winning streak, the nation’s second-longest, and the Longhorns led for much of the first half. But Texas struggled to score against Stanford’s greatness, making just 12 of 39 attempts within the 3-point line (31%). The Longhorns will also lament leaving points at the foul line after shooting just 11 of 20 on free throws.