By Cheryl Coward
STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford (10–2) stormed back in the fourth quarter to beat No. 22 Washington 67–62 at Maples Pavilion, earning its first win over a ranked opponent since March 2024 and doing it without leading scorer Nunu Agara. Trailing 50–42 after three, the Cardinal opened the final period on a 10–0 run and outscored the Huskies 25–12, fueled by eight Washington turnovers and a defense that generated repeated runouts.
Freshmen and Ogden close it out
Freshmen Hailee Swain and Lara Somfai combined for 27 points, including 21 in the second half, to key the comeback. Somfai finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds, Swain added 13, and Courtney Ogden delivered 12 points and a team‑high 7 boards, with 8 of her points coming in the fourth quarter. Chloe Clardy chipped in 11 points and 2 steals while Stanford shot 45.5 percent from the field and 14‑of‑18 at the line.
Fourth‑quarter turning points
Down eight to start the fourth, Stanford’s defense flipped the game. Clardy jumped on a loose ball and pushed ahead to Shay Ijiwoye for a fast‑break layup to cut the deficit to 50–46, and moments later, Swain picked off a pass and went coast‑to‑coast to tie it 50–50. After the Cardinal took a 52–50 lead on Talana Lepolo’s free throws to complete a 10–0 run, Elle Ladine briefly pulled Washington even at 58–58 with a three, but Somfai followed her own miss and shoveled a pass to Ogden for a second‑chance jumper that put Stanford ahead for good.
Stanford grabbed just four offensive rebounds over the first three quarters but matched that total in the fourth alone, including two on missed free throws in the final 10 seconds. Clardy rebounded her own miss and drew a foul to stretch the lead, and Ogden tracked down another miss and split two at the line to make it a two‑possession game with three seconds left.
Huskies’ balance not enough
Washington had five players in double figures but could not withstand Stanford’s late surge. Sayvia Sellers and Avery Howell scored 13 points each, with Howell adding a game‑high 8 rebounds; Hannah Stines finished with 12 points and 8 boards, and Brynn McGaughy and Ladine contributed 11 apiece as the Huskies shot 43.1 percent from the field. Washington led for nearly 28 minutes and built a nine‑point cushion in the third quarter, but was outscored 30–22 in the paint and 25–12 in the fourth as Stanford snapped a 10‑game skid against AP Top 25 opponents.
Quarter by quarter
Washington led 16–13 after the first quarter, with Stines scoring 5 and Ladine and McGaughy adding 4 each, while Stanford briefly went ahead 11–10 on a Clardy corner three before the Huskies closed the period on a 5–2 mini‑run. The second quarter was a grind, but a 5–0 burst capped by Clardy’s three with 22 seconds left forged a 27–27 tie at halftime; she had 9 at the break as Washington maintained a 9–2 edge in second‑chance points.
The Huskies appeared to take control with a 23–15 third quarter, shooting 56.3 percent and using a 9–0 run to push the lead to 50–42 behind Sellers and McGaughy. Stanford answered with its decisive fourth‑period run, forcing eight turnovers and holding Washington to 5‑of‑14 shooting to close out the upset.
Up next
Stanford faces another former Pac‑12 foe on Sunday, taking on Oregon at 3 p.m. at Chase Center in the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic in San Francisco. Washington continues its road swing the same day with a trip to Pacific.
