By Cheryl Coward
STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford’s mix of veterans and underclassmen delivered a commanding performance Sunday afternoon, rolling to a 90–55 win over Cal Poly (1-1) at Maples Pavilion. Utilizing a balanced offensive attack that saw five players score in double figures and a suffocating first-half defense, the Cardinal led wire-to-wire after the opening minute.
With depth and size proved overwhelming. The Cardinal dominated the glass, outrebounding Cal Poly 39-26, and owned the interior with a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint. The home team shot 51% from the field compared to 39% by Cal Poly. Stanford (3-0) also capitalized defensively, forcing 21 turnovers and converting them into 25 points.
Balanced Attack
Junior forward Nunu Agara led her team with 16 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Lara Somfai recorded her third straight double-double with 14 points, 10 boards, plus three steals. Freshman Hailee Swain added 12 points, Chloe Clardy scored 14, and Courtney Ogden chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds.
Head coach Kate Paye praised Ogden’s all-around play. “I was really, really excited about the way Courtney Ogden played,” Paye said. “She came out with a very aggressive mindset, got herself going on the glass, rebounding, playing great defense, and from there, her offense just flowed.”
Agara’s steadiness in the post continued to anchor the Cardinal frontcourt. “I think it was just more just taking balanced shots,” she said of her efficient 6-of-10 shooting performance.. “I feel like a lot of my shots in the past few games were just off balance and kind of just rushed shots.” Paye added, “Nunu with 16 and 7 rebounds, led us in offensive rebounding with five again, perfect from the line.”
Early Dominance
Stanford built a 28–13 first-quarter lead behind 65 percent shooting and extended it to 52–21 at halftime with a 24–8 rebounding edge.
Cal Poly’s Vanessa McManus kept the Mustangs competitive with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 3-for-5 from deep. Paye credited her effort, saying, “She was fantastic, and we were working really hard on her. Believe me, we will be studying that tape. We tried to make a lot of kind of adjustments. Even at halftime, we talked about her.”
Depth on Display
Stanford’s depth sealed the win late, with the bench contributing 30 points, highlighted by freshman Carly Amborn, who went 2-for-2 from three in the fourth quarter. Ogden praised Amborn’s readiness coming off the bench late in the game: “I want to give a shout out to Carly, because she came in two for two, basically unconscious from the three point line. So super proud of her.”
Up Next
Stanford now heads north to play at Washington State on Nov. 14. (4 p.m. PT, ESPN+). Cal Poly also heads to the Pacific Northwest to play at Seattle University on Nov. 15 (1 p.m. PT)