Brink has 26 points and 14 rebounds, No. 2 Stanford tops USC
Feb 6, 2022, 3:10 AM | Updated: 6:38 pm
Stanford forward Cameron Brink, center, shoots between Southern California forwards Alissa Pili (35) and Jordyn Jenkins (32) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
(AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cameron Brink scored a career-high 26 points and had 14 rebounds and No. 2 Stanford beat Southern California 83-57 on Sunday to remain undefeated in the Pac-12.
Hannah Jump added 12 points, and Lexie Hull, Lacie Hull and Francesca Belibi each had nine for the Cardinal (18-3, 9-0 Pac-12). Stanford extended its winning streak to 10 since a 65-61 road loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 21.
Even amid all of the team’s success, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer is looking for the Cardinal to polish more aspects of their game as March approaches.
“I think we did not do as good of a job as I would have liked in one-on-one defense,” VanDerveer said. “We got the lead and I think we were a little sloppy in the second half. I challenge our team to play better one-on-one defense.”
Stanford also extended its conference winning streak to 24 games going back to last season, including postseason play.
“We definitely get everybody’s A game and we embrace that because we love a good, competitive game,” Brink said. “But (to) finish out the season strong, I think we just need to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Jordyn Jenkins scored 20 points for the Trojans (9-11, 2-8), and Jordan Sanders added 12. USC lost its sixth consecutive game and third consecutive at home.
After a close loss at home to Cal on Friday, the Trojans put together a solid start to remain within five points of Stanford at 24-19 with 5:15 remaining in the first half. It was all the Cardinal from there, as Stanford went on a 13-0 run to close out the first half with a 37-29 lead.
“Obviously, Stanford is the defending national champs and they do so many things that put pressure on you, but I thought we really competed well,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “We’re not ever happy to lose a game, that’s not what this program is about. … But there were some things we can take away from this that I think can carry over and help us.”
Stanford took its first double-digit lead at 30-19 with 2:12 remaining in the first half on a layup from Kiki Iriafen and the advantage never was back to single digits again.
Stanford extended that late second-quarter run to 17-0 early in the second half on Lexie Hull’s two layups for a 41-19 advantage.
Brink, who entered with a team-leading 13.8 points per game, reached at least 20 points for the second time in her last three games and the third time in her last six contests. Her previous career best was 25 points.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: With the victory, the Cardinal are expected to remain in the No. 2 spot in the poll for an eighth-consecutive week. It will also be the 57th week Stanford has been ranked in the top 10. The Cardinal have not lost in Pac-12 play since falling to UCLA on Jan. 22 last season.
USC: Since beating No. 4 Arizona 76-67 on Jan. 9, the Trojans are 1-7. After facing Utah on the road Wednesday, USC will travel to Seattle on Friday to face Washington, the only team it has defeated since fashioning the Arizona upset.
UP NEXT
Stanford: Hosts Oregon State on Wednesday night.
USC: At Utah on Wednesday night.
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