UCLA Beats Stanford in Palo Alto For First Time in Since 1999, 85-76

Eighteen years.

That’s how long it’s been since the UCLA Women’s Basketball team last defeated Stanford at the Maples Pavilion. Tonight, UCLA did just that. Though they had a shaky second quarter, they came back in the second half to put the game away.

The Bruins clearly came to play. By the end of the first quarter, the Bruins were shooting 50% from the field while Stanford was only shooting 25%. The Cardinal turned the ball over three times in the first five minutes of the game. The Bruins had three turnovers in the entire first half.

The Pac-12 officials were up to their usual no good. In the first quarter, they called five fouls on the Bruins including two on Kari Korver. Despite that, the Bruins led by 10 points after one.

The second quarter was all Stanford as they started the quarter on a 9-0 run. Just like the previous quarter, the Bruins continued to get called for fouls. Stanford eventually tied the game at 25-25 then again at 35-35 and one more time at 37-37. With under a minute to go, Stanford drained a three-pointer to take the lead and the teams went into the locker rooms with Stanford up 40-37.

The second half was all about defense. UCLA managed to defend Stanford well and kept them from scoring for the first four minutes. But, right after Stanford scored their first bucket of the second half, Jordin Canada put the Bruins back out in front and it would stay that way for the rest of the quarter as UCLA took a 55-51 lead into the fourth.

UCLA stepped on the gas and increased their lead to as many as 11 when Nicole Kornet made two free throws with just 32 seconds left.

When the final buzzer did hit, UCLA had accomplished what they hadn’t done since 1999. They had defeated Stanford in Palo Alto. To make the victory even sweeter for Kari Korver, she scored her 1,000th point in the first quarter.

Go Bruins!