SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah vs Stanford
Kiki Iriafen had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help No. 8 Stanford edge No. 19 Utah 66-64 on Friday night for the Cardinal's seventh straight win.
"It was a battle for 40 minutes," Iriafen said. "It was a grind and at the end I just said, 'Thank you, God, the game is over.' "
Hannah Jump scored 12 points and Cameron Brink had nine points for Stanford (15-1, 4-0 Pac-12) as Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer moved one win away from tying former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's college basketball wins record of 1,202.
"Kiki really stepped up and made big baskets," VanDerveer said.
Utah's Alissa Pili made a pair of free throws and a twisting layup to cut Stanford's lead to 65-64 and then a couple of jump balls were called on each team's subsequent possessions.
"Those calls were mysteries," VanDerveer said. "But this win was huge in this environment."
Talana Lepolo made one free throw with two seconds left and Pili missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to allow the Cardinal to escape.
Pili had 16 points but was 5 for 18 from the field and was hounded by double teams and Stanford's interior height.
"She is very tough to guard. She scores, she shoots 3s and is a great passer. … We tried to mix it up so she didn't know what was coming. Sometimes she was one-on-one, sometimes she was doubled and sometimes tripled," VanDerveer said.
Pili was bleary-eyed after the game.
"It's frustrating when we put it all out there ... and we get the short end of the stick time after time," Pili said between sobs, while also lamenting the end of Utah's 22-game home winning streak.
Utah's Jenna Johnson had her best offensive game of the season with 15 points while also battling Brink in the post. But Johnson didn't score in the fourth quarter and the Utes (11-5, 1-3 Pac-12) only shot 39% for the game.
The Utes got back into the game with scrappy defense and crafty passing in the third quarter. Ines Vieira capped a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer to get Utah within 50-49 with 1:06 left in the quarter.
The Cardinal responded with an 11-3 surge for a 61-52 lead.
Iriafen scored 14 points in the first half, but Stanford got baskets from three other players in a 9-0 run to take command in the second quarter. Jump's layup made it 38-29 with 2:26 left in the half.
Utah was ranked in the preseason top five but second-leading scorer Gianna Kneepkens broke bones in her right foot in early December and starting guard Issy Palmer has missed most of the season.
"It didn't happen again in the last couple minutes," Utah coach Lynne Roberts said. "We'll get Issy Palmer back ... and I believe firmly things will bounce our way again."
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: Iriafen provided the offensive firepower but the Cardinal did it with defense and didn't allow Pili to get going. Stanford is now 32-2 against the Utes, with both setbacks coming in recent years in Salt Lake City.
Utah: The Utes' fluid offense sputtered the way most teams do against Stanford's vaunted defense, which allows just 34.7% shooting for the season. With their tough early conference schedule, Utah is facing a tough climb from near the bottom of the standings.
Poor reffing took away the chance for Utah to gut out a win here. Iriafen's shot was late. (Even Brink got a bad "makeup" call with the jump ball thing) but the worst was Brink and especially Iriafen's massacre of Pili as she drove to the basket. There's no way in hell that should've been called a "jump ball." The Stanford players didn't even touch the ball-it was clearly hands/arms pulling at hitting Pili's arms. Pili didn't look great for this game, and looked tentative, not herself. She also had a hard time going against Brink and Iriafen's shot blocking. But outcomes of games should be decided by players not poor reffing. I am surprised at how bad the reffing has been in both MCBB and especially in WCBB.
Pili💪🏿💯
Did i see what i just saw or I'm i hallucinating at the blatantly bad calling by the refs at the end of this game? No wonder why Pili was crying at the post game press conference
I mean the refs quite literally ripped their chances of winning
Stanford had to work for that win. Utah way to hold your ground! 🏀
Why are the commentators going out of their way to talk about the 'greatness' of Brink when it was Kiki Iriafen who carried the load for Stanford. Brink was subpar and thats being generous. I hate how the media picks and chooses who to elevate instead of just letting the game decide who is who. Shout out to Kiki man.
Once again some of the worst officiating ever-I have no dog in this fight BUT these young women play hard and deserve better
Came for the Brink/Pili matchup, stayed for the Iriafen show! Huge game for her. Thanks for upload 🙏
She stepped up her game big time this year🙌💯
Pili 🙌🏼
Good game.. a couple of tough calls down the stretch
One for the tie, two for the lead, we all love you, Coach V! 🤩
Good ass Game. Boy Stanford barely hanged on but they did🙌
I was hoping for 10 overtimes… Love watching Utah & Stanford battle!!
Incredible game from both teams! Just wish the refs had been up to the standard of play in the final minutes!
Ref didn’t want Utah to win
Frustrating when poor officiating determines the result of the game, shot clock violation and then missed foul call took away Utahs chance at winning it!
29:10 look at the ref just watching the game like he can’t see the foul 💀
🔥
refs ruined this game
What horrible officiating and they knew it too. Egregiously missed shot-clock violation and then the weakest Jump Ball call ever to make up for it. NCAAW officiating has been horrible this season.
More to do with officials wear cardinal red. South Carolina fans know that all too well.
Just makes me sad that there will be no more Pac 12 😢🥺💔 after this season…
Beyond shameful 😔
Pili blanked out at the end. Thought about passing first instead of getting a shot off.
Yep, bad officiating down the stretch, but Stanford is tough, you need this close contested games to be at your best for the tournament
Can you go to the replay video on the shot clock violation?
This one? 28:00
@@WomensBasketballAlliance Yes that one at the end. Because towards the end Stanford clearly had a shot clock violation. Was that reviewable?
@@all2share2 yes, the play was reviewable… We’ll leave it at that 🙏
So proud of the fans chanting "Refs you suck" @ 29:13 lol. 3 consecutive botched calls by the refs in less than a minute!
Not botched. On target as per the NCA/money agenda. Money talks integrity walks. Again….
I think there was poor reffing, but explain. @@Dingle051554
aye fire them refs fr fr
Although can't stand Stanford, they have some tough wins. But Utah lacks confidence in their penetrating abilities, several times a player had a lane to the basket and decides to pull it back out hoping to hit perimeter shots. Brink is a shot blocker but most of the time they had the advantage to the basket. As the saying goes, live by it die by it, even it's a 2pt loss lol.
Appreciate the analysis, Coach Chaos 🚀
Not just that but also because Coach Roberts wants her players to only shoot 3-pointers or layups and nothing in between. And that will be a failed strategy going forward. Ute players had open jump shots on numerous occasions but they have been told not to shoot them and that then limits what they can do when trying to penetrate the defense. This was a game that Utah should have won given the status of Brinks (with the stronger defensive effort by Johnson) and despite the very strong effort by Iriafen who was unguardable by the Utes.
27:43 I don't understand why she didn't foul there.
These refs are terrible. They can join the NBA immediately
Stop turning your cheek all you arm chair fans, refs are doing what the MONEY dictates. Every sport all the time.
The referees are on some cheap drugs..very funny officiating..😢😢😢😢
Iriafen is a much better scorer than Brink.
One thing we learn is that brink can guard pili
Had her on straight lock down😂
nah not really lol I’d take Pili over Brink any day of the week.
@@cookiesncream_24well she did lock her down lol
im sure Utah fans are upset with that horrible no foul call at the end, but the truth is that it was the same BS jump ball call as a few seconds earlier. Two sh1t calls in a row. Pretty bad officiating at the end of a tight game
And the shot clock violation! Stanford and Utah both played incredible! But the reffing was NOT it!
very accurate comment
Not a very accurate comment. Refs made calls that got the NCAA/money agendas call for. People kill for money, cheating for money is just part of the equation. Look back over the years, small market teams win small amounts, big market teams win large amounts. Done deal.