Iriafen, Brink power No. 3 Stanford past rival California 84-49

STANFORD, Calif. -- — Stanford's length and physical style took California right out of its rhythm and helped the Cardinal run away from their local rival.

Kiki Iriafen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, powering a balanced attack and leading No. 3 Stanford past the Golden Bears 84-49 on Friday night, the team's 11th straight victory in the Bay Area series.

Cameron Brink contributed 14 points and the nation's leader in blocked shots had four more for the Cardinal (23-3, 12-2 Pac-12), who won their fourth straight since a 67-58 loss to 15th-ranked Southern California on Feb. 2 that ended a 12-0 start at home.

Iriafen and Brink are a tough tandem for opposing offenses to take on in the paint.

“We have Kiki and Cam behind us, which is very helpful if you want to press,” guard Elena Bosgana said of Stanford's smothering defense.

Michelle Onyiah scored 12 points playing in foul trouble to lead cold-shooting Cal (15-11, 5-9), which never got in sync against the more physical, fast-paced Stanford attack and was held to its lowest point total of the season.

The Cardinal can wear teams down, too.

“A big focus of ours has been being more aggressive on defense,” Stanford's Hannah Jump said. “You see that through deflections, steals, and I think the shots that they're taking as well. We really put an emphasis on our pace and I think as the game goes on you see it in the third and fourth quarter our leads start to build and that's because they get tired and we have so many bodies we're able to play and never see a drop off.”

Marta Suarez scored five straight points during a 7-0 Cal run in the first as the Golden Bears stayed close early.

“It’s just a game of runs, basketball is. We got punched today,” said Cal's Leilani McIntosh, whose six points left her one shy of 1,000 for her career.

Iriafen shot 10 for 13 while Jump went 6 of 7 on the way to 14 points. Bosgana scored 12 and Brooke Demetre had 11 as Stanford continued its domination in the rivalry with the average margin of victory at 25.8 points during the 11-game unbeaten run.

Cal leading scorer Ioanna Krimili was held to two points on 1-for-5 shooting, below her 15.9 scoring average.

“I thought they were all over her all game," Cal coach Charmin Smith said.

The game marked the Bay Area programs’ final regular-season meeting as members of the Pac-12 Conference before both schools join the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.

“I just can't even wrap my head around that,” Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "I'm so focused on this year, playing well, going for the Pac-12 championship."

BIG PICTURE

Cal: The Bears haven't won vs. Stanford since an 81-80 victory at home on Jan. 31, 2019. And they haven't won at Maples Pavilion since Feb. 22, 2015. ... Cal was trying for its first win against a top-five opponent since beating then-No. 5 Stanford 67-55 on Jan. 13, 2013. ... The Bears missed a chance at their first three-game conference winning streak since the 2018-19 season.

Stanford: The Cardinal defense kept Cal in check from the perimeter and in the paint. The Bears shot just 7 for 22 from deep and 32% overall. ... Stanford is 38-8 vs. Cal all-time at home. ... The Cardinal attempted just two 3-pointers in the first half and finished 5 of 11 from long range.

UP NEXT

Cal: Hosts Arizona State next Friday.

Stanford: Hosts Arizona next Friday.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball