Ogwumike Scores Career-High As No. 5 Stanford Tops Washington State, 84-64
STANFORD (CBS/AP) -- Chiney Ogwumike scored a career-high 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in her final career regular-season game for No. 5 Stanford, leading the Cardinal to an 84-64 victory over Washington State on Saturday night.
Ogwumike surpassed her previous career high of 36, which she set against Cal Poly this season and matched against Washington State on Jan. 11 in a 77-69 victory.
Ogwumike made 14 of 23 shots, scoring from inside with 2:17 left to play to surpass her career mark before coming out of the game to a huge ovation.
Stanford (28-2, 17-1 Pac-12) improved to 57-0 in the series against Washington State (15-15, 9-9 Pac-12).
Amber Orrange added 20 points for Stanford, making 7 of 9 shots from the field and grabbing eight rebounds. Bonnie Samuelson added 10 points for the Cardinal.
Lia Galdeira led the Cougars with 16 points and Tia Presley and Sage Romberg scored 10 apiece.
Stanford last week clinched the Pac-12's regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament at Seattle. The Cardinal earned a first-round bye and will open play Friday. Stanford hosts an NCAA tournament regional later this month, so there's a chance that Ogwumike will play again on her home court.
Washington fell into sole possession of seventh place in the Pac-12.
Ogwumike nearly had a double-double by halftime, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds, as Stanford built a 49-41 lead.
Ogwumike shot 7 of 13 from the field and 7 of 8 from the line in the first half, dominating the Cougars inside.
Washington State was coming off a 75-68 overtime loss Thursday night to No. 18 California. Cal forward Reshanda Gray punished the Cougars inside, scoring 43 points on 17-of-20 shooting, and WSU had no answer for the 6-foot-4 Ogwumike .
Orrange scored 10 first-half points for Stanford, while Samuelson and Briana Roberson each had eight.
Galdeira countered with 11 first-half points for Washington State. Reserve Mariah Cooks scored eight and Presley added five.
Ogwumike needed less than 12 minutes to score 15 points, lifting Stanford to a 35-23 lead with 8:11 left in the first half. She pushed Stanford's lead to 40-25 with a turnaround bank shot from the low block, but WSU answered with an 8-4 run, cutting the lead to 44-35 with 4:07 left. Galdeira scored four points, while Romberg and Cooks each had two during the run.
Stanford opened the second half with a 10-0 run, building a 59-41 lead.
Ogwumike ignited the surge with a spinning layup then scored again with a left-handed hook shot. Orrange drained a jump shot then scored on a driving layup. Ogwumike capped the run with a fast-break layup after Lili Thompson's steal and assist with 15:29 still left in the first half.
© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
