WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Second-Ranked Stanford Ends UCLA’s Streak, 98-80

The UCLA women’s basketball team figured to come crashing back to Earth, and it did.

Fresh from their most successful trip in five years, the Bruins played second-ranked Stanford at Pauley Pavilion. The Cardinal opened a 10-point halftime lead, then pulled away to a 98-80 victory Thursday night.

The Cardinal improved to 14-0 overall and 4-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Bruins, who had won four in a row on the road for the first time since the 1984-85 season, are 8-6 overall, 3-1 in the Pac-10.

Despite the loss, the Bruins have reason to feel optimistic--they did better than most against Stanford, which had been beating its opponents by an average of more than 26 points.

The 80 points were the most against the Cardinal this year.

“We played as hard as I could have expected,” UCLA Coach Billie Moore said. “If we continue to play that way, we should do well.”

Perhaps, but the Cardinal, whose play was described by Coach Tara VanDerveer as “a little tentative at first,” had little trouble doing what it does best--scoring from the perimeter.

Forward Katy Steding made four of eight three-point shots and finished with 16 points. Guard Jennifer Azzi, Stanford’s leading scorer, made three and finished with 19.

“If you take away one side they just take (the ball) in and kick it back out to the other,” Moore said.

But balance has always been a key for the Cardinal.

Center Trisha Stevens, a 6-foot-3 junior, led four players in double figures with a game-high 29 points, 20 in the first half. Freshman Val Whiting, who did most of the damage from the inside, came off the bench to get 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

The Cardinal outrebounded the Bruins, 42-38, and was better from the free-throw line, making 20 of 35, all 14 in the first half.

The Bruins got 28 points from guard Rehema Stephens, 21 in the first half. Sandra VanEmbricqs, before leaving midway through the second half because of a sprained right ankle, added 14.

But the double-teaming of Azzi, the pressuring of Stanford’s outside shooters--all served to leave Stephens open.

California 55, USC 50--Center Kesha Martin scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds to help the Bears hold off a second-half comeback by the Trojans at USC.

After trailing by 15 points early in the game, USC rallied to 51-50 with a minute left in the game before a basket by Laura Baker and two free throws by Teresa Palmisano put the game away for California.

Freshman Joni Easterly led the Trojans with 17 points as USC fell to 1-3 in Pac-10 play and 3-8 overall. Cal is 3-2 and 11-4.