March Madness 2022: Francesca Belibi dunk highlights No. 1 Stanford rout of Montana State

Stanford’s freshmen have been becoming a member of all people else in begging Francesca Belibi to dunk all season, insisting they got here to highschool right here simply to see her do it.

Belibi obliged eventually on the large March Insanity stage, blocking a shot on the 3-point line then driving the size of the ground to slam the ball house with one hand for her third profession dunk. The play thrilled her teammates and the awestruck house crowd within the second quarter of top-seeded Stanford’s 78-37 win in opposition to Sixteenth-seeded Montana State on Friday evening within the first spherical of the NCAA Event.

“It’s actually humorous as a result of I dunk on a regular basis and once I look again at footage everybody continues to be simply as excited as if it’s their first time seeing it,” Belibi stated. “So it’s actually cool to see that on their faces. They’ve been getting on me all 12 months about not dunking to this point. The freshmen have been like, ‘We got here right here for this so the place is it?’ So it was actually cool to get it and make it occur and simply get engulfed. I felt actually beloved.”

Belibi’s dunk was the primary by a girl within the NCAA Event since Brittney Griner did it in 2013 and simply the third general together with Candace Parker’s feat in 2006. A 6-foot-1 junior who routinely dunks in warmups and follow, Belibi had a pair of slams final season — on Dec. 13, 2020, at rival California in Berkeley and every week later at UCLA.

This stage is just a little totally different and much greater, with the Cardinal again on their acquainted house flooring within the event’s early rounds for the primary time in three years. Belibi’s teammates went loopy and the delighted followers gave her a roaring standing ovation throughout a timeout shortly afterward. She completed with 12 factors, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes.

“Tremendous pleased with Fran, I do know we have been tremendous hyped for her,” Hull stated.

Corridor of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer had one concern afterward: Belibi didn’t get again quick sufficient and her defensive task scored a layup.

“I’m actually glad for her and the workforce was loopy within the locker room for her,” VanDerveer stated. “… I’m glad Fran offered a spark for us.”

In comparable trend — simply with out the above-the-rim theatrics — Cameron Brink started the sport with two blocked pictures that led to her personal layups on the opposite finish, and the sophomore star completed with 11 factors, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Stanford started a frightening title protection by profitable its twenty first consecutive recreation; its final defeat was 65-61 to No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 21. The Cardinal (29-3) will play Sunday in opposition to No. 8 seed Kansas (21-9), a 77-58 winner in opposition to ninth-seeded Georgia Tech in Friday’s first recreation.

Brink had 5 factors, three blocks and 5 rebounds earlier than the Bobcats (22-13) even received on the board with their first factors early within the second quarter as Stanford went on to its third-largest event victory margin in program historical past.

Lexie Hull had 13 factors and 5 assists and Hannah Soar scored 15 for a balanced Cardinal workforce that went 16-0 via the Pac-12 common season and gained the convention event.

Taylor Janssen scored 12 for the Huge Sky Convention Event champions, who got here into the sport averaging 70 factors per recreation however confronted a Stanford squad that hasn’t allowed any opponent to attain greater than 77 because the finish of the 2019-20 season.

“That was a primary,” Janssen stated of Belibi’s highlight-reel transfer. “I’ve by no means been a recreation the place somebody dunked, that was actually cool.”

Montana State missed its preliminary 21 pictures spanning the primary two quarters and trailed 23-0 earlier than Janssen’s layup on the 9:15 mark of the second.

“For those who’re a No. 1 seed and let a workforce hold round something can occur,” VanDerveer stated. “You possibly can’t let a workforce hold round so soar proper on them.”

GETTING DEFENSIVE

The scoreless first quarter by Stanford’s protection is the primary within the Cardinal’s storied historical past for any interval and simply the second ever within the NCAA Event.

South Carolina did it in opposition to Texas within the 2021 event.

“I believe in the course of the quarter not essentially one thing, ‘Oh, we are able to do that this quarter’ however taking each possession significantly,” Hull stated of the defensive focus.

BIG PICTURE

Montana State: The Bobcats, taking part in of their third ever NCAA Event, missed their first 12 3-point tries and went 4 for twenty-four from deep general. … Montana State Seventeenth-year coach Tricia Binford notched her fifteenth straight profitable season. She referred to as it a terrific week for her workforce “getting higher.”

Stanford: Lacie Hull had 4 of Stanford’s 16 steals. … The Cardinal held a 56-33 rebounding benefit. … Stanford scored seven factors off Montana State’s 5 first-quarter turnovers and compelled 17 in all whereas committing 16. … The Cardinal improved to 15-1 at house this season.