March Madness 2022: Stanford tops Texas in Elite 8

Standing on the high of the ladder, Lexie Hull obtained the ultimate snip with the scissors, drawing one of many loudest cheers of the night time as she draped the online round her neck.

Hull did all she may to get defending nationwide champion Stanford again to her hometown for the Spokane Regional. Then, she turned the catalyst for getting the Cardinal again to the ladies’s Ultimate 4.

“I’m simply tremendous happy with our staff for staying with it, sticking with one another and being gritty,” Hull stated. “I believe it actually comes all the way down to who was the grittier staff.”

Hull scored 20 factors, together with a key three-point play inside the ultimate three minutes, and Haley Jones hit 4 free throws within the closing moments to complete with 18 factors in top-seeded Stanford’s win over No. 2 seed Texas 59-50 on Sunday night time.

The Cardinal will play within the nationwide semifinal for the fifteenth time in program historical past, dealing with both North Carolina State or Connecticut in Minneapolis.

“It’s loopy to say this however you’re all the time pleased to go to the Ultimate 4, however typically you’re like actually pleased. And I’m like actually pleased,” coach Tara VanDerveer stated.

This Elite Eight matchup was tightly contested all through and strengthened the resolve that Stanford was lacking earlier within the season when it misplaced to Texas at residence on the night time it acquired its rings from the 2021 championship.

Stanford (32-3) was the harder staff this time round, particularly within the second half.

Hull made a key 3-pointer early within the fourth quarter and the three-point play gave Stanford a 53-48 lead with 2:29 remaining. Texas by no means obtained nearer than two within the closing seconds and Stanford spent the ultimate moments celebrating round Hull and her twin sister Lacie.

Then got here the true celebration afterward that included the team doing the Electric Slide. It was VanDerveer’s concept, and she or he even joined in.

“I believe all people killed it right now,” Jones stated.

Hull made 7 of 14 photographs on an evening scoring was at a premium. Jones was simply 4-of-11 capturing however made 10-of-11 free throws and Stanford was 18 of twenty-two on the foul line. Jones additionally grabbed 12 rebounds.

Cameron Brink added 10 factors for Stanford, all within the third quarter, and the Cardinal prolonged the longest win streak within the nation to 24 video games. Brink was also a force at the defensive end with six blocks, half coming within the third quarter when Stanford went to a zone protection.

“Good groups regulate on the finish of the day, and so they made an adjustment and went to zone,” stated Texas’ Joanne Allen-Taylor, who led the Longhorns with 15 factors earlier than fouling out. “We simply didn’t make sufficient performs within the zone on the time.”

Texas (29-7) misplaced within the Elite Eight for the second straight season; final 12 months’s surprising run as a No. 6 seed stopped with South Carolina.

Rori Harmon, the Massive 12 freshman of the 12 months, was restricted to 14 factors and Audrey Warren added 11 factors off the bench. Texas’ second-longest win streak within the nation was snapped at 14 video games.

“They’re actually good, no query about it. You allow them to do what they need to do, they’ll dangle 70, 80 factors on you,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer stated. “I believe you’ve obtained to offer our children credit score as a result of they didn’t allow them to do what they wished to do. They actually performed their guts out right now, and so they performed the way in which we wished to play. And we simply couldn’t rating sufficient factors.”

Stanford’s return journey to the Ultimate 4 retains alive the hope of being the primary staff apart from Connecticut to repeat as nationwide champions since Tennessee in 2007 and 2008. However the Cardinal needed to get by means of the fourth quarter — each Sunday and in November.

Texas thrived within the fourth within the first assembly, trailing by 5 to start out the quarter that day earlier than outscoring the Cardinal by 10 for a 61-56 victory.

On Sunday, Texas additionally trailed by 5 to start out the fourth and pulled inside three on an Allen-Taylor jumper. It took Stanford practically three minutes into the quarter earlier than Lexie Hull hit an open 3-pointer from the wing — simply the third 3 of the sport of the Cardinal.

Jones pushed the result in 50-43, however Warren’s jumper and three free throws reduce it to 50-48 with 3:35 left.

That’s when Hull drove to the rim and scored whereas being fouled for what proved to be the decisive factors. The Cardinal made 6 of 8 free throws within the ultimate two minutes.

BIG PICTURE

Texas: The Longhorns have been within the Elite Eight for the eleventh time in program historical past, however haven’t been to the Ultimate 4 since 2003. Schaefer has coached within the Elite Eight in 5 straight tournaments however has misplaced his final three regional ultimate video games.

“We have been speculated to be right here this 12 months in my thoughts,” Schaefer stated. “We have been enjoying good. We’re the most effective eight groups within the nation. I don’t suppose there may be any doubt about it.”

Stanford: The Cardinal haven’t misplaced since falling to South Carolina on Dec. 21. They might get an opportunity at seeing the Gamecocks once more, however it could be within the nationwide title recreation.