Brink, Jones help No. 3 Stanford edge Oregon State 63-60

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Cameron Brink had 21 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, Haley Jones added 17 points and eight rebounds and No. 3 Stanford beat Oregon State 63-60 on Friday night.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu added eight points and five rebounds as Stanford (20-2, 8-1 Pac-12) extended his Pac-12 winning streak to 20 games at home.

An intense matchup against a stalwart conference opponent could help the Cardinal set up for another title run, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said.

“We definitely think it can help us,” said VanDerveer.

“At the beginning of the game we weren’t aggressive enough defensively in my opinion. We weren’t out for people and we need to be more aggressive and manual, but we found a way to win and I’m really excited that our team pulled it off.”

Timea Gardiner scored 16 points for Oregon State (11-9, 3-6).

The game was tied at 60 with just over a minute left before Jones connected with 3 of 4 free throws to give Stanford a 63-60 lead with 23 seconds remaining.

After Noelle Mannen missed a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, Shalexus Aaron came up with the offensive rebound, but Talana Lepolo’s steal in the closing seconds sealed the win for Stanford.

Stanford led 58-52 on Emma-Nnopu’s 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. The Beavers scored six straight points and tied the game with Bendu Yeaney’s layup.

“We played a really tough, tough, brave game and gave ourselves a chance to win,” said Oregon State coach Scott Rueck. “That showed a lot of progress, I thought.”

The Beavers are 1-5 against ranked opponents this season.

The Beavers have not won since January 8, 2017 at the Maples Pavilion when they defeated the Cardinal 72-69 in overtime.

No team has surpassed 77 points against Stanford since the end of the 2019-20 season.

ON THE EDGE

Brink increased her total to 78 blocks this season, the most in 22 games in school history.

TIMEA TIME

Gardiner, who was voted Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after 15 points against Oregon, has posted double digits in all three games she has played in.

“We know she’s a really good player,” said VanDerveer. “She shoots the ball very well, she’s a great size so you have to be big on her because she can post.”

BIG PICTURE

Oregon State: The Beavers more than held their own against an elite team, and the emergence of standout Gardiner figures as a freshman gave them confidence for the future.

Stanford: The Cardinal may not have played his best game, but he gained experience in a hard-fought game against a scrappy conference opponent that should be valuable experience for tournament play.

Oregon State: Visits California on Sunday.

Stanford: host Oregon on Sunday.

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AP Women’s College Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https:/ /twitter.com/AP_Top25

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