STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Haley Jones had the first triple double by a Stanford player in nearly 20 years to help No. 7 Stanford rebound from a rare home loss with a 77-55 win over Portland on Tuesday night.
Jones, the Most Outstanding Player of last season’s Final Four, finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as Stanford got back on track after being upset by Texas on Sunday.
That defeat snapped a 21-game winning streak for the defending national champion Cardinal and also marked the first non-conference loss at home since December 2017.
Stanford hadn’t had a player record a triple double since Nicole Powell did it against Tulane on March 18, 2002.
“She’s incredible,” Portland coach Michael Meek said of Jones. “I’d seen her play for years. She does so many different things. She can find ways to win games in so many different ways.”
Jones set up her teammates for lots of opportunities inside, as the Cardinal outscored the Pilots 48-28 in the paint.
Stanford (2-1) also turned up the defensive intensity against the Pilots (2-1), who won their first two games by a combined 64 points.
“Obviously it was a much better outcome for us tonight,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “I think our team was really disappointed on Sunday. We knew we’re a lot better than we showed.”
Alex Fowler had 13 points and Maisie Burnham added 12 for Portland, but the Pilots hurt themselves with a whopping 32 turnovers.
Portland shot 53% from the field in the first half but committed 18 turnovers that Stanford converted into 17 points. The Cardinal also hurt the Pilots inside, outscoring them 28-10 in the paint in the first half to lead 43-24 at the break.
Cameron Brink scored 21 points for Stanford, which jumped out to a 20-4 lead and added a 12-0 run to start the second quarter after Portland finished the first quarter on a 7-0 run.
BIG PICTURE
Portland: The Pilots return plenty of players from last season and should be a factor in the West Coast Conference. But they learned they can’t be so careless with the basketball and expect to hang with a national powerhouse.
Stanford: The Cardinal dominated but it’s clear that full-court pressure defense can get the team out of sync. Portland climbed back into the game in the third quarter by forcing some turnovers.
PORTLAND’S POSITIVES
Trailing by 19 at the half, the Pilots got to within 10, 56-46, in the third with their pressure defense. VanDerveer credited Portland for its aggressive play and competitiveness. Meek said his team will benefit from the loss.
“I do feel like we kind of battled through things,” he said. “But to beat a team like this you’re going to have to start off a little better than we did.”
STAT OF THE NIGHT
With two free throws in the third quarter, Stanford senior Lexi Hull reached 1,000 points for her career. She finished with seven points. Hull, Brink and Jones were all named to the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award (national player of the year).
“She’s a warrior,” VanDerveer said of Hull. “I love how hard she plays.”
UP NEXT
Portland: The Pilots face Hawaii on Friday to open the Bank of Hawaii Classic in Honolulu.
Stanford: The Cardinal hits the road for the first time to play at Gonzaga on Sunday.
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