Stanford Punches Ticket to Final Four With Comeback Win Over Louisville
Stanford women's basketball is headed to its 14th Final Four after outscoring Louisville 52-25 in the second half, winning the Battle of the Cardinal(s) 78-63.
Junior guard Lexie Hull led Stanford with 21 points and nine rebounds while sophomore Ashten Prechtel added 16 points off the bench for the Cardinal. Louisville guard Dana Evans led all scorers, tallying 24 points.
Stanford overcame a 12-point halftime deficit, and is now seeking it's first championship since 1992.
Louisville came out firing, scoring 21 points in the first quarter and 17 in the second while Stanford trailed scoring 13 in each period. But something shifted during halftime for Stanford as the team came out firing on all cylinders in the second half.
Stanford went on a 17-2 run, closing Louisville's lead to 50-48 with a quarter to go.
Prechtel hit a three-pointer, handing Stanford the lead. The Cardinal went on a 12-4 run before the momentum shifted with 5:37 to go.
As Anna Wilson drained a three, the momentum continued to shift in Stanford's favor. Her brother, Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson, cheered on the sidelines, hitting the chairs in front of him.
Prechtel followed it up with yet another three, pushing Stanford to a 66-54 lead. Louisville wasn't able to recover from the Cardinal's second half offensive push.
Stanford will face off against No. 1 seed South Carolina on Friday.
SI’s tournament newsletter analyzes everything you need to know about the Big Dance: what just happened and what’s happening next. Sign up for Morning Madness here.