Stanford became the first No. 1 seed to fail to reach the Sweet 16 since 2009, falling to No. 8 Ole Miss 54-49 on Sunday night at Maples Pavilion.
The Cardinal had not fallen in the second round since 2007; their 14 consecutive appearances in the Sweet 16 were the third-best mark of all time behind Connecticut (28) and Tennessee (27). Winners of the 2021 national title, they had been to two consecutive Final Fours.
Stanford did not lead the entire game, with Ole Miss jumping ahead by as many as 13 points midway through the third.
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has the Rebels in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. This also was their first second-round appearance since that season.
“This is such a big accomplishment. A lot of us came here to make history, and that’s what we’re doing,” Ole Miss guard Ayanna Thompson said.
Stanford’s offense, which struggled throughout much of February and in the Pac-12 tournament, hit a new level of anemic, managing just 20 first-half points behind a barrage of missed layups and 12 turnovers. The Cardinal’s final 33% clip from the field was among their lowest of the season, and they finished with 21 turnovers.
Ole Miss, known for its defensive toughness, came through with 5-for-11 shooting on 3s. The Rebels also bested the Cardinal on the glass, 44-39.
After Madison Scott‘s free throws gave Ole Miss a two-point lead with 18 seconds remaining, Stanford turned the ball over on its next offensive possession. Marquesha Davis went 2-for-2 from the line to make it a two-possession game, but then the Cardinal turned it over again on an inbounds play to effectively seal the loss.
Ole Miss was anchored by Angel Baker‘s 13 points and Rita Igbokwe‘s eight rebounds.
Cameron Brink led Stanford with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks after missing the first-round game with a stomach bug that apparently was going around the team.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Source:ESPN
