Box Score Box

STANFORD, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2021)-Defending NCAA champion Stanford has depth, versatility and still plenty of things Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer wants her team to do better as the games get tougher.
 
No resting on the success of last season.
 
"What our returners have to understand is not to be complacent," VanDerveer said. "I don't think anyone is consciously."
 
Francesca Belib scored 12 points, Lexie Hull added 11 points and Stanford beat Morgan State 91-36 on Thursday in its season opener at Maples Pavilion.
 
Cameron Brink had 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks for the third-ranked Cardinal. VanDerveer mixed and matched rotations and that produced a balanced attack from her deep and versatile roster. Stanford scored 47 bench points and 14 out of 15 players scored.
 
"This is a great first game for us. This team gave us a little bloody nose then we responded," VanDerveer said. "... We're counting on our upperclassmen who have been to the Final Four to really lead the way."
 
Stanford is picked to win the Pac-12 Conference regular-season crown after capturing the program's first national title since 1992 and the third in program history by beating Pac-12 rival Arizona in the title game, 54-53. That's after the Cardinal held off South Carolina also by a single point — 66-65 — in the national semifinals.
 
"I think we learned a lot from it and it's really exciting to see everyone get in there and really contribute," Hull said. "Everyone did something good and also everyone has something they can take away from and work on tomorrow."
 
Adia Brisker scored a game-high 22 points for the Bears (0-2) from Baltimore. Morgan State lost its opener 69-53 at San Francisco on Tuesday night. Brisker shot 6-of-10 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and connected on 8-of-10 free throws. She also led Morgan State with four rebounds and tied a game-high three steals.
 
Morgan State had another tough day shooting to fall behind early in the game, going 1-for-13 in the opening quarter to trail 21-3 after the first. Stanford would also outscore the Bears 24-3 in the third quarter to extend its advantage to 63-22 after three.
 
After Brisker's three-pointer got the Bears on the board at the 6:31 mark, they were 0-for-8 with five turnovers over the rest of the quarter as Stanford went on a 14-0 burst.
 
The Bears made five free throws before their next field goal, on Brisker's layup with 3:56 left in the second — ending a stretch of 14 straight missed shots. Brisker went down hard under the basket with 1:08 before halftime but was OK to stay in and shoot her free throws after a foul by Hull.
 
Morgan State finished the game shooting 8-of-41 (19.5%) and was 2-of-8 (25%) from beyond the arc. The Bears made 26.8% (19-for-71) of its shots in the opener, including going 5-of-19 from three-point range.
 
Next up for Morgan State is a trip to Columbia, Mo. to take on the University of Missouri Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. CT at Mizzou Arena. The game will air on the SEC Network+. The Tigers won their season opener over visiting Murray State, 76-70 on Thursday night.
 
BEAR CLAWS
Morgan State: Joel Benoit was helped off with 2:02 left in the game nursing a left leg injury. ... The Bears play four straight road games before opening at home Nov. 19 against Notre Dame of Maryland University. ... Morgan State fell behind in the first quarter for a second straight game — 18-8 in the opener against USF.
 
The Associated Press contributed to this release.