Stanford (9-6, 1-3 ACC) used a quick start and timely shot-making to upset #24 Florida State (13-3, 3-1 ACC) 89-84.
With the game on the line, Kate Paye put the ball in the hands of freshman point guard Shay Ijiwoye. She quickly paid off that trust in a big way.
The lead was just 2, with 4 minutes to go. Stanford called a timeout to stem the Seminole momentum and draw up a play. The action resulted in the speedy Ijiwoye blowing by the defense for a driving layup. On the next possession, Ijiwoye pushed the tempo off a miss and drew two foul shots. She quickly earned two more on the subsequent trip, as well.
Making just her second career start after spot minutes early in the season, Shay was as steady as anyone on the court. The Cardinal committed 18 turnovers on the game, many of them live-ball, but Shay kept a clean sheet despite a large share of ball-handling duties.
Senior Brooke Demetre also made big play after big play in the final quarter. Big Shot Brooke tallied 9 of her game-high 24 points in the fourth, including consecutive jump shots around the three minute mark. All game long, Brooke was there when the momentum seemed to be on the verge of tipping toward the visitors, coming through with timely plays.
Florida State had one final chance to potentially tie the game in the final minute. They took possession down 3 points with 28 seconds on the clock. A Ta'niya Latson layup attempt bricked harmlessly into the rim, and Demetre corralled the rebound to ice the game at the foul line.
Despite the tight finish, this game saw Stanford lead for more than 36 minutes.
Elena Bosgana and the Cardinal began their first ever home ACC game in near perfection. They led by as many as 10 in the first quarter, finishing the frame with a 23-17 advantage. Elena tallied 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in the game's first 10 minutes. She was everywhere. When Florida State was off target from deep - a common thread - Elena was on the glass to make it one-and-done. When the Seminole defenders overplayed the Cardinal shooters, she found backdoor cutters for a series of open looks at the rim. And she picked her spots to call her own number.
The second quarter saw the Cardinal continue expand the lead, thanks to runs of 7-0 and 8-0, respectively. In the closing minutes of the half, they led by 17 points and appeared poised to blow the game open. However, Florida State steadied the ship to trail by just 7 at the break thanks to a 10-0 spurt of their own.
Brooke Demetre led Stanford with a career-high 24 points, and matched another high with 5 three point makes. Elena Bosgana finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists, the latter two of which were career highs. She was on triple-double watch for much of the night. Nunu Agara had 17 points and 9 rebounds, albeit with 6 turnovers. Tess Heal added an efficient 14 points off the bench on just 5 field goal attempts.
The Cardinal held a 52-35 advantage on the glass, to help overcome an 18-2 deficit in points off turnovers.
Stanford struggled at the line down the stretch, leaving the door open for Florida State to come back. Shay Ijiwoye went just 3-8 at the stripe, and now sits at just 9-24 on the season (38%). She will need to improve upon that to remain playable late in the game.
The win marks Stanford's first in ACC play, after three road losses to start the slate.