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Associated Press
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Stanford center Cori Enghusen closely guards Arizona forward Elizabeth Pickney in the first half yesterday evening in Stanford, Calif.
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By Associated Press
Friday Jan. 25, 2002
STANFORD, Calif. - Lindsey Yamasaki scored 22 points, and third-ranked Stanford matched the best start in its history by defeating Arizona 76-62 Thursday night.
The Cardinal (19-1, 9-0 Pac-10) moved up a notch in the polls this week to their best ranking since they were No. 3 at the end of the 1996-97 season. They also began that season 19-1 and finished 34-2.
Sebnem Kimyacioglu added 11 points as Stanford won its 11th game in a row to match its best start in five years.
Elizabeth Pickney had 24 points and nine rebounds for Arizona (9-10, 5-5), which lost in conference play for the first time in five games.
Nicole Powell came close to her third triple-double of the season, recording nine points, nine rebounds and 10 assists before coming out of the game with 3:04 left and the Cardinal ahead 70-50. Yamasaki, 3-of-7 from long range, scored 20 or more points for the sixth time this season.
Robin Roberson's basket brought the Wildcats within 50-40 with 12 minutes remaining, but the Cardinal answered with a 10-0 run - highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Kimyacioglu - over the next four minutes.
The Wildcats stayed with Stanford for the first nine minutes. The Cardinal didn't take their first lead until Yamasaki snapped a 14-14 tie with a 3-pointer that sparked a 15-4 run. She hit another 3-pointer, as did Kimyacioglu, during the run.
Stanford carried a 40-26 lead into halftime after outscoring the Wildcats 28-12 in the final 12 minutes.
The victory also matched Stanford's win total from last year, when the Cardinal finished 19-11. Stanford is one win away from its 14th 20-win season in the 28-year history of the program.
Arizona, which dropped to 1-2 against ranked opponents, has given the Cardinal trouble in the past, winning in its previous two trips to Maples Pavilion and taking four of the last nine overall from Stanford.
The Cardinal handed Arizona its worst conference loss in four years, 87-51, when they met in Tucson on Dec. 19.
