Pedersen and Pohlen Lead No. 4 Stanford Past Oregon St. 74-44Pedersen and Pohlen Lead No. 4 Stanford Past Oregon St. 74-44
Women's Basketball

Pedersen and Pohlen Lead No. 4 Stanford Past Oregon St. 74-44

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Stanford has run through the first half of the Pac-10 schedule.

Oregon State proved to be just another speed bump Saturday, as Kayla Pedersen scored a season-high 21 points to lead the fourth-ranked Cardinal to a 74-44 win.

Jeanette Pohlen added 15 points - hitting five 3-pointers - and sisters Chiney and Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 11 and 10 points, respectively for the Cardinal (18-2, 9-0 Pac-10).

Stanford has won all nine conference games by 26 points or more and is averaging 35-point wins in the Pac-10.

"I think right now we're playing pretty well together and for each other," said Pohlen, a senior point guard averaging more than 16 points. "One thing about our team is we stick together no matter what. It's a special team and hopefully we'll keep it going through the second half."

The Cardinal's best test in league play came Jan. 20 against current No. 11 UCLA. Stanford rolled, leading 32-15 at halftime en route to a 64-38 win.

Oregon State is just the second conference foe to hold Stanford below 78 points. Against Oregon State, Pohlen hit four 3-pointers in the first half. She finished with five assists, four rebounds and one steal.

"Jeanette is having an All-American year," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "Then our inside game with Chiney and (Nnemkadi Ogwumike). Kayla Pedersen has just been our steady-rock player. Those four, and then whoever we put with them."

Saturday, Stanford tied a season-high for 3-pointers with 11, including seven in the first half, and had a 40-35 rebounding edge.

Earlysia Marchbanks had a career-high 19 points and six rebounds for Oregon State (7-13, 0-9).

Oregon State had a victory of sorts by keeping it close early. A 3-pointer by Marchbanks with 11:57 left in the first half pulled the Beavers within 14-9. But it was short-lived, as the Cardinal hit four straight 3-pointers, two by Pohlen. Pedersen added a free throw to cap the 13-0 run.

Stanford later scored seven straight points and led 39-19 at halftime. The Cardinal scored the first nine points of the second half to go ahead 48-19. Oregon State got no closer than 26 from there.

Stanford led by as many as 36 in the second half.

VanDerveer said she has been pleased with her bench play to this point in the season but didn't get as much production Saturday as she had hoped.

The Cardinal reserves were a combined 5 for 20 from the field for 11 points.

"Moving on, we're just going to have to figure out who can help us in tight games," VanDerveer said.

The coach said she was also disappointed in her team's rebounding. Oregon State got 19 offensive boards.

Stanford has won 22 straight against Oregon State and leads the all-time series 46-6.