Stanford women's basketball knocks three-time champion Connecticut out of NCAA tournament

Monday, March 28, 2005 The Stanford Cardinal defeated the reigning champion Connecticut Huskies 76-59 in the third round of the women's NCAA basketball tournament. The game was played in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. The Cardinal were led by Pac-10 Freshman and Player of the Year Candice Wiggins with 21 points and Susan King Borchardt with 16 points, including 4 of 5 shooting from 3 point range.

The Cardinal jumped to an early 12-6 lead with strong play from Alaskan senior Azella Perryman, but the Huskies fought back to lead by 6 at halftime. The Huskies sank a 3 point shot with 4 seconds left in the first half to double their lead from 3 to 6.

Stanford started the second half with a 6-0 run against the Huskies, tying the game at 33. Strong play by the Cardinal led to a 64-53 lead with 3:27 remaining. In the waning minutes of the game, the Huskies attempted desperate three-point shots, including one successful attempt by senior Ashley Battle, and fouled Stanford players until the end. With 24 seconds left and down by 15, the Huskies stopped fouling Stanford. Susan King Borchardt put in one last layup with 6 seconds remaining, which produced a "smirk" from Stanford head coach Tara Vanderveer, according to KZSU radio broadcaster Danial Novinson.

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