Tinkle Leads No. 4 Stanford Women Past Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS / AP) -- With Stanford star Nnemkadi Ogwumike slowed by an ankle injury, Joslyn Tinkle helped pick up the slack.
Tinkle matched her career high with 20 points and the No. 4 Stanford women's basketball team routed Colorado 80-54 Saturday.
Toni Kokenis and Chiney Ogwumike added 19 points each for Stanford (15-1, 6-0 Pac-12), which won its 12th in a row since its only loss of the season to Connecticut 68-58 on Nov. 21.
Just four minutes into the game, though, Stanford got a scare when Nnemkadi Ogwumike, who came in leading the conference in scoring at 24.0 points per game, tripped in a scramble under the basket and fell to the floor in pain with a right ankle injury. She returned midway through the first half after getting her ankle re-taped and finished with 15 points.
"She tweaked her ankle, but we are not a one player team," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "I thought Joslyn Tinkle stepped up big for us, Chiney, she's a warrior. She plays hard every single game. I think this is a breakout game for Joslyn. I'm real excited for her to play in this environment."
Tinkle said she was determined to help fill the void in Nnemkadi Ogwumike's absence.
"Especially that," she said. "I thought today we really stepped up and did a really good job."
Brittany Wilson and Jen Reese both scored 10 points for Colorado (13-3, 2-3), which was 11-0 before beginning league play.
Stanford shut down Colorado's leading scorer, Chucky Jeffery, who was held to two points on 1 of 10 shooting from the floor. Jeffery, who averaged 17.2 points per game heading into the contest, failed to score in double figures for the first time this season.
"When another team has great players like Stanford does, they key on her," Colorado coach Linda Lappe said. "She had some decent looks in the first half but she was a little tentative. She's entitled to a bad game like anybody else. Hopefully, she gets her confidence and swagger back."
VanDerveer said containing Jeffery was a focal point for Stanford.
"We worked hard against her," VanDerveer said. "We had four or five people guarding her, and they're not a one dimensional team either. I think we had the inside strength as well. We were able to go inside to Nnemkadi, go inside to Joslyn. We missed on a lot of shots early but then we finished on them later."
Stanford led 32-15 at halftime, limiting the Buffaloes to their lowest first-half point total in a home game. Colorado shot 21 percent from the field (6-29) and committed 10 of its 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Overall, Stanford outshot the Buffaloes 50 percent to 32.8 percent.
Colorado didn't score until 6:59 into the game when Jasmine Sborov made two free throws and didn't get a field goal until Sborov connected on a short jumper as the Buffaloes missed their first 14 shots, falling behind 11-4.
After Lexy Kresl hit a 3-pointer to pull the Buffaloes to 13-9, Stanford pulled away again with a 19-6 run over the last 10:45 of the half.
Tinkle and Kokenis each hit 3s in the run, and Nnemkadi Ogwumike hit two jumpers and two free throws as she regained her footing from the earlier ankle injury.
Colorado's Meagan Malcom-Peck opened the second half by making a 3, but Stanford answered with a 9-0 run that Kokenis keyed with a 3 of her own. The Buffaloes trailed by at least 20 the rest of the way.
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