STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford opened the season with a dominant 87–40 win over UNC Greensboro on Monday night at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal relied on depth, efficient shooting, and interior dominance to take full control from the opening tip. A trio of freshmen were among the Stanford quintet who scored in double digits.
Defense sets the tone
The Cardinal held UNCG to just 25.9 percent shooting and limited the Spartans to single-digit scoring in two of four quarters. Junior guard Jeni Levine scored 18 of UNCG’s 42 points, but no other Spartan reached double figures.
“I’m very excited about what I saw tonight,” Stanford head coach Kate Paye said. “We start with our defense first — holding them to 42 points is pretty good. Number one [Levine] kind of went off, so that’s something we can study.”
Somfai, bench power Cardinal offense
Freshman forward Lara Somfai led all Stanford scorers with 15 points and eight rebounds, going 6-of-12 from the floor in a strong collegiate debut. The Cardinal bench produced 42 points, with freshman forward Alexandra Eschmeyer contributing 13, and guards, freshman Hailee Swain and junior Chloe Clardy, adding 12 each.
Paye praised the poise of the freshman group while crediting the program’s leadership structure: “What our freshmen are able to do right now is because they’re getting great mentorship and leadership from our upper class players who are really taking them under their wings.”
She also described Swain as a “speedster” who “gets to the basket.”
Stevenson, Agara lead the effort on the glass
Stanford controlled the boards 44–23, led by junior forward Mary Ashley Stevenson, who grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.
“Coming off the bench, leading us in rebounding with 10 boards — that is awesome,” Paye said. “She’s improved a lot and is a tremendous leader and a captain for our team.”
Junior forward Nunu Agara added 10 points and six rebounds, helping Stanford dominate the paint with a 44–12 edge in interior scoring.
Lepolo returns to starting role
Senior point guard Talana Lepolo, who missed most of last season due to injury, returned to the starting lineup and added four points, four assists, and two rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
“Talana is a very smart player. She’s very competitive. She’s a great defender. She knows our system,” Paye said. “She can organize the floor, she can orchestrate things, and she helps people look good.”
Levine paces UNCG
For UNC Greensboro, graduate guard Jeni Levine was the primary offensive weapon, leading all scorers with 18 points. Levine was aggressive, attempting 21 field goals, but the rest of the Spartans struggled to find a rhythm. Freshman guard Leyla Minor was the only other UNCG player in double figures, adding 11 points off the bench.
Quick turnaround ahead
Stanford (1–0) continues a 7-day tight home schedule, beginning with Santa Clara on Thursday and Cal Poly on Sunday.
“We know things are going to come quickly,” Paye said. “So we’ve got to learn from this and turn around and get ready for Santa Clara.”
UNC Greensboro (0–1) continues its West Coast road trip as it looks to regroup after the season-opening loss when it faces San Francisco on Wednesday.