PALO ALTO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Stanford women’s basketball team used a dominant second half to pull away from the visiting Santa Clara Broncos, securing a 79-58 victory in a non-conference game Thursday night at Maples Pavilion.

A crowd of 2,289 watched as the Cardinal improved to 2-0 on the young season, while Santa Clara evened its record at 1-1.

The game was tightly contested through the first 20 minutes. Stanford held a narrow 33-27 lead at halftime, but the contest was effectively decided in the third quarter. The Cardinal outscored the Broncos 22-15 in the period, fueled by efficient three-point shooting and a stifling interior defense, to build a double-digit advantage they would not relinquish. Stanford poured in another 24 points in the final quarter to cement the win.

Stanford’s offensive execution proved superior, as they scored 79 points on 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 102.0. Santa Clara managed 58 points on 74 possessions, an offensive rating of 78.8. The shooting disparity was stark, particularly from beyond the arc. Stanford connected on 11 of 22 three-point attempts, a 50 percent clip, while Santa Clara shot 7 for 22 from deep. The Cardinal also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 16 of 22 attempts compared to the Broncos’ 11 for 16.

Stanford’s victory was a balanced effort, with five players scoring in double figures. Point guard Talana Lepolo, from Alameda, California, led all scorers with 16 points and added 4 assists in 38 minutes of play. The Cardinal also controlled the paint, with Alexandra Eschmeyer of Boulder, Colorado, recording a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds to go with 4 blocked shots. Fellow post player Lara Somfai from Adelaide, Australia, also notched a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Nunu Agara of Minnetonka, Minnesota, just missed a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds, while backcourt mates Hailee Swain (Marietta, Georgia) and Chloe Clardy (Conway, Arkansas) chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Santa Clara was led by Maia Jones, who scored 16 points. Ava Schmidt added 11 points, and Ashley Hawkins contributed 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The Broncos were hampered by Stanford’s defensive presence, shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor overall and securing only 3 offensive rebounds all game.

Stanford entered the game as a heavy favorite, with Interstat’s ELO system giving them a 96.60 percent probability to win. The result followed dominant opening-night wins for both teams; Stanford defeated UNC Greensboro 87-42, while Santa Clara routed Stanislaus State 108-52.

Stanford will look to continue its early-season momentum when it hosts Cal Poly on Sunday. Santa Clara heads back on the road for a game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday.