Ogwumike, top-seeded Stanford women use second-half spurt to beat Tulsa 72-56

STANFORD, Calif. – Chiney Ogwumike had 29 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and top-seeded Stanford pulled away in the second half to survive a hard-fought effort by 16th-seeded Tulsa for a 72-56 victory in the first round of the NCAA tournament Sunday.

Amber Orrange added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Cardinal (32-2), who needed more than a half to get rolling while playing at home in Maples Pavilion coming off final exams and a two-week layoff since winning the Pac-12 tournament.

Conference Player of the Year Ogwumike took charge in Stanford's quest for a sixth straight Final Four after her big sister, Nneka, became the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and the league's rookie of the year with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Up next for Stanford is a second-round date with either No. 8 seed Michigan or ninth-seeded Villanova on Tuesday night. Those teams were playing the second game Sunday at Maples.