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Stanford wins Pac-10 title game

Candice Wiggins scored 20 points and No. 6 Stanford staved off a late rally to beat eighth-ranked Arizona State 62-55 in the championship game of the Pac-10 tournament Monday night, giving the Cardinal an automatic NCAA bid.

She shot 6-for-14 with two 3s and made all six of her free throws in Stanford's ninth straight victory and third in as many tries this season against Arizona State. The two-time Pac-10 player of the year was named tournament MVP.

Meanwhile, Briann January hit two free throws for Arizona State with 1:20 remaining, then stole the ball moments later and was fouled. She made two more free throws at 1:12 that pulled the Sun Devils within 56-53. Wiggins converted two free throws with 48 seconds to play, had a key blocked shot with just under 30 seconds remaining and then a steal that sealed it.

Emily Westerberg scored 12 points and January added 11 for the cold-shooting Sun Devils (28-4), who threatened late after trailing by as many as 19 in the second half but ultimately saw their nine-game winning streak end. Arizona State's only loss this season not to Stanford came to now-No. 4 Tennessee, 83-74 on Nov. 19.

Stanford, headed to its 20th straight NCAA tournament, hosts the first and second rounds at Maples Pavilion on March 17 and 19 and has its sight on reaching the program's first Final Four in 10 years.

The Cardinal, winners of a school-record seven straight Pac-10 regular-season titles, won their fourth conference tournament championship in the event's six-year existence after losing to UCLA last year.

Stanford shot 16-for-32 from 3-point range in its first two tournament games but hardly needed to shoot from long range this time, creating plenty of chances in the paint and having no problems with Arizona State's full-court press.

Arizona State's poor shooting — 34 percent — and rebounding struggles kept the Sun Devils from staying in the game.

Arizona State opened the game 8-for-29 and missed its first five 3-pointers while also allowing Stanford to control the boards.

In other news, Stanford freshman JJ Hones will undergo surgery Thursday to repair torn ligaments in her left knee sustained early last month against California.