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Barta scores 21, Gonzaga falls to Stanford in NCAA 1st round

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STANFORD, Calif. – A game-high 21 points for former Fairfield star Jill Barta wasn’t enough for Gonzaga, as the No. 13-seed Bulldogs fell to No. 4-seed Stanford 82-68 in the first round of the women’s NCAA tournament.

Gonzaga trailed 22-18 after the first period, but Stanford used a 10-2 run midway through the second quarter to build a 32-20 lead and the Bulldogs were overmatched the rest of the way.

Freshman Kiana Williams led Standford with 21 points, while Alanna Smith added 20.

It’s the second straight first round exit for Gonazaga, after falling to Oklahoma 75-62 in the 2017 tournament.

Barta, a who averaged 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the regular season, was 6-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Cardinal. The junior WCC Player of the Year only managed four rebounds, as the Bulldogs were dominated on the boards as a team 42-27.

Stanford will move on to the round of 32 against No. 12-seed Florida Gulf Coast after the Eagles knocked off No. 5 Missouri earlier on Saturday.

Barta will enter her senior year coming off back to back West Coast Conference championships.