The best postseason run in Arizona history ended with the ball just where the Wildcats wanted it, but Stanford knew exactly where that was going to be.

In Aari McDonald's hands, of course.

So the Cardinal stuffed McDonald as she took an inbounds pass from Shaina Pellington and tried to throw in a 3-pointer at the buzzer. When McDonald's heavily contested shot missed, the Cardinal hung on for a 54-53 win in the NCAA championship game Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.

The Wildcats finished their season 21-6 while Stanford was 31-2.

Arizona's historical NCAA Tournament run included double-digit wins in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and against top-ranked UConn in the national semifinal game on Friday but Stanford had beaten the Wildcats by double digits twice during the regular season.

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Shooting just 28.8% from the field and being outrebounded 47-29, the Wildcats nearly lost control of this one, too before their defense -- and McDonald -- rose up late in the game.

Arizona trailed 49-40 early in the fourth quarter before McDonald hit two 3-pointers that helped pull them to within 51-50 before Stanford received a three-point play from Haley Jones that proved to be the game-winner.

While Jones' play put the Cardinal up 54-50, McDonald stole the ball at the top of the key with a minute left, then drew a foul as she neared the basket.

McDonald then hit 1 of 2 free throws to bring UA within 54-51 and, after Stanford’s Kiana Williams missed inside, McDonald drew another foul on her ensuing drive, this time hitting both shots to cut Stanford’s lead to 54-53 with 36.6 seconds left.

Arizona’s defense then kept Stanford from betting a shot off on its final possession, and the shot clock buzzer blew with 5.5 seconds left, giving the Wildcats a chance to win it before Stanford stopped McDonald on the Wildcats' final possession.

McDonald led the Wildcats with 22 points but Stanford made her work for them. Often heavily guarded, McDonald shot just 5 of 20 from the field.

Stanford wound up shooting 42.1% from the field but committed 21 turnovers that helped keep the game close, with Arizona scoring 12 points on them.

Trailing 31-24 at halftime, Arizona fell behind by double digits when Stanford scored three straight baskets inside to go ahead 37-26 with 8:24 left in the third quarter.

The Cardinal shot 55.6% over the first five minutes of the third quarter while UA shot just 28.6% but the Wildcats’ defense pulled the Wildcats within three points later in the quarter.

Stanford committed seven turnovers over a five minute period, with Bendu Yeaney making a steal and layup to cut the Cardinal’s lead to 41-36 with 3:34 left and then Shaina Pellington pulled UA within 41-38 after scoring following a block by Sam Thomas.

Yeaney came back for another steal with 13 seconds left in the third quarter, leading to a layup by Pellington to cut it to 43-40 entering the fourth quarter.

Stnaford had 17 turnovers through the first three quarters, with Arizona scoring eight points off them.

In the first half, Stanford shot 44.8% from the field and outrebounded Arizona 26-14, scoring 11 second-chance points on six offensive rebounds. While the Wildcats' defense did help force 10 Cardinal turnovers, UA scored just four points off them.

Offensively, Arizona also struggled. The Wildcats shot just 28.1% from the field with McDonald going just 2 for 11.

While Arizona held brief leads at the beginning of the game and midway through the second quarter, Stanford went on a 12-0 run early in the game and on an 11-0 run toward the end of the second quarter.

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Early in the second quarter, Cate Reese scored twice inside to pull UA within 16-12 and a 3-pointer later from Helena Pueyo cut Stanford’s lead to just 18-17.

After Stanford’s Ashten Prechtel made a putback with 6:12 left in the quarter, UA's Shaina Pellington hit two free throws and stole the ball from Stanford’s Lacie Hull, making a layup to give UA a 21-20 lead with 4:53 left. But then the Cardinal put together its 11-0 run to take a 31-21 lead with 1:29 left.

Other than an early 3-pointer from McDonald, the Wildcats struggled to shoot at the beginning of the game and fell behind 14-3 after an early 12-0 Stanford run that included 3s from Prechtel and Williams.

Arizona made just 2 of 12 shots before Trinity Baptiste hit a 3 to cut it to 16-8 with 3:11 left and neither team scored the rest of the quarter, after which Stanford ledΒ 16-8.

Arizona finished the first quarter shooting just 3 of 19 from the field and making only 2 of 10 from 3-point range while Stanford was 7 for 16 overall and 2 of 4 from 3.

The Wildcats lost by much bigger margins to Stanford earlier this season, losing 84-51 at McKale Center on Jan. 1 and 62-48 at Maples Pavilion on Feb. 22. Stanford shot 46.2% in the first game and 43.4% in the second, while UA shot 25.8 at McKale and 30.9% at Stanford.

McDonald hit just 1 of 12 3-pointers over the two games.

However, ArizonaΒ  beat Stanford 73-72 in overtime on Feb. 28, 2020 while Stanford won just 56-54 on Feb. 22, 2019 before UA went on to win the WNIT that season.

Then on the highest stage possible Sunday, the Wildcats went down to the wire again with Stanford. McDonald made sure of that, even if her final shot didn't go in.Β 

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