Sometimes basketball can be as cruel as nature. The women’s rivalry between Stanford and Washington State is marginally less one-sided than the relationship between eagles and prairie dogs.

The Cardinal have won all 63 games in a series that dates to 1983, following their methodical 70-57 beating of the Cougars Friday night at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford’s Alanna Smith was deadly around the rim with 20 points and nine rebounds. Kiana Williams sank 3-of-6 three-pointers and scored 15 points. Brittany McPhee, celebrating her 22nd birthday, added 12 points and five assists. Kaylee Johnson grabbed 15 points to go with her 10 points.

The Cardinal had their way in transition baskets and owned the boards 53-31.

Wazzou was without head coach June Daugherty, who stayed in Pullman for a minor medical procedure. Her husband and top assistant, Mike, filled in for her, and it wasn’t an easy task. The Cougars shot just 34 percent and were off-kilter even on open shots.

"Our effort was pitiful," Mike Daugherty told Pac-12 Networks after WSU trailed 45-17 at halftime. "We should have stayed home with June."

Stanford did practically everything it failed to do in Sunday’s seven-point loss to Arizona State. Of course, it helped that WSU is not in ASU’s class.

The Cardinal (10-7, 4-1 Pac-12) played tough defense - holding the Pac-12’s leading scorer, Borislava Hristova, to 14 points, all of them after the issue had been decided. She averages 19.1.

Chanelle Molina came off the bench to score 19 points for WSU.

A 10-0 start signaled they had shaken off the ASU loss. Johnson had three early baskets as Stanford rolled to a 22-7 lead after one quarter. Williams and Smith had 12 points each in the first half and Stanford scored 16 of the last 18 points in the half.

Wazzou has a roster with an international flavor. Hristova is from Bulgaria, and also starting are Louise Brown of Australia, Maria Kostourkova of Portugal and Pinelopi Pavlopovlov. Johanna Muzet, who came off the bench , is from France.

The Cougars lost guard Alexys Swedlund to an ankle injury late in the third quarter.

Briefly: Stanford was missing two reserve guards, sophomores Anna Wilson (sprained ankle) and Mikaela Brewer (illness). … The Cardinal host Washington Sunday at 3 p.m.