SAN DIEGO — Stanford is off to a fast start in its attempt to get back to the NCAA championship game.

The second-seeded Cardinal routed UC Santa Barbara, 74-39, in an opening-round game last night, getting double-doubles from Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year Jayne Appel and freshman Nnemkadi Ogwumike. Appel had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Ogwumike had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Stanford (30-4) extended its winning streak to 17 games.

The Cardinal will face San Diego State tomorrow, with the winner advancing to the regionals at Berkeley. For Stanford, that would mean a trip across San Francisco Bay.

"I think we are really excited," Appel said. "But we are glad to get this first one done."

The Cardinal lost to Tennessee in last year's national title game, 64-48.

Stanford last won the NCAA title in 1992. For what it's worth, that tournament run began 17 years earlier to the day with an 82-73 win over the Gauchos on Stanford's home court.

"It's no surprise that the Stanford Cardinal are a pretty amazing team," UCSB coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "I think we saw them on a pretty good night. They came out like one of the best teams in the country. I think they will be in this for a long time, maybe all the way to the finals."

This one was never in doubt as Stanford breezed to its 10th straight first-round win.

Stanford made five 3-point shots in the first 11:30, including two apiece by Kayla Pedersen and Jeanette Pohlen, to race to a 20-11 lead. The Cardinal, the Pac-10 regular-season and tournament champion, finished the first half with a 16-0 run to lead 42-14.

"Hitting those shots helped us get in the game and relax," Pohlen said.

"We hit our shots, rebounded and took care of the ball really well early on," coach Tara VanDerveer said. "I think we can play better. We will have to do a better job on Monday."

San Diego State beat DePaul, 76-70, to improve to 15-0 this season at Cox Arena, and ran its overall home winning streak to 17.

Whitney Warren had 10 points for the Gauchos (22-10), who suffered their worst NCAA tournament loss ever. The 35-point losing margin eclipsed by one last year's 86-52 loss to Virginia.

Lauren Pedersen, who came in leading the Gauchos at 13 points a game, was held scoreless, going 0-for-8 from the floor.

Stanford outrebounded UC Santa Barbara 57-31.

It was the eighth time Stanford reached the 30-win mark, and the first in consecutive seasons.

MORE BERKELEY REGIONAL

AT COX ARENA, SAN DIEGO

San Diego State 76, DePaul 70: Jene Morris tied her career high with 35 points and the 10th-seeded Aztecs (24-7) improved to 15-0 this season at Cox Arena, running their overall home winning streak to 17 with a victory over the seventh-seeded Blue Demons (23-10).

AT NATIONWIDE ARENA, COLUMBUS, OHIO

Mississippi State 71, Texas 63: Alexis Rack scored 20 points, including 8-for-8 from free throws down the stretch, as the 11th-seeded Lady Bulldogs (23-9), who blew an 11-point lead with 5 minutes left, upset the sixth-seeded Lady Longhorns (21-12).

Ohio State 77, Sacred Heart 63: Samantha Prahalis scored 23 points, Jantel Lavender contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the third-seeded Buckeyes (28-5) beat the Northeast Conference champion and 14th-seeded Pioneers (25-8), who trailed just 46-44 with 12:50 left.

TRENTON REGIONAL

AT GALEN CENTER, LOS ANGELES

California 70, Fresno State 47: Ashley Walker scored 21 points and Alexis Gray-Lawson added 14 as the fourth-seeded Bears (26-6) routed the 13th-seeded Bulldogs (24-9), whose five-game winning streak ended as they lost in the first round for the second consecutive year.

Virginia 68, Marist 61: Ariana Moorer scored 16 points and Monica Wright had all of her 13 points in the second half — including two 3-pointers to open a 13-point lead — as the fifth-seeded Cavaliers (24-9) turned back the 12th-seeded the Red Foxes (29-4).

AT ARENA AT GWINNETT, DULUTH, GA.

Arizona State 58, Georgia 47: Kayli Murphy had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and the sixth-seeded Sun Devils (24-8) led 27-20 at halftime and opened the second half with a 17-8 run for a 44-28 lead to beat the 11th-seeded Lady Bulldogs.

Florida State 83, North Carolina A&T 71: Alysha Harvin scored 18 points to lead four teammates in double figures as the third-seeded Seminoles (26-7) pulled away midway through the second half to beat the 14th-seeded Aggies (26-7).

RALEIGH REGIONAL

AT THE PIT/BOB KING COURT, ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.

Vanderbilt 73, Western Carolina 44: Christina Wirth scored 23 points, Jennifer Risper had 11 points and nine rebounds, and the fourth-seeded Commodores (25-8) raced to a 29-18 first-half lead and never looked back in ending the 13th-seeded Lady Catamounts' (21-12) 10-game winning streak.

Kansas State 68, Drexel 44: Marlies Gipson scored 18 points, Shalee Lehning matched a career high with 13 assists, and the fifth-seeded Wildcats (25-7) beat the 12th-seeded Dragons (24-9), holding Gabriela Marginean, the nation's No. 3 scorer with a 23.6 average, to 15 points.

OKLAHOMA CITY

AT BANK OF AMERICA ARENA, SEATTLE

Pittsburgh 64, Montana 35: Shavonte Zellous scored 15 of her 31 points in the first half and the fourth-seeded Panthers (24-7) opened the second half with a 13-2 run for a 39-27 lead in cruising past the 13th-seeded Lady Griz (28-5), who scored just 10 points after intermission.

Gonzaga 74, Xavier 59: Heather Bowman scored 14 of her 23 points in the second half, Courtney Vandersloot added 15 points and 11 assists, and the 12th-seeded Bulldogs (27-6) won the first NCAA tournament game in school history with an upset of the fifth-seeded Musketeers (25-7).

AT MCKENZIE ARENA, CHATTANOOGA, TENN.

North Carolina 85, UCF 80: Heather Claytor, Italee Lucas and Jessica Breeland each scored 17 points, and the third-seeded Tar Heels (28-6) nearly squandered a 14-point lead in the final 30 seconds before holding off the Knights (17-17).

Purdue 65, Charlotte 52: Danielle Campbell scored 12 points, and the sixth-seeded Boilermakers (23-10) forced 20 turnovers to take a 34-25 halftime lead in beating the 11th-seeded 49ers (23-9) for their 12th straight first-round win.

AT LOUIS BROWN ATHLETIC CENTER, PISCATAWAY, N.J.

Auburn 85, Lehigh 49: Southeastern Conference player of the year DeWanna Bonner scored 26 points and led an early 21-3 spurt that carried the second-seeded Tigers (30-3) to an easy victory over 15th-seeded Mountain Hawks (26-7).

Rutgers 57, VCU 51: Epiphanny Prince scored 26 points, including 10 during a 12-4 second-half run that opened a 43-33 lead, as the seventh-seeded Scarlet Knights (20-12) held off the 10th-seeded Rams (26-7), who were playing in their first NCAA tournament game.