Stanford FBC: Event Reports

And the streak goes on

2012-02-10T23:25:00.002-08:00

Defeating USC 69-52 on Feb. 9, the Stanford women’s basketball team extended its home winning streak to 75 games, second only to UConn.

While they were at it, the 21-1 team also recorded its 69th consecutive conference win and raised its current winning streak to 18.

Not to be overlooked, senior forward Nneka Ogwumike surpassed Jayne Appel, ’10, to advance to No. 3 on the team’s all-time scoring list. A free throw about seven minutes into the first half gave her the boost.

She finished the nationally televised game with a team-high 22 points, making her career total 2,143, according to the Nneka Watch on this website. She needs only 73 more points to pass Kate Starbird, ’97, and move into second place. Candice Wiggins, ’08, is on top with 2,629.

Playing 32 minutes, Nneka also had eight rebounds and one assist. Several fans in the crowd waved large posters with her picture.

Her sophomore sister, Chiney, was right behind her in scoring with 21 points along with 12 rebounds and one assist in 35 minutes. Doing her best Brittney Griner imitation, she had a career-high and team-high six blocks even though she’s 5 inches shorter than the Baylor star.

The only other player in double figures was sophomore guard Toni Kokenis, who had 15 points to go with five rebounds, five assists and one steal in a team-high 38 minutes.

It literally was a night for the fans as people received team fans upon entering Maples. One side, reading “Cardinal Rules,” features photos of the team’s sophomores, juniors and seniors. The other side reads “Go Stanford.” While many people kept the fans unfurled with that side high, others kept them folded and used them as noisemakers whenever a USC player went to the free throw line.

Overall, Stanford shot a respectable 48.9 percent compared with USC’s 29.3 percent. However, the 3-point percentage was a mere 16.7 percent with Toni and freshman Taylor Greenfield recording the only two treys. This was in marked contrast to the pre-game warmups, when all of the team’s outside shooters knocked in one after another from behind the arc.

During the half the crowd saluted the No. 6 nationally ranked lacrosse team, which was opening its season the next day against No. 1 Northwestern. The team got in some shot practice of its own by hurling mini-balls into the stands.

Fans also saw a new-look Tree with a brown trunk and face beneath scalloped, dark green fronds. When he twirled, the fronds spread out like a propeller.

ASU gets a big dose of the O’s

2012-02-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

More than 30 fans who couldn’t make it to the desert to watch the Stanford women’s basketball team take on Arizona State on Feb. 2 gathered at the Old Pro sports bar in downtown Palo Alto to watch the game.

There weren’t a lot of reasons to cheer during the first half, which ended in a 28-28 tie. Slightly more than eight minutes into the second half, the score was tied again at 40-40, but then Stanford took over, the fans cheered and the game ended with a 62-49 Stanford victory.

Much of the credit goes to the Ogwumike sisters – senior Nneka and sophomore Chiney. Nneka poured in 22 points, while Chiney added 20, and they pulled down 16 rebounds each. Thus the two forwards combined for 42 points and 32 rebounds.

The only other Cardinal to score in double figures was freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, whose 10 points came off one free throw and three 3-pointers. Hers were the team’s only 3’s. She also had four rebounds. As a team, the Cardinal had 48 rebounds to ASU’s 24.

The Fast Beak Club had the Old Pro’s upstairs room and multiple big-screen TVs to itself. Fans had a few anxious moments shortly before tipoff when those TVs were showing only the Direct TV logo. Then when the picture came on, there was no sound. At that point, the fans really didn’t need sound to cheer as Stanford players were shown leaving their bus. There also were some bemused comments as a “Fear the Fork” sign was shown. Hmm, I wonder where ASU got that idea.

The sound came on right after that, and the game was under way. Noise from both the Stanford fans and all the people packed into the main room downstairs limited how much of the commentary could be heard, though.

That’s why I was glad to go home and watch the recording afterward. Then I could be sure that I had heard head coach Tara VanDerveer correctly. Interviewed by commentator Mary Murphy right after the first half, Tara said, “I’m excited about how poorly we played and we’re tied.”

Several fans won T-shirts and a jersey that were raffled off during halftime. Throughout the game, they enjoyed good service from the Old Pro staff. They also got a 10 percent discount on their bills. Sliders and burgers seemed to be the most popular choice for dining, as well as some pizzas and salads. However, the only dessert choice is do-it-yourself s’mores.

Seating at the long tables is comfortable and conducive to conviviality as well as viewing. All in all, it was a good experience, especially with another Stanford win to savor.

Whew! Too close for comfort

2012-01-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks in part to the efforts of two sophomores, the Stanford women’s basketball team eked out a 74-71 home overtime victory over cross-bay rival Cal on Jan. 28.

Forward Chiney Ogwumike scored 3 (a layup and free throw) of her 27 points during the five-minute overtime, while guard Toni Kokenis recorded 2 of her 18 points in overtime, both on free throws. Chiney’s point total and her 18 rebounds were both career highs. She also had one each in assists, steals and blocks in 42 minutes. For her part, Toni had one rebound, four assists and two steals, also in 42 minutes.

Senior forward Nneka Ogwumike had 12 points plus nine rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 43 minutes. Even though her point total was below her usual output, it still was enough to move her into fourth place on Stanford’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Val Whiting, ’93.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club after the game that Nneka had been ill for much of the week and had missed some practices.

Bears make it a nail-biter

It was a tough game as the surging Bears proved to be formidable opponents. The lead seesawed through the early part of the first half, but Stanford slowly edged ahead, ending the half with a 38-29 advantage. The lead had opened to 61-49 with 7:41 to go in the second half, but Cal rattled off 7 unanswered points to narrow the gap to 61-56 at the five-minute mark.

Freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson gave Stanford some breathing room with two quick 3’s, making the score 67-60 with 2:46 to go. After that, Stanford had only 2 more points, while Cal poured in 9 points to tie the score at 69-69 at the end of regulation play.

Overall, Stanford ended with a less-than-stellar 36.5 shooting percentage for the game, while Cal made 40.5 percent of its shots. Bonnie’s two 3-pointers plus one by Toni were the only three of 20 Stanford attempts that went through the net – 15 percent. Cal made four of 16 for 25 percent.

Stanford won the battle of the boards, snaring 51 rebounds to Cal’s 47. Stanford also had the edge in assists, 15-10; blocks, 4-2; and steals, 9-5. Stanford had 13 fouls, Cal 19. Both teams had 15 turnovers.

With a reported attendance of 6,075, Maples was rocking. Cal sent over a contingent of band members, cheerleaders and mascot Oskie. Stanford had its band, cheerleaders, the Tree and the Dollies.

More reasons to cheer

The Peninsula Girls Chorus started the formalities well with a fine rendition of the national anthem.

Twice during the game the fans were treated to a new crowd-pleaser – T-shirts fired from the Shockwave, a T-shirt-shooting robotic cannon. About four times larger than the remote-controlled model cars one sometimes sees zipping around playgrounds, this shiny blue machine featured tubes that rotated into place to fire off the red T-shirts. It was remotely controlled by a teenage boy.

Halftime featured more crowd-pleasing moments. The first was the introduction of Stanford’s 2011 national champion women’s soccer team, which had defeated Duke 1-0 to claim its first victory in its third consecutive trip to the Final Four. Players were introduced individually, but several were absent because they were studying abroad or playing with the Mexican national team.

Those who were there entertained the crowd in a contest in which they had to cross the entire court bouncing soccer balls on their feet without the balls touching the floor. Then, again just using their feet, they tried to make baskets. A few even succeeded.

Much to the delight of Stanford fans, but probably not to Cal fans, the video board showed highlights from Stanford’s Big Game football victory over Cal this past fall to claim The Axe. Then six Cardinal football players paraded onto the court carrying The Axe trophy.

More football memories were evoked during the second half when former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was shown in the stands. Harbaugh now is the first-year San Francisco 49er coach who led his resurgent team to the NFC championship game the previous week.

During the post-game session, Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, gave a quick preview of the Pac-12 tournament in Los Angeles March 7-10. Since the top four teams will get a first-round bye on March 7, Stanford is expected to play its first game March 8 at Galen Center. The semi-finals will be March 9 and the championship game March 10, both in Staples Center.

Fans meet Lauren, Liz

Associate head coach Amy Tucker introduced the post-game guests, Lauren Greif, special assistant and video coordinator; and Liz Rizza, intern. Referring to Lauren, Amy said, “She went to a small school across the bay.” Of course she meant Cal, where Lauren was a standout guard who graduated in 2010 and came to Stanford as an intern last season.

Her job as video coordinator entails editing game videos and coding them according to a variety of factors. “All statistics get recorded” during the game, she said. She has 24 hours to upload each game video into a computer program accessible to other teams for use in scouting. By the same token, she also downloads upcoming opponents’ games for Stanford coaches to review and scout.

Lauren is working on a master’s degree in sports psychology from San Jose State and hopes to become a coach. She said she was rooting for Stanford in the game but wore neutral colors.

For her part, Liz said she had become hoarse while yelling for Stanford from the bench. As an intern, her duties are many and varied, she said. She went to high school in Eugene, Ore., and graduated from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, where she played point guard, according to her Stanford bio. She earned her master’s degree at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

Tara assesses the game

When Tara came out to address the post-game gathering, she started with “It was a great crowd. … What a great win for our team.” She added that she was disappointed that the game wasn’t televised and that “this was a little bit of a gray hair day.”

Just then, Chiney, still in uniform, came onto the floor to head across court to greet her father and others. Tara acknowledged her arrival as the crowd cheered. “Thanks for coming,” Chiney said.

Tara said she was pleased with her team’s rebounding. She also complimented Cal. “It’s great to play a close game.” She was pleased “that we can beat a great team like Cal without shooting well. … We won by playing defense, by rebounding” and other things, she said.

“They’re a great group to work with,” she said of her team, but players’ health remains her biggest concern.

“Basketball is a game of spurts,” she said. This game will help the team realize how important each play is. “It was pretty physical,” but “it’s fun to learn from a game like this.”

Freshmen assist in 73rd home win

2012-01-23T21:31:00.000-08:00

Starting freshman point guard Amber Orrange had nine assists, and freshman forward Taylor Greenfield came off the bench to make four of her five 3-point shots as the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated Washington 65-47 on Jan. 21.

Given that each assist means at least 2 points scored and that the margin of victory was 18 points, one might argue that Amber was the difference in the Cardinal’s 73rd consecutive win at Maples. Of course, it’s never that simple, given the major contributions made by her teammates.

For example, senior forward Nneka Ogwumike led the team in scoring with 17 points to go with seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals. Less than halfway through the first half, Nneka moved into fifth place on Stanford's career scoring list, passing Nicole Powell, ’04. Now with 2,082 points, she is 5 points away from moving into fourth.

Sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike added 15 points plus 11 rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals. In addition to her 12 points, Taylor had one rebound.

In the meantime, Amber had 4 points plus five rebounds and four steals. Her 33 minutes on the court were the most on the team. During that time, she constantly pressured Washington’s point guard and others, bolstering Stanford’s defense. “Our defense was great,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club in a behind-the-bench session after the game. “This is a very good defensive team.”

“Amber had a great game,” associate head coach Amy Tucker told the crowd. Tara agreed. “I’m really excited about Amber,” she said. “She played great on our road trip.” Tara was referring to the previous week’s wins at Utah and Colorado. She also praised Taylor.

Freshman guard Alex Green was the guest after the game. She’s “probably our shyest freshman,” Amy said. Alex hasn’t been playing because she’s rehabbing from surgery for a torn Achilles. “Rehab’s going well,” she said, adding that she’s allowed to do some walking without her boot.

Other schools she considered before deciding on Stanford included Tulane, Kansas State, Penn State and Colorado State. Her favorite class is Spanish. Her biggest surprise at Stanford – “I had to talk more and do more interviews.”

“That’s a woman of few words,” Amy said as Alex departed.

Assessing the team’s overall performance, Amy said, “We gotta shoot better. … We need more energy.” The team shot only 30.3 percent in the first half but improved to 46.7 in the second half for a game average of 38.1. “The bar is very high. This felt like a step back today,” she said.

One fan asked Tara what her biggest surprise of the season has been. “The development of the young players,” she said. They pay close attention to the scouting reports by assistant coaches Kate Paye and Trina Patterson, while Susan Borchardt, strength and conditioning coach, keeps them in good shape.

It was a physical game that led to 18 fouls by Washington and 15 by Stanford. The Cardinal took better care of the ball with 12 turnovers versus Washington’s 22.

The crowd got a scare with about 8 minutes to go in the second half when Nneka fell under the basket, gripped her leg and left the court. However, she returned about 2 minutes later. She had been kicked in the shin, Amy said after the game.

Center Sarah Boothe, wearing a boot, didn’t play. She has a sore foot, and her status is day-to-day, Amy said.

Although Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, didn’t provide details, she said the team is going to Hawaii to play in a tournament the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The afternoon began with a fine rendition of the national anthem by the Fisher Middle School Choir from Los Altos. The group’s several dozen members were among a sizable youth fan base that included some 500 Girl Scouts.

Youth also was on view during halftime when the Mountain View YMCA Dancers performed. What some of the tiniest dancers may have lacked in precision they made up for in enthusiasm and cuteness.

Cougars get snowed under

2012-01-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

The Washington State Cougars escaped being snowed in by the storms pounding the Pacific Northwest, but they couldn’t escape being snowed under by the Stanford women’s basketball team. The Cardinal prevailed 75-41 on the slightly rainy (the first rain in weeks) evening of Jan. 19 at Maples Pavilion.

This game featured the home debut of the revised starting lineup that head coach Tara VanDerveer had initiated on the team’s first-ever Pac-12 visit to the Mountain Time schools, Utah and Colorado, the prior week..

The combination of senior forward Nneka Ogwumike, junior forward Joslyn Tinkle, sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike, sophomore guard Toni Kokenis and freshman guard Amber Orrange helped to bring two victories home, so the five got the nod again against WSU. Still, Stanford the team started slowly, trailing for much of the first half until finally grabbing the lead with about 5 ½ minutes to go and never looking back.

The first half ended 31-20 after Joslyn stole the ball and got it to Toni for a successful layup with just 1 second to go.

Part of the dominance can be explained by defense, which didn’t allow any WSU player to score more than 7 points. For the game, Stanford had 12 steals to WSU’s four and 19 assists to WSU’s eight.

All 12 available players got into the game, and all contributed in some way. Nneka led all scorers with 22 points as well as 10 rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes. Chiney was close behind with 19 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one block in 24 minutes. Joslyn chipped in with 9 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three steals in 24 minutes.

With official attendance at 3,186, the game was marked by the first appearance of the Stanford cheerleaders. Also adding spark to the evening were the band, the Tree and the Dollies.

The Dollies also were part of a halftime competition among three Stanford dance groups to determine which would perform at the final home game Feb. 29. The crowd gave its loudest cheers to the Stanford Steppers, a group of men and women who stamp and clap. Also competing was a women’s group, Catch A Fiyah.

One timeout during the first half was highlighted by the introduction of the wrestling team, whose players tossed T-shirts to the fans.

The fans got a chance to do more catching at the end of the game as the victory balls went flying for the 72nd consecutive time at Maples.

Nneka vaults into exclusive Cardinal club

2012-01-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

Leading her team to a 67-60 victory over Oregon State at home on Jan. 7 and playing 39 minutes, senior forward Nneka Ogwumike became only the fourth player in the history of Stanford women’s basketball to tally at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds over her collegiate career.

With a team-high 33 points and 16 rebounds, she joined only three others -- Jayne Appel, ’10; Nicole Powell, ’04; and Val Whiting, ’93 – in the exclusive 2,000/1,000 club. She was the first to reach both milestones in the same game.

The only other players to score at least 2,000 points are Candice Wiggins, ’08; Kate Starbird, ’97; and Jeanne Ruark Hoff, ’83. The only other player to snare at least 1,000 rebounds is Kayla Pedersen, ’11.

Nneka reached the 1,000-rebound mark with less than 7 minutes to go in the first half. With 46 seconds left in the game, she hit her 33rd point to reach 2,000 for her career.

The Cardinal needed every one of Nneka’s minutes, points and rebounds, as well as her two blocks and one assist against the scrappy Beavers. The team also got a big lift from her sister, sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike, who had 20 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 35 minutes.

It’s worth noting that Chiney made four of four at the free-throw line, an area where she hasn’t always had success. As I headed toward my seat about 55 minutes before tipoff, most of the team was in the locker room after initial warmups, but Chiney was still on the court practicing free throws. The extra work apparently paid off.

Together, the sisters accounted for 53 of the team’s 67 points and 26 of its 45 rebounds. The only other points came from junior forward Joslyn Tinkle with 5 and from senior guard Lindy La Rocque, sophomore guard Toni Kokenis and freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson with 3 each.

Arriving to cheers and a standing ovation, Nneka appeared briefly before fans gathered behind the bench after the game. “We’re so proud of you,” associate head coach Amy Tucker said.

Tara’s take on Nneka and the game

Head coach Tara VanDerveer noted that a San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist recently called Nneka “a precious gem.” Tara agreed with that assessment, noting “how hard she works (and) what a great leader she’s been for our team” She’s “one of the greatest players to ever play at Stanford.”

With the Cardinal trailing 31-35 at the half, “you did not want to be in that locker room” during the break, Tara told the fans. After whatever words the coach had for her players during halftime, “we did much better defensively” and with rebounds, she said. Toni and freshman guard Amber Orrange “helped us a lot defensively.”

“We had to battle,” Tara said. “Every team in the Pac-12 wants what we have,” she said referring to the Maples banner listing year after year of the team’s conference championships.

“This is an excellent win for our team” that will “help us in the long run,” she said. “It was a bumpy road the whole game,” but Nneka and Chiney “put the team on their back.”
“Winning is winning. We do whatever it takes.”

She cited Joslyn’s overall play. “She’s really helped us,” Tara said. Besides scoring 5 points, Joslyn had six rebounds, three steals and one assist in 18 minutes.

Tara also reported that Joslyn’s classmate, forward Mikaela Ruef, is getting better after missing several games with a foot injury.

Dog lovers have their day

Even though the game was a nail-biter, there were lots of laughs because of Dog Lovers Day. It started with a Peninsula Humane Society display of cute, playful dogs available for adoption outside the northwest entrance before the game.

Before and during the game, the scoreboard displayed pictures of fans’ dogs, many in Stanford attire. It also featured videos of doggie antics.

One of them was what appeared to be a St. Bernard or Bernese mountain dog sitting in the front passenger seat of a car. As the driver ate a sandwich, the dog drooled ever more copiously before being given the last morsel. Speaking to fans after the game, Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, said she was glad she didn’t have to clean up the puddles.

The highlight of Dog Lovers Day was the annual visit of the Ace Dog Sports agility dogs. Led by their owners, 11 dogs ran, jumped and wiggled through an obstacle course that included two fabric tunnels. The dogs were of assorted breeds, ages and sizes from tiny Roxie to Zoe, a Great Dane.

Susan visits with fans

Besides Nneka’s brief hello after the game, fans enjoyed hearing from Susan Borchardt, ’06, the team’s sports performance coach. Susan “was one of our most tenacious defenders that we’ve ever had,” Amy said.

“It’s great to be back,” Susan said. In addition to overall strength and conditioning, her duties include providing nutritional guidance, helping some players stretch before games, instituting more running and working with individual players. Some, for example, are trying to gain muscle mass while some are working on body composition.

She works with injured players, focusing on what they can do rather than what they can’t do. Since she herself came back from two knee injuries, she can provide firsthand knowledge and encouragement, reassuring the players that they can come back and be better than ever, she said.

Amy added that it’s helpful that Susan is a former player because she can advise players. She also makes helpful observations for the coaches. “It’s almost like having another assistant coach,” Amy said.

During games, she fetches the stool where Tara sits while talking to the team during timeouts. She’s available to run to the locker room for whatever and will stretch players who need it.

After graduating from Stanford, Susan played in the WNBA for a year. She then went to Spain to join her husband, Curtis Borchardt, who was playing professional basketball after playing at Stanford. She subsequently continued her education and received certification as a sports and conditioning coach, working with Curtis’s team in Spain.

Now living in Palo Alto, she and Curtis have three children: a 21-month-old son and 5½-month-old twins, a boy and a girl. Curtis was back at Stanford last term to complete his degree and has just returned to basketball.

Winning way to start the year

2012-01-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

After beginning the inaugural Pac-12 season by sweeping the two LA teams on the road, the Stanford women’s basketball team began 2012 with an entertaining 93-70 victory over Oregon at home on Jan. 5.

Highlighting that entertainment were the seemingly impossible moves by senior forward Nneka Ogwumike. She scored 32 points, snared 15 rebounds and recorded two assists, three blocks, two steals, no turnovers and only two fouls in her team-high 33 minutes of playing time.

When they weren’t marveling at Nneka, the 3,434 fans could roar their approval for freshman forwards Bonnie Samuelson and Taylor Greenfield, who delivered six and five 3-pointers, respectively. Besides her 18 points, Bonnie had two rebounds, an assist, no turnovers and one foul in 22 minutes off the bench. Starter Taylor had a total of 17 points plus two rebounds, two assists, two steals and no turnovers or fouls in 22 minutes.

The team had a total of 14 3’s, thanks to Bonnie and Taylor plus one each from senior guard Lindy La Rocque, sophomore guard Toni Kokenis and junior forward Joslyn Tinkle.

Sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike nearly missed a double-double with 9 points and 12 rebounds to go with one assist, two blocks and two steals but had three turnovers and two fouls in 23 minutes.

Her point total of 9 was matched by Joslyn, who also had three rebounds, one assist, one foul and no steals, blocks or turnovers in 20 minutes. The only other player to score for the Cardinal was redshirt junior center Sarah Boothe, who had 2 points plus one rebound, one assist, one foul and no turnovers, steals or blocks in four minutes.

As a team, Stanford outrebounded the Ducks by only 47-40, which is less than the Cardinal’s usual standard. Stanford also had 14 fouls compared with Oregon’s seven. Hence Oregon made 14 of its points on free throws while Stanford managed only 3.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer went with the same starting lineup that she has used recently -- Nneka, Chiney, Taylor, Toni and Lindy. And even though the starters played more than one might expect in this game, all 12 available players saw action.

Besides the relatively low advantage in rebounding, another concern is that the two starting guards combined for only 6 points while those coming off the bench had none. Toni has usually been one of the top scorers along with Nneka and Chiney.

On the other hand, Toni led the team with eight assists with only one turnover and added a block and a steal, while Lindy had three assists and one turnover. Freshman guard Amber Orrange had five assists, three rebounds and one turnover off the bench. As a team, the Cardinal had 24 assists to Oregon’s eight, and only seven turnovers to Oregon’s 11. It also led 6-1 in blocks and 7-3 in steals

Moreover, the team extended its home winning streak to 70 and its conference winning streak to 60. Nneka is only three rebounds and 33 points away from joining the Cardinal’s prestigious 1,000/2,000 club. It won’t take her long to get there.

Happy holiday sendoff

2011-12-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

After their thrilling win over the always-tough Tennessee just two nights earlier, Stanford women’s basketball players were ready for smoother sailing on Dec. 22. They got it courtesy of Cal State Bakersfield, which fell to the Cardinal 90-48.

Decimated by injuries, the Roadrunners had only seven players in uniform, and no starter was over 6 feet. Moreover, the team is transitioning to NCAA Division I, so meeting an elite team like Stanford presented a formidable challenge. Still, the Roadrunners played hard. Mostly unable to penetrate to the basket because of Stanford’s superior height, they amassed the majority of their score from 3-pointers – 10 in all.

For their part, Stanford’s starters had the luxury of spending much of the game on the sidelines, sipping Gatorade and cheering teammates who usually don’t get as much time in the spotlight.

As head coach Tara VanDerveer told fans in Kissick Auditorium after the game, it was a good chance for those players to get some valuable experience. The starters realized that their job on that night was just to get things going.

Those starters – senior forward Nneka Ogwumike, junior forward Joslyn Tinkle, sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike, senior guard Lindy La Rocque and sophomore guard Toni Kokenis – did just that. On the opening tipoff, for example, rather than tipping the ball to a guard to get the offense going, Nneka tipped the ball straight to Chiney for the first 2 points. Not long after that, Lindy contributed two consecutive 3-pointers. The score was 14-2 at the first timeout with 16:42 to go.

Tara dispatched substitutes rather quickly, often leaving only one starter on the floor and sometimes none. By the time the buzzer had sounded to end the first half, the score was 47-17. During the half, fans who happened to go into the east concourse could look outside and see the Fiesta Bowl-bound football team practicing.

The same five starters took to the floor for the second half. Except for Joslyn, though, they didn’t stay there for long. Playing a total of 24 minutes, compared with between 13 and 15 for the other four starters, Joslyn led the team with a career-high 20 points plus 11 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and one assist.

Coming off the bench, freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson was the second-high scorer with 14, plus three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 20 minutes. Freshman forward Erica Payne wasn’t far behind with 12 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 27 minutes, the most of any Cardinal.

Chiney was the only other player in double figures – 10 points to go with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 15 minutes. Nneka, who was so spectacular against Tennessee, produced 8 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in her 13 minutes.

The Cardinal dominated in nearly every statistical category – 51-32 in rebounds, 24-12 in assists, 8-1 in blocks and 12-5 in steals. Stanford had 13 turnovers vs. Bakersfield’s 20, but eight fouls to the opponent’s five.

Accounting for Stanford’s six three-pointers were Lindy, Joslyn and Bonnie with two each.

Every available Stanford player saw action. However, only 11 players were available. Freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, who has started several recent games, was in uniform and warmed up but didn’t play. Tara said after the game that Taylor wasn’t at 100 percent, so she was held out as a precaution. Joslyn started in her place.

Freshman guard Alex Green is out for the season to rehab an Achilles injury. It was recently announced that freshman guard Jasmine Camp will miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery because of a stress fracture in her foot. Junior forward Mikaela Ruef has missed several games because of a foot problem, but the coaches hope to have her back in action.

During the post-game session, fans were treated to a visit from Nneka, who received a standing ovation. In the Tennessee game, Nneka delivered “one of the best performances I’ve ever seen on our home floor,” said associate head coach Amy Tucker. She was referring to Nneka’s career-high 42 points and 17 rebounds in 39 minutes.

In typical Nneka fashion, the team captain was modest about her accomplishments. Asked if she realizes the legacy she’s leaving, Nneka said, “I feel like I’m still a part of a legacy,” and cited such great predecessors as Jayne Appel, ’10, and Candice Wiggins,’08. “I’m a part of this program. I just do what I can do to help.”

One of the things she does is to mentor the six freshmen. “I call them my babies,” she said.

“She’s our unpaid assistant,” Amy said, noting Nneka often explains the coaches’ comments to the freshmen. This is a bit of a turnaround, for Nneka was known for asking many questions in earlier seasons. In the meantime, Amy said she had never seen a player improve as much from year to year as Nneka has.

Someone asked if Nneka felt as if she were in a zone against Tennessee. Nneka said it wasn’t really a zone. Instead she felt more in tune with what was going on and with the team and coaches. “I felt so alive. It was weird,” she said.

As the season continues, she’s trying to be more aggressive and to develop a 3-point shot. She also praised Susan Borchardt, sports performance coach, for helping her to get and stay in good condition. “She’s a huge help.”

Nneka “is the whole package,” Tara said, citing her unselfishness among other qualities. “She’s something really special.”

As for the team, “We’re really excited about this group,” she said, but “we still have a lot of work to do.”

The holiday spirit was evident at Maples as several fans sported Santa hats. A man seated upstairs near the flag was in full Santa regalia, white beard and all, and was accompanied by someone dressed as an elf. The band, down to an octet plus the leader, added its usual entertainment.

During a timeout in the second half, the video board showed pictures of the team and staff helping out at St. Anthony’s dining room in Menlo Park the morning after the Tennessee game. This holiday visit is a tradition for the team.

Now the players are enjoying a brief Christmas break at home with their families. They’ll report back on Dec. 26 to prepare for their Pac-12 opening games against USC and UCLA on Dec. 29 and 31 on the road.

Unstoppable Nneka wows crowd

2011-12-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

There were ample reasons for excitement, but nothing could surpass the exuberance, exhilaration and sheer joy generated by Nneka Ogwumike at Maples Pavilion on Dec. 20. The senior forward’s career-high 42 points led the Stanford women’s basketball team to a 97-80 victory over the visiting Tennessee Lady Vols before a sell-out crowd of 7,329.

The team captain also hauled in 17 rebounds, dished out three assists and had two steals in her 39 minutes on the floor. Not to be overlooked, sophomore guard Toni Kokenis also posted a career high with 26 points plus four assists, one rebound and one steal in her 38 minutes. Also scoring in double figures was sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike with 14 points plus five rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes. Her time was limited by an accumulation of four fouls.

Despite all this excitement, the evening had its poignant moments, too, in the wake of Tennessee head coach Pat Summit’s announcement before the season that she had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. To honor the legendary coach, who has more wins than any other coach, male or female, in NCAA history, fans were given red rally towels emblazoned with an “S” and reading, “We back Pat.”

After warmly applauding the Lady Vols as they came onto the court, the fans greeted Pat’s entrance with a prolonged standing ovation. Just before her arrival, a short video featured head coach Tara VanDerveer talking about her longtime colleague and friend’s accomplishments and courage. In a video shown at the half, Tara talked about ways to possibly prevent Alzheimer’s. “Reasons for hope” messages concerning Alzheimer’s flashed onto the video screen during timeouts.

To accommodate the expected crowd, doors at Maples opened earlier than usual, and two extra rows of chairs were added at both ends of the court. Once inside, a substantial number of people in orange could be seen searching for their seats. The fans also included players’ family members as well as the parents of alum Jayne Appel, ’10.

The evening got under way with an a cappella singing of the national anthem by Hookslide, the male quartet whose members include Stanford’s Bud Anderson, director of creative video. (In my account of the Princeton game, I neglected to say that team manager Natasha von Kaeppler sang the anthem.)

And speaking of creative video, Episode 3 of “The Real Ladies of Maples,” shot mostly by Chiney and shown before the game, focused on the team’s Thanksgiving dinner at the Ohio home of junior forward Mikaela Ruef.

Mikaela remained on the sidelines because of a sore foot. Joining her were freshman guards Alex Green, recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, and, for the first time, Jasmine Camp, who was on crutches because of a foot injury. As the team lined up while the starters were introduced, freshman forward Erica Payne gave Alex a big hug.

Besides Nneka, Chiney and Toni, the starters were freshman forward Taylor Greenfield and senior guard Lindy La Rocque. Together the starters accounted for all but 6 points in the final score. Freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson had five of those other points thanks to a 3-pointer and two free throws.

Tara had sent her to the free-throw line after a technical was called on Tennessee for having six players on the floor after a timeout in the first half. Also chipping in 3-pointers were Lindy with one, Taylor with two and Toni with five.

As the game started, Tennessee had the upper hand, leading by 9 points with 13:21 to go in the first half. That’s when Nneka and her teammates turned on the jets, closing the first half with a 48-41 lead. Stanford led by as many as 19 points with 2:06 to go in the second half. It was only a few seconds after that when Tara pulled all of the starters and sent in the reserves to ice the game.

After shooting 61.5 percent in the first half, Tennessee dropped to 37 percent in the second half, thanks in large part to tough Cardinal defense. It seemed that only free throws kept the Lady Vols’ hopes alive in the second half, when they made 16 of 21.

Besides winning the game, Stanford dominated in other stats: 35-29 in rebounds, 20-11 in assists and 7-3 in blocks. Junior forward Joslyn Tinkle recorded four of the blocks. Tennessee prevailed only in steals, 6-4. Stanford forced 13 turnovers while having nine of its own. Each team had 16 fouls.

When the teams went to their benches for timeouts, Maples provided other diversions. The one with the loudest, most enthusiastic reception was the introduction of the Stanford football team, which is headed for the Fiesta Bowl next month. Then there were fun features like Elf Cam, Santa Cam and Mistletoe Cam along with the ever-popular twist.

At halftime fans were treated to the gravity-defying stunts of the Showtime Dunkteam. Using their acrobatic and gymnastic skills as well as a mini-trampoline and a bouncy mat, these five young men bounced and flipped their way to the basket with increasingly difficult maneuvers set to music. The crowd loved them.

After the game, the players and coaches lined up to exchange their traditional greetings. Then both teams gathered in a circle at center court, their arms around each other, for a few moments. As the Lady Vols departed, the Stanford players remained in their own circle, many of them congratulating Toni as they awaited Nneka, who was being interviewed. She joined them to complete the circle before they all ran to the sideline to grab victory balls.

It was indeed a victory to celebrate – a decisive win over an always-formidable opponent and the successful defense of the home court win streak, now at 68 and in its fifth season.

Next up: Cal State Bakersfield and a short Christmas break before Pac-12 competition, starting with a road trip to USC on Dec. 29 and UCLA on Dec. 31.

West is best in battle of brains

2011-12-17T21:39:00.001-08:00

Princeton, a leading Ivy League women’s basketball team, paid a visit to its West Coast academic match, Stanford, and left with an 85-66 defeat before a crowd of 4,277 on Dec. 17.

The visitors kept the game close throughout the first half and went to the locker room trailing by only 7 points, 39-32. Returning for the second half, Stanford turned up its offensive and defensive effort to lead by as much as 27 with 2:23 to go.

As expected, the Ogwumike sisters led the way, with senior forward Nneka pouring in 22 points to go with 12 rebounds, while sophomore forward Chiney had 21 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Toni Kokenis was third in scoring with 11 and was the only other Cardinal in double figures.

Nneka and Chiney both started the game, joined by freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, freshman guard Jasmine Camp and senior guard Lindy La Rocque. Head coach Tara VanDerveer substituted liberally, giving everyone a taste of the action except for junior forward Mikaela Ruef, who’s still sidelined by a foot problem. There’s no timeline for her return, said associate head coach Amy Tucker.

When it comes to the rotation, “we’re giving everyone a look,” Amy said in a behind-the-bench session after the game. Except for Nneka and Chiney, who “are solid” at the 4 and 5, she said, the 1, 2 and 3 spots are still in flux, mainly because so many players are so young.

Speaking after the game, Tara gave her “compliments to Princeton. They have an excellent team.” She also complimented several players, including Chiney, Toni and Taylor, who “did a really nice job. She’s coming along well.”

Nneka also came in for accolades, especially her good-looking, high-arcing mid-range shot. She has been working on that shot to become more versatile. “She’s a woman with girls out there,” Tara said, citing her for great leadership, too.

However, “we’re going to need more contributions” from other players. “I don’t think we shot as well (45.2 percent) as we needed to today,” she said. “We have to rebound better and take care of the ball better.”

Stanford had a slight edge in rebounding, 46-42, but both teams had 17 turnovers. Princeton steals contributed to nine of Stanford’s TO’s, while Stanford had seven steals. On the plus side, Stanford had five blocks, while the Tigers had none. Stanford also led in assists, 13-9.

The team was coming off a two-week hiatus for finals, which ended Dec. 16. The team has two more games – Tennessee on Dec. 20 and Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 22 -- before taking a brief holiday break and returning to the Farm on Dec. 26, said Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations.

One member of the Princeton coaching staff, Milena Flores, is a Stanford basketball alum, class of 2000. Now that this visit is behind her, “I’m looking forward to cheering for Stanford all the rest of the way,” she told the post-game crowd.

While Stanford fans gathered behind the bench to hear the coaches, dozens of Princeton fans socialized in the area of their bench while they waited for the team to emerge from the locker room. Princeton players Niveen Rasheed and Lauren Polansky are from the Bay Area and accounted for a large contingent of family and friends to cheer for them.

Stanford players had their own contingents. For example, several children and adults wore red and white tie-dye shirts with “Kokenis” and “31” stamped on them.

In keeping with the tradition of inviting the individual freshmen to speak to fans after a game, Jasmine was the post-game guest. She said she has been playing basketball “since I was 4 years old and never thought I’d wind up at Stanford.” She thought she’d play closer to her Atlanta home, but Stanford “is truly worth the trip. I have a great time here. It’s such a family. I love it,” said the articulate guard.

She has two brothers, ages 30 and 26. Her mother is an assistant principal at an elementary school, and her father heads the county probation department. As for her Stanford major, “I have no idea.”

She was asked to compare Stanford practices with her high school experiences. Her high school practices were much shorter and more casual while in “practice here, we go hard every minute.”

Another fan asked about the recruiting process. She said Tara and then-assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey made the official visit and had dinner at her home. Jasmine didn’t know that Tara is a vegetarian, but luckily “I made pasta salad on my own. She loved it. It got me in,” she joked. Several SEC schools and others recruited her, but “why go there when you can go to Stanford?” she said.

“We’ve been very excited about Jas,” Amy said. She brings great energy to the team and is loud and vocal, qualities that are important in a point guard, Amy added.

 And as for the team’s victory over Princeton, it “was a good tune-up game for Tennessee,” Tara said. The game is sold out, so Eileen advised fans to arrive early.

Cardinal outshoot, outrebound Fresno State

2011-12-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

“Fresno State has a good team ---- at their level.”

That’s the comment I heard from a man wearing a Fresno State sweatshirt as spectators were leaving Save Mart Center in Fresno on Dec. 4. That’s where the Stanford women’s basketball team had just defeated the home team 93-59.

Fresno State had a 5-2 record going into the game, helped in large part by sharpshooting from the 3-point line. The Cardinal edged out the Bulldogs in that statistical category with nine 3’s compared with Fresno’s eight. Once again, freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson led the team in treys by scoring on six of eight attempts, a 75 percent success rate. Senior guard Lindy La Rocque chipped in with two, while freshman forward Taylor Greenfield added one.

Wearing black road uniforms, Stanford led from the get-go and never ceded the lead or even tied. It pulled ahead 56-27 at the half. Shortly into the second half, the Cardinal led by 37 points, its largest margin.

The starting lineup featured Taylor along with senior Nneka Ogwumike and sophomore Chiney Ogwumike at the forward spots, while sophomore Toni Kokenis and freshman Jasmine Camp took on guard duty.

Initially, the game looked like “The Nneka and Chiney Show” with the two sisters dominating the boards and the scoring. Chiney played 27 minutes, the most of anyone on the team, scored 13 points and had a career-high 16 rebounds.

Even though Nneka sat out much of the first half with two fouls and played a total of only 18 minutes, she scored a team-high 21 points and pulled in 12 rebounds. Even when she wasn’t playing, she was helpful. When the ball got stuck between the backboard and rim, she got off the bench and used her leaping ability to free it.

Stanford’s superior height allowed the Cardinal to virtually own the boards, recording 67 rebounds to Fresno’s 28. The Cardinal also dominated in the assist department 26-12. Lindy led the team with five assists, closely followed by sophomore guard Sara James and freshman guard Amber Orrange with four each. The Cardinal had seven blocks to Fresno’s two. Bonnie and junior forward Joslyn Tinkle had three blocks each. Nneka had the other one.

On the other hand, Fresno took better care of the ball, amassing only 10 turnovers to Stanford’s 16. Fresno proved to be better at theft, too, recording seven steals to Stanford’s five. Stanford had 13 fouls to Fresno’s 18 but could have done a better job at the free-throw line, cashing in on only 44.4 percent of its shots, while Fresno made 55.6 percent.

It was good to see Lindy back in action after she had missed the UC Davis game with a sore foot. She took her customary place at the head of the line and led the team onto the floor for warmups. She had a total of 10 points, five assists and one steal in 22 minutes.

Junior forward Mikaela Ruef was still on the sidelines with a sore foot and leg. Freshman guard Alex Green, though on crutches, was able to travel with the team. She had missed the Thanksgiving week road trip to have surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. As the team warmed up, Laurie Payne, mother of freshman forward Erica Payne, went down to the bench to greet Alex. Various teammates and staff members also talked with her throughout the afternoon.

Otherwise, head coach Tara VanDerveer was able to allot playing time to everyone else on the team.

The arena went silent during the second half when Fresno’s Alex Furr, a 5’5” guard who had been pressuring Stanford’s point guards, cried out and fell to the floor clutching her knee. She was helped off the court and to the locker room. Wearing a large ice bag on her knee, she later walked back to the bench during a timeout and was warmly applauded.

Save Mart Center, which seats about 15,500, seemed sparsely populated, but the official attendance was 3,324. Several dozen Stanford fans figured into that number.

As the teams warmed up, a remote-controlled mini-blimp floated above the perimeter of the court. A four-person honor guard from the Fresno State Air Force ROTC presented both the U.S. and California flags preceding a recorded version of the national anthem.

The Stanford players had reason to celebrate even before the game because they knew that the women’s soccer team had won the NCAA national championship by defeating Duke 1-0 earlier in the day.

Stanford athletes are now taking a two-week break for study and finals. Women’s basketball returns to action Dec. 17 when Princeton comes to Maples.

Cardinal get their kicks with home win 66

2011-12-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

Stanford women’s basketball had a relatively easy route to the team’s 66th consecutive home win by routing UC Davis 93-44 on Nov. 30.

The Aggies were a scrappy, disciplined group, but couldn’t overcome Stanford’s superior size and skill.

Four Stanford forwards – one from each class – scored in the double digits. They were led by senior Nneka Ogwumike with 20. She was closely followed by junior Joslyn Tinkle with a career-high 19. Next came sophomore Chiney Ogwumike with 18 and freshman Bonnie Samuelson with 15.

All of Bonnie’s points came from five of the team’s 11 3-pointers. Also scoring from beyond the arc was sophomore guard Sara James with two 3’s. Joslyn, freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, sophomore guard Toni Kokenis and freshman guard Amber Orrange had one each.

With senior guard Lindy La Rocque sidelined by what was reported to be a sore foot, Amber did the honors of leading the team onto the floor for pre-game drills. Freshman guard Jasmine Camp took Lindy’s place in the starting lineup. She was joined by regulars Nneka, Chiney, Taylor and Toni.

Even though Lindy didn’t play, she apparently had some influence on hairstyles. Bonnie, Joslyn and Nneka all sported Lindy’s signature long braid rather than their usual ponytails.

Junior forward Mikaela Ruef, who has had a sore foot and leg, was dressed but didn’t participate in the warmups or play. However, she was kept busy with the traditional high-fives along the bench after each 3-pointer.

As the buzzer signaled 10 minutes to go before the start of the game, the players lined up as usual for the national anthem. However, it was preceded by a minute of silence to honor Chester McGlockton, the Stanford assistant football coach and former pro player who had unexpectedly died that morning at the age of 42.

Although the score stayed close during the first few minutes of the game, Stanford began pulling ahead, ending the half up by 51-23. Things were so comfortable in the second half that Nneka went to the bench with 17:24 to go. She had played only 21 minutes.

None of the starters played more than 25 minutes (Chiney). Joslyn logged the most time with 31 minutes. With 3:19 to go in the game, announcer Betty Ann Boeving told that crowd that Joslyn had reached a career high with 17 points. Joslyn then added 2 more for her 19 total.

The Cardinal outrebounded the Aggies 47-16, led by Nneka, Chiney and Joslyn with nine each. Stanford won the assist battle, too, 24-10. Jasmine with six and Amber with five were the leaders in that category. Stanford had only nine personal fouls to the Aggies’ 14. The turnover numbers were exactly the same in Stanford’s favor.

Freshman guard Alex Green, who had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon last week, rejoined her teammates after missing the road trip to UConn and Xavier. She was on crutches and is expected to miss the rest of the season. She had just recently begun playing after recovering from an ACL injury that kept her out of action during her senior year of high school. Several fans stopped by to wish her well before the game, and various teammates and staff members talked with her during the game.

The scoreboard was still set up for volleyball because the women’s team will be in action this weekend as Stanford hosts first-round action in the NCAA tournament.

Fans cheer from new venue

2011-11-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

Several dozen Cardinal fans who couldn’t make the trip east and who wanted to share watching the UConn game with others had a new place to do so. They had the upstairs room at the Old Pro in downtown Palo Alto to themselves on Nov. 21 as they alternately cheered and groaned as the Stanford women’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, 58-68, to one of its most respected rivals.

Fans began to gather at 4 p.m. and helped themselves to water from a large cooler while a waitress took orders for food or beverages. Most of the fans sat on comfortable chairs at long wooden tables where they could watch the game on five large screens around the room. More fans watched the game in the main room downstairs while other people focused on screens showing Monday Night Football.

The first big cheer went up about 4:30 p.m. when the broadcast showed the team and senior forward Nneka Ogwumike. At the tipoff, Stanford went with a familiar starting lineup featuring Nneka, sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike, freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, senior guard Lindy La Rocque and sophomore guard Toni Kokenis.

Freshman guard Alex Green didn’t make the trip because she had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during practice last week. Junior forward Mikaela Ruef was sidelined with what was reported to be a quadriceps injury.

All of the coaches wore orange lapel ribbons, and players on both teams wore something orange, such as hair ribbons for several Stanford women. They were honoring Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke and his assistant Miranda Serna, who were killed in a plane crash in Arkansas Nov. 17. Scenes from the Stillwater, Okla., memorial for the two were shown during halftime.

The game started slowly, with neither team scoring until Chiney broke the drought with a free throw at 16:42. The score stayed fairly close throughout the first half, which ended 26-32 in UConn’s favor. Nneka had spent much of the half on the bench with two fouls, but she returned for the second half and helped to put the Cardinal in front for a bit. However, turnovers, fouls, limited rebounds and difficulty with UConn’s press proved to be Stanford’s undoing.

The Old Pro is the third venue in as many years that has hosted WBB fans for viewing parties. First and Main in Los Altos was the first and perhaps the most comfortable, although seating was somewhat limited and the screens were smaller. Its menu was the most varied with entrees available. Parking was free but crowded in a city lot behind the building.

Next came Mike’s in Menlo Park. Its somewhat sterile atmosphere didn’t lead to as much conviviality as the other two places. Its screens were small and its food, which included entrees, OK. The parking lot was cramped.

The Old Pro features a moderately priced menu of mostly appetizers, salads, burgers and other sandwiches, and pizza. Fans in the upstairs room received a 10 percent discount on their bills. Portions were generous, and most fans seemed satisfied with their orders. Free underground parking is just a few steps away.

The main drawback, which is true of most such venues, is that it was hard to hear the commentary. That’s why I was glad to go home and watch the recorded game in the quiet comfort of my family room.

Back to the game – it’s never fun to watch the team lose, but there were more than a few glimmers of hope for this young team. Best of all, these are smart players who will learn valuable lessons from playing an elite team this early in the season.

Old Dominion overwhelmed

2011-11-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

With the Stanford women’s basketball team dominating in every statistical category, overmatched Old Dominion fell to the Cardinal 97-48 on Nov. 17. It was the Cardinal team’s 65th consecutive home victory.

This game and the home opener against Gonzaga were the first that I can remember in a long, long time that all 15 players were healthy and available for action. In this game, all 15 did see action and contributed to the win in some way – if only for hustle and defense.

In terms of scoring, senior guard Lindy La Rocque led the way with a career-high 15 points, all of them from a career-high five 3-pointers. She was followed by fellow starters Nneka Ogwumike, senior forward, with 14 points and Chiney Ogwumike, sophomore forward, with 13.

The other two starters weren’t far behind. Freshman forward Taylor Greenfield had 8, and sophomore guard Toni Kokenis had 7. Coming off the bench to score in double figures were junior forward Joslyn Tinkle with 12 and redshirt junior center Sarah Boothe with 10.

Besides the fact that all 15 players got into the game, the night was memorable for 12 3-pointers. Besides Lindy’s five, they included sophomore guard Sara James’s three and Taylor’s two. Toni and freshman guard Jasmine Camp each had one.

Also noteworthy is that no one played more than 20 minutes, the total logged by Sarah. Of the starters, Taylor and Lindy had the most time with 17 minutes each. Nneka, Chiney and Toni each played 16 minutes.

Another good sign: Chiney made five of her six free throws, thus showing a big improvement in this aspect of her game.

And some other notable stats: 52 rebounds (Chiney with nine), 23 assists (Lindy and Jasmine each with four), four blocks (Sarah with two) and nine steals (freshman guard Amber Orrange with two). There were only seven fouls (no one with more than one) and 12 turnovers.

Before the game started, head coach Tara VanDerveer was presented with a plaque honoring her as the national Women’s Coach of the Year.

In the meantime, Old Dominion got off on the wrong foot before the game started when a technical foul was assessed for failure to report its starting lineup on time. (The same thing happened when Texas visited last year.) Toni made both free throws, making the score 2-0 before the first whistle.

When Nneka went for the opening tipoff, the play was somewhat different but quite effective. Rather than tipping the ball to Toni, who then would set up the half-court offense, Nneka tapped it to Chiney, who scored an easy layup. Shortly after that, Taylor made two consecutive 3s, making the score 10-4. There was no looking back after that. The score was 56-24 at the half.

All of the game stats indicate that the starters could sit back and enjoy the game while head coach Tara VanDerveer could allow their teammates, especially the other five freshmen, to gain valuable experience. They’ll need it with the Cardinal headed into a tough stretch of games, starting with Thanksgiving week on the road against UConn on Monday and Xavier on Friday.

The team reportedly was scheduled to fly to Connecticut on Nov. 19, giving it a day to adapt to the three-hour time difference before facing the Huskies. Geno Auriemma’s team will no doubt be seeking revenge for the way that Stanford snapped its unprecedented 90-game winning streak 71-59 when the Huskies visited on Dec. 30, 2010.

Rather than flying back to California after that and then back to the Eastern Time zone later in the week – a grueling prospect - the team will go to Ohio to prepare for its meeting with Xavier in Cincinnati on Friday. The team will celebrate Thanksgiving at the home of junior forward Mikaela Ruef in Beavercreek, Ohio, a Dayton suburb that’s some 52 miles north of Cincinnati. I can just imagine the look on the Ruefs’ neighbors’ faces when a bus pulls up in front of the house and 15 female athletes plus coaches and staff members file out.

Victory balls fly for the 64th straight time

2011-11-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

On a night when some of the greats of Stanford women’s basketball were honored, the team did its part by winning its home opener on Nov. 13. The Cardinal defeated a very good Gonzaga team 76-61. Thus it extended the home winning streak to 64 games for the beginning of a fifth year and sent the victory balls flying into the stands.

It wasn’t an easy win. The Zags led 32-31 at the half, but senior forward Nneka Ogwumike and her sophomore forward sister, Chiney, took over to start the second half, scoring all of the team’s 17 points by the 13:36 mark. A 3-pointer by sophomore guard Toni Kokenis with about 13 minutes to go was the first score by someone not named Ogwumike.

In the end, Nneka led the scoring with 33 points plus 18 rebounds, while Chiney had 19 points and six rebounds. Toni, with 14 points and six rebounds, was the only other Cardinal in double figures. These three, plus senior guard Lindy La Rocque and freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, started the game and logged the most minutes.

Honors for Cardinal Greats

During a timeout in the first half, Trisha Stevens Lamb, ’91, was honored for her induction into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame. She was accompanied by her two daughters.

The 1991-92 team, the last Stanford WBB team to win the national championship, was honored at halftime. In addition to several support staff members, honorees at center court included Chris MacMurdo, Christy Hedgpeth, Tanda Rucker, Anita Kaplan Fiedel, Ann Adkins Enthoven, Angela Taylor and Niki Sevillian-Hendrix. Kate Paye, now the team’s assistant coach was in the locker room with the team. Former assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey, who became head coach of the University of Wisconsin team this season, sent her former teammates good wishes via video.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer received her accolades after the game, when athletic director Bob Bowlsby gave her a trophy and framed photomontage to recognize her induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this past summer. Bowlsby was accompanied by Vanessa Nygaard, ’98, who had led a campaign that resulted in 60 WBB alumnae donating to the Buck/Cardinal Club. She gave Tara a commemorative whistle. Tara’s HOF acceptance speech was replayed while the video board showed highlights of her illustrious career.

Besides Vanessa and the 1992 team, some of the alumnae that I saw in the audience included Heather Owen, ’98; Candice Wiggins, ’08; Morgan Clyburn, ’09; and Melanie Murphy, ’11. Jeanette Pohlen, ’11, who’s playing professionally in the WNBA and Turkey, was represented by her mom, Cindy Pohlen.

Fans get to meet Taylor

Fans then gathered behind the bench for a post-game session that started when associate head coach Amy Tucker introduced Taylor. Like some of her five freshman teammates, Taylor is a bit shy, but “she doesn’t play shyly,” Amy said. In Stanford’s 72-59 season-opening victory at Texas on Nov. 11, Taylor started at the 3 position, guarded the Longhorns’ best player and “did a wonderful job on her,” Amy said.

Taylor then took some questions from fans, revealing that she has a beloved cockapoo at home and that she started playing basketball in about first grade and joined an AAU team in fifth grade.
She hails from Huxley, Iowa, population 2,000, but it’s only about 9 miles from Ames, home of Iowa State, the alma mater of both of her parents. Despite those influences, she chose Stanford for “everything minus the part of leaving home,” Taylor said. Her parents backed her decision, have visited her several times and stay connected via Skype. They also went to the Texas game. Besides Stanford and Iowa State, the schools she considered were Duke and Texas.

During her visits to Stanford with her parents, she liked the weather and “this team. On my official visit, they made everything easy,” she said. She also liked the coaches.

One fan asked which of her teammates is the hardest to guard in practice. “Luckily I don’t have to guard Nneka,” she said. Sophomore guard Sara James is the hardest for Taylor to guard because Sara is strong and knows what she’s doing, Taylor said.

She has found that the biggest change from her high school playing days is that she was her team’s point guard, mainly responsible for getting the ball to others. Now, as a forward, she has to sprint down the floor and rebound.

Both of her parents played basketball, and her brother plays at Central College in Pella, Iowa. She hasn’t settled on an academic major, but she’s leaning toward human biology with thoughts of becoming a pediatrician.

When Tara joined the post-game session, she said of Taylor: “She’s making a great adjustment” and made good passes in the game.

Tara passes out praise

Overall, though, “we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Tara said. She had praise for veteran players. “I think Nneka showed up today,” she said in an understatement as she cited Nneka’s stats. “Her leadership has been great.”

“Lindy helped us a lot,” she said. And although freshman forward Erica Payne didn’t get many minutes, she’s “a small post that gives a lot of people trouble.” She also said that redshirt junior center Sarah Boothe, junior forward Joslyn Tinkle and freshman guard Amber Orrange did well in the Texas game.

One fan asked what she had said to her players at the half, when they were behind by a point. “Sometimes we have to make some adjustments,” she said. She has to factor in the reality that the freshmen don’t know all the plays, so “keep it simple” is her motto. “Our freshmen will come along,” she said, adding that the front line still has veterans like the Ogwumikes, Joslyn and Sarah.

With the graduation of Jeanette and classmate Kayla Pedersen, who each played major minutes in 155 of their 156 college games, Tara and her staff have been subbing more than usual as they look for what combinations work best in which situations. “It’s going to be a puzzle every night,” she said, thanking the fans for their support.

Team hits century mark again

2011-11-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Stanford women’s basketball team coasted to another easy exhibition win at home on Nov. 5, defeating Vanguard 100-54.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer revised the starting lineup, going with two seniors, forward Nneka Ogwumike and guard Lindy La Rocque; a sophomore, forward Chiney Ogwumike; and two freshmen, forward Taylor Greenfield and point guard Amber Orrange.

Others got into action fairly quickly, starting with junior forward Joslyn Tinkle and freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson. By game’s end, everyone had seen action except for junior forward Mikaela Ruef, who has had a sore foot; and sophomore guard Toni Kokenis, who had left the UC San Diego game and stayed on the bench with ice on her ankle after taking a tumble. Both were in uniform, though.

The afternoon was highlighted by a barrage of 3-pointers – 14 in all. Bonnie and Lindy had five each and tied for game scoring honors with 17 points each. Taylor and sophomore guard Sara James each contributed two more 3’s.

Six players finished in double figures. Besides Bonnie and Lindy, they were Joslyn with 15, Chiney with 11, and Sara and Taylor with 10. Nneka, who usually leads the team in scoring, had 6 points in her 15 minutes of playing time. Since this was just an exhibition game and since there’s no doubt about her abilities, there wasn’t much need to play her any longer.

Often playing with four freshmen, as she did during Pro-Am summer play at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco, Joslyn logged the most playing time with 23 minutes, closely followed by Bonnie with 22.

The crowd seemed somewhat sparse, perhaps because the high-flying football team was playing Oregon State in Corvallis at the same time. Still, the official attendance was pegged at 3,072. The video board showed the football game until 30 minutes before the tipoff, but WBB fans were given periodic updates after tipoff. (Stanford went on to win 38-13.)

Once again Lindy led the team onto the floor, and Nneka met with the officials as the team captain. Maples was a bit quieter than usual because the band was in Corvallis. Instead recordings were used for the national anthem, “All Right Now” and the alma mater song. The Tree and Dollies also were absent.

The game was marked by a number of heads-up and unselfish plays, as shown by the team’s 24 total assists. Amber had the most with six, but nine other players had at least one.

Turnovers were limited to just seven, while Vanguard had 16. Freshman guard Jasmine Camp had three of the team’s eight steals. Rebounding was fairly well balanced. Of the 51 total rebounds (to Vanguard’s 28), Joslyn and Amber led the team with eight each, followed by Nneka and Erica with six each. Ten Cardinal players got into the rebounding column.

A handful of fans met in the south concourse after the game to share their views. The consensus was that they liked the freshmen players’ hustle and cited the “pesky point guards” who harassed their Vanguard counterparts from one end of the court to the other. With “no complaints,” the fans agreed the team’s performance was “very impressive.”

However, no one ventured an opinion on the outcome of the team’s first official outing, an away game at Texas at 5 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 11.

Freshmen frolic in Maples debut

2011-11-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

All six freshmen got into the scoring column as the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated UC San Diego 106-56 in the season’s first exhibition game Nov. 2 at Maples Pavilion.

Before the game, there was much speculation about how the newcomers would fare, but “all the freshmen played well,” one fan commented during an informal discussion in the south concourse immediately after the game.

When it came to scoring, freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson led her classmates with 15 points – going five for seven on 3-pointers – in just 10 minutes of playing time. She also recorded one assist.

For the team, scoring honors went to sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike with 19 points, followed by her sister, senior forward Nneka, with 17 and junior forward Joslyn Tinkle with 16. Both Chiney and Joslyn made eight of their nine shots. Rebounding honors went to Chiney with 14 and Joslyn with 11.

The starting lineup featured team captain Nneka plus Chiney along with senior guard Lindy La Rocque, sophomore guard Sara James and, at the point, sophomore guard Toni Kokenis. Freshman guard Jasmine Camp was first off the bench, subbing for Toni less than 3 minutes into the game. Joslyn and freshman forward Taylor Greenfield were next, soon followed by freshman guard Amber Orrange.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, all 14 healthy players had played and scored. Only junior forward Mikaela Ruef, who was in uniform but has had a sore foot, remained on the sidelines, but she did the high-five honors every time a Cardinal made a 3-pointer. She made that trip along the bench eight times thanks to Bonnie’s five, plus one each by Lindy, Sara (the game’s first) and senior guard Grace Mashore.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer used various combinations of players throughout the game, but no one played more than 20 minutes (Joslyn and Jasmine). There were a few times when as many as four freshmen were on the floor together, but always there was an experienced player with them to provide leadership if needed.

During one of those times, Joslyn was the veteran with the freshmen, bringing to mind her outstanding performances with them during summer league play at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco.

The score was 47-24 in Stanford’s favor at the half. Following halftime entertainment by 12 members of Stanford Taekwando, the Cardinal outscored the visitors 59-32, leading to the 50-point margin of victory.

By game’s end, the freshmen had logged significant minutes: Taylor with 19, just behind Jasmine’s 20, followed by Amber with 18, forward Erica Payne with 16, Bonnie with 10 and guard Alex Green with six.

Even though UCSD was outmatched, the players were scrappy and didn’t let up. A few fans and a spirited bench cheered them on. UCSD pressed fairly often, but Stanford pressed back, especially in the second half.

Stanford’s bench was equally supportive, especially of plays by the freshmen. Alex was the last newcomer to see action, but it was her first in nearly a year after an ACL injury early in her high school senior season. Her arrival was greeted by applause and cheers that were even louder when she scored the first basket of her college career.

Some other stats of note: Stanford outrebounded UCSD 54-23, had 21 assists to UCSD’s six and notched only 13 turnovers to the visitors’ 17. Amber had the highest number of assists with seven. UCSD had 20 fouls to Stanford’s 17. Redshirt junior center Sarah Boothe was the only player to foul out.

Also noteworthy, the band, Tree and Dollies were there to cheer the team, something that hasn’t always been in case in previous exhibition games. Betty Ann Boeving was back as announcer.

As some fans discussed the game in the south concourse, there was some debate but no conclusion about the merits of Amber vs. Jasmine, both speedy, seemingly fearless guards.

For the entire team, “there were a lot of nice plays,” one fan concluded.

The next exhibition game is against Vanguard at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, in Maples.

Let the games begin

2011-10-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Fans of Stanford women’s basketball got a taste of what’s to come when they attended an open practice Oct. 21 in Maples Pavilion. And while no one’s predicting how the season will end, this preview promised some exciting times.

It was especially intriguing because it gave fans their first look at the new crop of freshmen. The team has what might be an unprecedented six newcomers, but only five were present. The sixth, guard Amber Orrange, had a cold and couldn’t attend.

Of the nine returning players, only eight saw action. The ninth, junior forward Mikaela Ruef, was there and in uniform but mostly stayed on the sidelines because of a sore foot. However, she didn’t waste her time. When she wasn’t on the exercise bike, she was being put through conditioning paces by Susan King Borchardt, ’05, the team’s new sports performance coach.

As the session began at 4 p.m., Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, handed out rosters to help fans identify the freshmen. She later estimated that about 170 people were there by the end of the three hours.

After 15 minutes of drills as the coaches watched, Susan took over and led stretching and warmup exercises. Fifteen minutes later, everyone gathered at the center circle as head coach Tara VanDerveer spoke to them.

Then came something familiar to fans – the traditional opening run onto the court, this time led by senior guard Lindy La Rocque. I don’t recall seeing any misses on the subsequent layup drill.

Associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coach Kate Paye worked with the guards as they shot 3s at one end of the court. Assistant coach Trina Patterson, another new addition to Tara’s staff, worked with the bigs on the other end. Tara alternated between the groups before going to the microphone to welcome the fans.

Most of the rest of the practice was taken up by three 15-minute scrimmages between the white and red teams, overseen by three referees. On the white team for the first round were freshman forward Taylor Greenfield, freshman guard Jasmine Camp, sophomore guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis, sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike, junior forward Joslyn Tinkle and senior forward Nneka Ogwumike.

Their red-team opponents were freshman guard Alex Green, freshman forwards Erica Payne and Bonnie Samuelson, Lindy, senior guard Grace Mashore, senior center Sarah Boothe and two male practice players.

Even though the 6’2” Nneka is 3 inches shorter than Sarah, she won the tipoff. Jasmine and Lindy started as the point guards for their teams, but Toni played at that position, too.

Various combinations of players saw action as they were subbed in and out during the scrimmages, all of which were characterized by lots of hustle by everyone. Worth noting in the first scrimmage is that Alex beat everyone on two fast breaks despite a brace on her knee. The score ended at 45 white to 32 red.

The second scrimmage saw Sara, Jasmine, Nneka, Chiney, Alex, Sarah and Lindy in white. Erica, Toni, Joslyn, Sara, Bonnie and Grace wore red, as did the two men. There was a scary moment when Nneka fell clutching her elbow. Trainer Marcella Shorty checked on her and soon had her on her feet and going to the sideline. Not long after that, Nneka reappeared with a red pad on her elbow, returned to action and seemed none the worse for wear – a great relief to everyone.

This scrimmage was highlighted by some good assists by Sarah, two 3s in a row by Taylor and two steals in a row by Erica. The score ended at 30 red to 22 white.

For the final scrimmage, the white team fielded Toni, Nneka, Chiney, Joslyn, Lindy, Taylor and Erica. Players in red were Sarah, Grace, Alex, Jasmine, Sara, Bonnie and the men. The final score was white 34, red 28.

Overall, the team looked good for this early in the season. It was good to see Sarah playing with no sleeve on her right shoulder after undergoing surgery during the summer. She seemed to play with more confidence and hit her layups more consistently. Sara also played with a lot more confidence and hit several 3s. Lindy had some nice 3s, too. And of course the Ogwumike sisters were terrific. One of their specialties is putbacks: If one misses her shot, the other is there to rebound and put the ball in.

The scrimmages were followed by free-throw practice. Everyone then gathered again at the circle for some words from Tara and team physician Dr. Elaine Lambert.

After the practice, 132 fans packed neighboring Jimmy V’s for a dinner of salad, fresh fruit, chicken, pasta with a choice of sauces, steamed vegetables and cookies.

While the fans ate, the team arrived, and Tara briefly introduced each player, starting with the seniors.

She said that Lindy, who usually is a 2 guard, was playing the point in the place of the speedy Amber. Introducing Grace, she said, “Our seniors are doing a fabulous job of mentoring our freshmen.”

Nneka “doesn’t need any introduction,” Tara said. “We’re looking forward to a great senior year.”

Of Sarah, who is a senior academically but a junior athletically after red-shirting her sophomore year, Tara said, “We are so excited that Sarah’s 100 percent and healthy. She played in pain” with her shoulder last season.

Joslyn “worked hard this summer. She tore up in the Pro-Am,” Tara said, referring to the summer recreational league at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco. Joslyn was the standout on her team, which included all of the freshmen except Alex, who was still recovering from ACL surgery during her senior year of high school.

Mikaela also worked hard during the summer. To Sara she said, “You had a great scrimmage today.”

Toni had “another outstanding day. All of our guards are pushing each other, and Toni is leading the way.”

Chiney, among other assets, “plays within herself.” “This is a hungry team,” she added. “Our inside game has a lot of experience.”

She described Bonnie as “high energy, always positive. She does so many things well.”

Taylor “has had great practices.”

Entering college “is a big adjustment for freshmen, (but these) freshmen catch on quickly, and they’re fast.”

Even though Alex hadn’t played for a year because of her ACL, “she’s doing well,” Tara said, as Chiney hugged her freshman teammate.

As for Erica, “I love your aggressiveness. She’s fearless,” Tara said.

Later she said that “Amber changes things a lot.”

Completing the team introductions with Jasmine, whom she called “a vocal floor leader,” Tara said, “This is an exceptional freshman class.”

She then introduced her staff, including Trina, who “brings experience and is a super person. There are some big shoes to fill on this staff,” she said, referring to Bobbie Kelsey, who left at the end of last season to become head coach at the University of Wisconsin. Bobbie “is going to do great.”

Besides the other coaches, Eileen and Marcella, the staff includes Lauren Greif, who has been named special assistant and video coordinator after serving an internship last season. This year’s intern is Liz Rizza.

Susan didn’t attend the dinner, perhaps because “she really has her hands full with 3-month-old twins and an 18-month-old,” Tara said.

Tara excused the players and took questions from the fans.

She explained that the 3-point line has been moved out to the men’s line, and “I’m OK with it.” A new line around the basket marks a restricted area where no charges are allowed -- an effort to protect players going to the basket.

Although Amber and Mikaela didn’t scrimmage, they’re in the top group of players, Tara said, adding, “It might be different every night.” The team has many good offensive players, so defense and rebounding will determine who sees the most action.

A recent newspaper article said Tara might consider red-shirting one or two freshmen. At the dinner, Tara said that’s a possibility only if it were good for the player and the team. She doesn’t have to make any decision until after the two exhibition games. NCAA rules allow freshmen – but not upperclassmen -- to play exhibition games before being red-shirted.

“This is a very different team” from the past, Tara said. “It’s going to grow on you.”

The players all have a good attitude, and the upperclassmen are doing a good job of mentoring. The younger players are mature. “They have already exceeded my expectations for them.”

She’s hoping to extend the team’s defense. Its speed and depth will allow the team to be more aggressive.

Overall, “They’re all great young women,” she said.

Summer seasoning for Cardinal players

2011-07-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Although summer provides a break from actual game competition, Stanford women’s basketball players are using the time to prepare for the next season.

As is traditional, the six incoming freshmen are getting a head start on the academic aspects of their Stanford careers by attending summer school. Except for guard Alex Green, who is rehabbing from knee surgery, they’re also working out and playing pickup games.

In addition, guards Jasmine Camp and Amber Orrange, along with forwards Taylor Greenfield, Erica Payne and Bonnie Samuelson played together on the South Bay team in the San Francisco Pro-Am recreational league. Joining them on that team and in summer school was junior forward Joslyn Tinkle.

Others attending summer school are r/s junior forward/center Sarah Boothe, junior forward Mikaela Ruef and sophomore forward Chiney Ogwumike. These veterans also worked at head coach Tara VanDerveer’s summer hoops camps. Sarah had shoulder surgery in the spring but is recovering well and is expected to be ready for the opening of the season, said associate head coach Amy Tucker.

Junior guard Lindy La Rocque wasn’t in summer school, but she was on campus quite a bit, working at the camps and joining her teammates in workouts and pickup games, Amy said. Sophomore guard Toni Kokenis worked at the final camp session after training at home in Illinois.

Senior guard Grace Mashore has spent her summer at home in the Washington, D.C., area while working at an internship.

Senior forward Nneka Ogwumike, although based at home in Houston, has been traveling a lot. She went to Nigeria with her family, went to the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles with Chiney and went to Washington, D.C., to watch her younger sisters play in a basketball tournament.

Next she and Chiney will be at the USA Basketball Women’s World University Team training camp in Colorado Springs from July 31 to Aug. 8 in hopes of making the final cut and playing in the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, Aug. 14-22.

Sophomore guard Sara James spent two weeks in Europe with her family, then worked at Tara’s hoops camps.

In the meantime, Tara, Amy and assistant coach Kate Paye have been dividing their time between hoops camps and the recruiting trail. Besides helping with these responsibilities, their new colleague, assistant coach Trina Patterson, who started work earlier this summer, has been moving her family to the area and getting settled. The coaches will have some vacation time in August.

End of the line at Kezar

2011-07-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

The Stanford-dominated South Bay team put up a good fight but in the end was dealt a 100-95 overtime loss at the hands of the bigger, stronger San Francisco team in the first playoff round of Pro-Am competition July 23 at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco.

South Bay sorely missed the presence of junior forward Joslyn Tinkle, its leading scorer and rebounder. The team captain, who has averaged more than 30 points per game, was in Las Vegas with her family.

Freshman forward Taylor Greenfield was there but not in uniform because of a sore back. Freshman guard Alex Green, rehabbing a knee injury, was there for moral support, as she has been throughout the summer. Some other stalwarts were absent, leaving South Bay with only seven players.

The game was played in front of a good turnout of Stanford fans, who saw several lead changes. At the half, the score favored South Bay 51-47. During the second half, the team led by as many as 13 points, but San Francisco kept whittling that down to pull ahead.

South Bay trailed 85-90 with just 55.5 seconds to go but narrowed the gap to 90-91 with 19.1 seconds to go. A San Francisco free throw and a 2-point basket by South Bay’s Jessica Kellogg, who has played professionally in Spain, tied the game at 92-92 just before the final buzzer.

By then South Bay was down to five players because guard Markisha Coleman, ’07, and freshman guard Jasmine Camp had fouled out during regulation play.

With 3:11 to go in overtime and the score knotted at 94-94, freshman forward Erica Payne fouled out, leaving South Bay with only four players on the floor. Besides Jessica, they were Kelsey Shea of Cal and two Stanford freshmen --guard Amber Orrange and forward Bonnie Samuelson.

Bonnie led the team with 30 points. She was six for seven on 3-point shooting. I didn’t keep track of free throws per se, but if she missed any, it was only one. She also had three rebounds and a block.

Among the other Stanford players, Amber was next in scoring with 15 points to go with three rebounds and a steal. Jasmine had 6 points, one rebound and four steals, while Erica had 5 points, nine rebounds, a steal and two blocks. Markisha contributed 4 points, two rebounds and a steal.

The starting lineup featured Jasmine, Bonnie, Jessica and Markisha with Erica at center. Jessica filled in for Joslyn as captain.

Besides Bonnie’s laser-like 3-point and free-throw shooting, the game was notable for how fearlessly Amber and Jasmine drove to the basket. Bonnie and Erica had the unenviable task of guarding Cal’s bigger and stronger Talia Caldwell. Other Cal women playing for San Francisco included Natasha Vital, Lindsay Sherbert and Brittany Boyd.

Stanford fans got a bit of a scare when Bonnie was fouled and landed on her knee under the basket, but she bounced back to make her free throws. An assistant coach applied an ice pack to it during a timeout. After the game, she said it was OK.

As has been true throughout the summer, South Bay was plagued by turnovers and poor rebounding.

Still, the team delivered a lot of fun, exciting basketball for fans. It also provided an enticing look at what might lie ahead for the Stanford Cardinal when the entire team gathers in September and head coach Tara VanDerveer and her colleagues take over.

Mixed bag for Stanford women in Pro-Am play

2011-07-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

After coasting to a 98-65 victory over East Bay on Saturday, July 16, the Stanford-led South Bay team lost 91-87 to Mission Rec Center in overtime the next day in women’s SF Pro-Am play at Kezar Pavilion.

As she has throughout this summer program, junior forward Joslyn Tinkle led South Bay with 38 points (my unofficial tally) and 14 rebounds in the East Bay game. Stanford freshmen pitched in with 13 points each from guards Jasmine Camp and Amber Orrange, while forwards Erica Payne added 9 and Taylor Greenfield added 6.

Guard Markisha Coleman, ’07, completed the Stanford scoring with 7 points. The speedy little guard also had three rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Bonnie Samuelson missed both games.

Among the interested observers both days was freshman guard Alex Green, who’s rehabbing a knee injury. The Ogwumike sisters – senior Nneka and sophomore Chiney, both forwards – watched the first game.

That game was marked by sharp passing and good teamwork by the Stanford women, but rebounding was a problem, especially on the offensive end.

Rebounding hurt the South Bay team in the July 17 loss to Mission Rec Center in a makeup game. The opponent’s speed also led to numerous costly turnovers by South Bay.

Whereas Saturday was quite foggy, Sunday was sunny, but parking around Kezar was tight because of the crowds participating in the annual AIDS Walk in Golden Gate Park. Inside Kezar, though, the South Bay fan turnout was light, perhaps because the game was scheduled to start shortly after the USA team lost the championship Women’s World Cup soccer match to Japan. Fan interest in that match was keen.

The game started late because it was preceded by an exhibition game between a Canadian team from Calgary and a group of Pro-Am players who have no more college eligibility. The Pro-Am players won.

The Kezar crowd included one new Stanford fan, Daisy, the nearly 4-year-old English bulldog that belongs to Erica and her East Bay family. The gregarious canine was accompanied by Erica’s parents, Laurie and Harry, and watched the whole game.

South Bay opened a lead that varied between 10 and 11 points during most of the first half, but turnovers began to take their toll, cutting the lead to 47-43 at halftime.

The game was tied 78-78 with 2:11 left. Both teams eked out another 6 points each to make the score 84-84 at the final buzzer and send it into overtime. Joslyn prevented a possible loss with a timely defensive rebound with 1.5 seconds left in regulation play.

She finished the game with a team-leading 28 points (unofficial), her first under-30 tally this summer. She also hauled in 10 rebounds and had three steals and five blocks.

She was closely followed by Erica with 26 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Amber added 8 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Jasmine had 6 points, two rebounds and a steal. Markisha had 2 points, three rebounds and four steals, but she fouled out with 4:11 left. Taylor played only a few minutes in the first half and had no points.

South Bay, which fell to second place in the six-team league, will face fifth-place San Francisco in a playoff game at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23. If it wins that game, it will play the winner of the Bay City-Golden State game at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 30.

Championship games (two out of three) are scheduled at 2 p.m. Aug. 6 and 7 with a final game – if needed – at 2 p.m. Aug. 13. Stanford’s summer term ends that day with the last day of finals.

All games are at Kezar Pavilion, which is on Stanyan Street at the east end of Golden Gate Park. Paid parking is available in an adjacent lot.

Joslyn leads rout at Kezar

2011-07-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Junior forward/center Joslyn Tinkle led South Bay, “the Stanford team,” to a 111-81 victory over San Francisco in Pro-Am play at SF’s Kezar Pavilion on July 2.

Joslyn scored 38 points – including four 3’s – and hauled in 10 rebounds for a double-double. She also accounted for a steal, several assists and some blocks.

The Stanford freshmen also acquitted themselves well. Guard Jasmine Camp had 15 points and three rebounds. Forward Bonnie Samuelson, had 14 points, including four 3’s, plus four rebounds and a steal. Forward Taylor Greenfield had 8 points and two rebounds. Guard Amber Orrange and forward Erica Payne had 6 points each. Amber also had two rebounds and a steal while Erica had three rebounds and two steals. Guard Markisha Coleman, ’07, had 3 points from a 3, plus a rebound. (Rebound and steal numbers are unofficial.)

This was Erica’s first action at Kezar after missing last week’s game with a sore ankle. She impressed the 15 or so Stanford fans on hand with her hustle and scrappiness, as did Jasmine. All of the Stanford players displayed good teamwork and willingness to share the ball, traits that will serve them well when the season starts.

One area where the South Bay team could use more work is rebounding. I didn’t keep track, but it seemed that San Francisco consistently dominated the glass both offensively and defensively.

The start of the game was delayed a few minutes because the jerseys for San Francisco – which has several Cal players on its roster – hadn’t arrived. South Bay used the time well by going through a shooting drill similar to the one that precedes Stanford games.

South Bay’s starters were Joslyn, the team captain, along with Bonnie, Jasmine, Markisha and Jessica Kellogg, a San Jose State grad who has played in Spain. During the course of the game, all of the 10 or so South Bay players saw action.

The score stayed fairly close during the first few minutes as South Bay seemed to have a low shooting percentage. As the half wore on, however, South Bay inched ahead, taking a 47-38 lead into the half.

Sitting at the end of the South Bay bench was freshman guard Alex Green, who is recuperating from a torn ACL suffered during her senior year in high school. She said she hopes to be ready to play this fall.

South Bay will play again at 4 p.m. July 9, 4 p.m. July 16 and 3 p.m. July 17 (a makeup game against Mission Rec). Playoffs are scheduled July 23 and 30 with championship games on Aug. 6 and 7 and, if necessary, Aug. 13.

Pro-Am games are played at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St., at Waller, at the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Admission is free, and parking costs $2.50 an hour in the adjacent lot.

A weather word to the wise: Even if it’s hot elsewhere in the Bay Area, the Kezar neighborhood can be chilly, windy and foggy, so dress in layers.

First look at 4 freshmen

2011-06-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Several dozen fans of Stanford women’s basketball got their first chance to see four of the six incoming freshmen in action as they played a SF Bay Area Pro-Am game June 25 at Kezar Pavilion. Their team, South Bay, defeated Bay City 85-81.

The win came in large part from the skills of junior forward Joslyn Tinkle, who scored 37 points, snared numerous rebounds, blocked several shots and seemed to serve as the floor general for her freshman teammates: guards Amber Orrange and Jasmine Camp and forwards Bonnie Samuelson and Taylor Greenfield. She was especially vocal on defense during the first half, shouting, “Rebound, rebound.”

Two other Stanford women on the South Bay roster were on the sidelines. Freshman forward Erica Payne had a sore ankle, while junior forward Chiney Ogwumike didn’t arrive until late in the first half. She said after the game that she won’t be playing in the recreational league. She and her senior forward sister, Nneka, hope to play with the USA Basketball team in the World University Games later this summer.

Joining them on the sidelines was incoming freshman guard Alex Green, who is recovering from an ACL injury in November.

Former Stanford player, guard Markisha Coleman, ’07, is on the South Bay roster, too. However, as game time neared, South Bay had 10 players, while Bay City had only two. Therefore, four Bay City players, including Markisha, were recruited to play for Bay City, giving each team six players.

(Markisha said after the game that she has completed her master’s degree in education with an emphasis on psychology at Pepperdine and is working as a probation officer for Santa Clara County. Her young niece was with her.)

With so few players on each team, everyone got lots of playing time. Joslyn played the entire 40 minutes, while her teammates had only brief breathers.

As mentioned, Joslyn led the scoring by Stanford women with 37 points. She was followed by Bonnie and Amber with 16 each, Jasmine with 12 and Taylor with two. I didn’t keep track of rebounds, but Taylor had several, as did the other Stanford women. Joslyn, Taylor and Bonnie got into foul trouble with four each, but they managed to stay in the game.

Markisha, who doesn’t seem to have lost a step since her Stanford days, had 10 points. Some of them came as a Bay City player would make a defensive rebound and lob a long pass to her as she streaked toward the basket. She also stole the ball several times.

Joslyn started the game with several unsuccessful 3-point attempts but soon found her footing by posting up under the basket. She did wind up with several 3s, but I didn’t keep track.

South Bay trailed by 11 points, 44-33, at the half, but Joslyn led a rally that brought her team to within 2 points, 70-68, with 7:15 left. At one point she scored several successive baskets, helping to put South Bay ahead 82-81 with 2:01 to go.

As the players warmed up before the game, fans tried to figure out who was who, aside from Joslyn and Markisha. The program was no help because it didn’t have jersey numbers. Finally, the scorekeeper went onto the floor and got them from the players.

Before the officials decided to send some South Bay players to the Bay City team for the afternoon, Joslyn came over to the Stanford fans and jokingly asked if anyone wanted to play.

It’s too early to predict how well this freshman class will do. The promise they show is awaiting Stanford coaching and collegiate competition. They’ll also benefit from the time they spend on the strength and conditioning regimen.

In the meantime, they all showed a good work ethic and sense of teamwork with some efficient ball movement. Both guards, Amber and Jasmine, are speedy, and neither is afraid to penetrate the defense and drive to the basket.

South Bay will play again at noon July 2, at 4 p.m. July 9, at 4 p.m. July 16 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday July 17.

The July 17th game, between South Bay and Mission Rec. Center, has been added to a schedule as a makeup game for the one which didn't exactly happen on June 18th. The original game did take place, but with four borrowed players for South Bay.

Playoffs are scheduled July 23 and 30 with championship games on Aug. 6 and 7 and, if necessary, Aug. 13.

Pro-Am games are played at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St., at Waller, at the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Admission is free, and parking costs $2.50 an hour in the adjacent lot. There’s a North Beach Pizza just across the street, where several fans went after the game.

Thanks for the memories, Part 3 of 3

2011-05-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

By virtue of its second consecutive undefeated Pac-10 season, the Stanford women’s basketball team earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in Los Angeles.

Because of a change in the tournament format, the Cardinal enjoyed two byes and automatically went into the semi-final game. Moreover, another change moved that game and the final game to Staples Center, while the earlier games were played at USC’s Galen Center, where all the women’s games had been played in recent years.

Finally, the men’s and women’s games were scheduled over the same time period, but all of the men’s games were at Staples.

Pac-10 Tournament

ARIZONA --- The new format meant that Stanford’s first opponent was Arizona, which had to win two games on two consecutive days to reach the semi-finals on March 11. The game was scheduled at noon, but a sort of competition started two hours earlier at the hotel where the teams were staying.

Both teams’ bands and fans were there for a send-off, with the Arizona delegation forming a reception line outside one door toward the waiting buses, while the Cardinal group formed another line at the adjacent door. Mostly the bands took turns playing, but when the Arizona band launched into “Born to be Wild,” the Stanford players happily joined in the refrain.

The players and their fans also were happy at the game’s outcome, with Stanford winning 100-71. All 13 uniformed players got into the game, but the forwards led the way. Junior Nneka Ogwumike had 32 points, followed by freshman Chiney Ogwumike with 21, senior Kayla Pedersen with 16 and red-shirt sophomore Sarah Boothe with 12. The Cardinal outrebounded the Wildcats 41-29 and had 30 assists to Arizona’s 10.

After briefly joining their families, the players, along with the coaches, returned to the arena to scout the Cal-UCLA semi-final game. Thus they saw Kayla receive the annual Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award. She got a plaque, and Toyo Tires, the sponsor, gave $1,000 to the Stanford athletic scholarship fund.

UCLA --- The team enjoyed another sendoff from the hotel the next day, March 12, before facing UCLA for the championship. Stanford trailed 21-30 at the half, but heated up in the second half. Freshman guard Toni Kokenis came off the bench to provide a spark, finishing the game with a team-high and career-high 17 points. The final score was 64-55.

Thus Stanford became the last Pac-10 women’s champion. Next season the conference will become the Pac-12 with the addition of Colorado and Utah.

NCAA Rounds One & Two

UC DAVIS --- NCAA competition began March 19 at Maples. The weather outside was cold and rainy, but the No. 1-seeded Cardinal reigned inside with 13 3-pointers and an 86-59 victory over No. 16 seed UC Davis. The 13 3’s were the most since 14 in the exhibition game against Vanguard. The most in a regular season game was 12 at Arizona in February.

Junior guard Lindy La Rocque had four 3’s, followed by Kayla, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and Toni with three each. All five starters were in double figures. Nneka had a game-high 22 points, while Lindy had 14, Jeanette and Kayla had 11 each, and Chiney had 10. Toni had 11 off the bench.

As the Cardinal continued to pull ahead in the second half, the more than 6,500 people packing Maples were entertained by the antics of the Aggies’ mustang mascot, Gunrock.

ST. JOHN’S --- The Cardinal’s next opponent at Maples was No. 9 seed St. John’s, which had defeated No. 8 seed Texas Tech. Stanford won handily, 75-49. Thus the team’s four true seniors did something no other Cardinal class before them had done – they ended their collegiate careers with a perfect 63-0 home record of 63-0. They also gave their team a berth in their fourth consecutive Sweet Sixteen in hopes of heading for their fourth Final Four.

Still, the March 21 victory was a total team effort with the scoring led by Nneka with 22 points and Kayla with 14. Chiney, celebrating her 19th birthday, had 13 points and 12 rebounds. The team’s two sophomores, forwards Mikaela Ruef and Joslyn Tinkle, made significant contributions. Their heads-up plays resulted in 7 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block by Joslyn and 5 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal by Mikaela. They each had a 3-pointer, to go with two each by Jeanette and Kayla.

The only unsettling moment came when Toni limped off the court and then into the locker room with what appeared to be an ankle injury. When she returned to the bench with about 11 minutes to go in the second half, the crowd of just more than 5,900 gave her a prolonged standing ovation.

Spokane Regional

Stanford fans were vastly outnumbered at the Spokane regional, but their team was not outscored. Instead the Cardinal defeated No. 5 North Carolina 72-65 on March 26 and No. 11 Gonzaga 83-60 to win the regional trophy on March 28.

Because Spokane is Gonzaga’s hometown, the Spokane Arena was packed with its fans. The roar was deafening when the underdog Zags defeated No. 7 Louisville 76-69 on March 26.

Everywhere you looked around town, people sported the Gonzaga logo. Two exceptions were the Davenport Hotel, the Cardinal headquarters, and the neighboring Post Street Ale House, which hosted fan get-togethers before the team send-offs.

Even though most of the Louisville and North Carolina contingents had left, the arena was packed for the Stanford-Gonzaga showdown. While waiting for the game to start, fans kept track of the game between a No. 2 seed, Notre Dame, and another No. 1 seed, Tennessee. The Irish won that one 73-59.

Gonzaga trailed through most of the game but stayed fairly close during the first half, which ended 47-38. With 1:14 left and the score at 79-58, Gonzaga’s phenomenal senior point guard, Courtney Vandersloot, left the game. She received a prolonged standing ovation from the entire crowd and ended as the game’s leading scorer with 25 points.

She also was named to the all-regional team along with Kayla, Chiney and North Carolina’s Italee Lucas. Nneka was named the tournament’s most outstanding player with a total of 42 points and 14 rebounds in the two games.

Final Four

Stanford’s hopes for a national championship evaporated in a mere 3 seconds after Texas A&M scored the winning basket to inch ahead 63-62 in the semi-final game at Indianapolis on April 3.

It appeared that the Cardinal had the upper hand when a basket by Nneka put her team ahead 62-61 with 9 seconds to go, but the Aggies managed to get the ball down the court and score.

It was a bitter disappointment for the team that had gone to four consecutive Final Fours and returned home empty-handed. Still, the team and individual players can point to a long list of accomplishments.

The outcome might have been different if just a few things had been different, but the Aggies played strong defense, an attribute that led them to dispatch Notre Dame 76-70 in the championship game on April 5. Both Notre Dame and the Aggies were No. 2 seeds. The Aggies had bounced Baylor in their regional, while Notre Dame defeated Tennessee in their regional before knocking off UConn in the other semi-final game.

The day of the semi-final games began with high hopes and high spirits at Stanford’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The crowd included several hundred fans and family members like Erica and Olivia Ogwumike. They were wearing T-shirts made by their mother that had “Go Sis” on the front and the numbers 13 and 30 on the back, for older sisters Chiney and Nneka, respectively.

Three children wearing Tree costumes with “Sprig” on one, “Sprout” on another and “Shrub” on the third, quickly became favorites for photos, posing with the cheerleaders.

The Stanford-Texas A&M game was tight, with nine lead changes and four ties. Statistically, Stanford led in rebounds, 39-29; assists, 13-10; blocks, 8-5; steals 8-7; and points in the paint, 32-22. The Cardinal had 18 fouls to the Aggies’ 19, but the Aggies made all 10 of their free throws while Stanford made 13 of 19. The Aggies had 12 turnovers, which led to 10 Stanford points, while Stanford had 22 that led to 21 Aggie points.

Nneka led both teams in scoring with 31 points. Jeanette was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 11, while Kayla was the game leader with 10 rebounds. Chiney and fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy both fouled out late in the game. Jeanette went to the bench with a sprained ankle after the Aggies’ final basket with 3.3 seconds left. Stanford’s effort to get the ball up the court was unsuccessful, and so ended the game.

Despite their deep disappointment, the Stanford players and coaches accepted the loss gracefully, as demonstrated in the post-game press conference with Nneka, Kayla, Mel and head coach Tara VanDerveer.

There was no finger-pointing, no blaming. Instead they complimented the Aggies. The players’ biggest regret, as voiced by Kayla, was that they would no longer be playing with and for their teammates. That’s a sentiment shared by their saddened fans, who will miss Mel, Kayla, Jeanette, forward Ashley Cimino and guard Hannah Donaghe.

Spring Banquet

The team and fans had one more opportunity to get together at the annual spring banquet on April 20 at the Stanford faculty club. It was both a celebration of the 2010-11 season and a sad farewell to some of the people who made it so successful.

Besides the five senior players, the team is losing senior managers Kerry Blake and Dorothy Boakye Donkor. The coaching staff is losing assistant Bobbie Kelsey, who has been named head coach at the University of Wisconsin.

People in the sold-out crowd of more than 300 congratulated her and wished her well. She told the guests that she hopes to import some of Stanford’s wisdom to her Badger team, but “for all you folks who want us to schedule Stanford – forget about it,” she said.

Like Bobbie, Kayla and Jeanette drew crowds of well-wishers during the social before the dinner. Kayla is headed for the Tulsa Shock after going seventh in the recent WNBA draft, and Jeanette will play for the Indiana Fever after going ninth.

Ashley is applying for graduate schools near her home in Maine and is hoping for an internship in public relations. Mel said she’ll probably go back to New York and perhaps run basketball clinics. She wants to continue working with Candice Wiggins,’08, who’s leading an autumn trip to Spain, where she played after her first season with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Hannah is going to Australia to fulfill a study-abroad requirement.

Tara introduced the players and talked about their strengths and accomplishments, starting with the freshmen and ending with the seniors, who all thanked the fans for their support over the years.

The evening also featured a video that highlighted great plays by each team member as well as memorable moments during the season, including the “Got Bounce” music video created by Mel.

Then it was time to announce the team’s choice for the Lizard Lung Award, a light-hearted tradition honoring the team’s most gullible player. It was presented to Chiney by last year’s winner, Hannah, joined by other previous winners Jeanette, Sarah and Bobbie.

Tara wrapped up the evening by praising the team for its courage and “the emotional energy that went into this season.” Looking ahead, she said she’s excited about the six freshmen who will join the team this coming fall.

“The seniors have set such a high bar” that was learned from others before them. Therefore, she urged the returning players to continue that tradition with their new teammates. “Returnees (are the) keepers of the culture,” she said.

With that, she reminded the returnees that they had a 7:15 a.m. workout the next day – time to start looking forward to 2011-12.

Thanks for the memories, Part 2 of 3

2011-04-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

Pac-10 play gets under way

CAL --- Ending 2010 with decisive victories over Xavier and UConn and a 9-2 record (the only losses before the Final Four), the Stanford women’s basketball team started 2011 off right with a 78-45 win at Cal on Jan. 2.

Of the nearly 5,200 spectators watching this Pac-10 opener, many wore Cardinal red. They included 45 who rode the booster bus, whose driver quipped, “We’ve got a longer win streak than UConn.”

The Cardinal presented a balanced scoring attack against Cal with five players in double figures led by senior guard Jeanette Pohlen with 15, junior forward Nneka Ogwumike with 14, freshman guard Toni Kokenis with 12, plus senior forward Kayla Pedersen and freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike with 11 each.

This game also marked fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy’s first time in uniform after knee surgery the previous spring. Even though she didn’t play, fans were pleased to see her progress.

ARIZONA --- Returning to Maples, the Cardinal defeated Arizona 87-54 on Jan. 6. The game got close in the first half, but then the home team turned on the jets and shot a torrid 70.4 percent, outscoring the Wildcats 47-21 in the second half. Although her status was doubtful after she had landed on her shoulder during the Cal game, Nneka led the scoring with 24 points and eight rebounds. Chiney and Kayla both had double-doubles of 11 and 11 while Jeanette had 13 points.

Afterward the Fast Break Club had a chance to become better acquainted with Toni, who’s from the Chicago area. In high school she played soccer as well as basketball, but she complied with Stanford coaches’ request not to play soccer her senior year to avoid injuries, said associate head coach Amy Tucker. When the team went to Chicago to play DePaul in December, Toni’s mother cooked dinner for everyone, Amy said.

ARIZONA STATE --- By defeating Arizona State 82-35 on Jan. 8, the Cardinal handed head coach Tara VanDerveer her 805th career victory. Her milestone 800th win had come at USF on Dec. 22, but the official tribute was delayed because many in the Stanford community were on vacation or in Miami for the football team’s Orange Bowl victory after that.

Stanford president John Hennessy and athletic director Bob Bowlsby gave Tara flowers, a game ball and a framed poster showing her holding a net aloft following a tournament victory. A video also honored her.

“Well, 800 was a lot of fun, but how about 802?” Bowlsby said, referring to the 71-59 home victory on Dec. 30 that ended the Huskies’ historic 90-game winning streak.

Thanking everyone, Tara said, “800 wins is because I work for a great university” with a great administration and coaching staff as well as “fabulous players” in front of “the loudest fans in the land.”

After the game, Kayla spoke to the FBC. She said she had already completed the coursework for her major in psychology and was taking the one class needed to complete her other major in communication. She aimed to finish a quarter early with hopes of going into the WNBA and playing overseas.

UCLA --- With Stanford ranked fourth in AP’s national poll and UCLA ranked eighth, a competitive game was expected when the Bruins visited Jan. 20. Instead Stanford won decisively, 64-38, and placed itself squarely atop the Pac-10 Conference.

One highlight of the game was Mel’s return to action after being cleared to play only two days earlier. She entered the game with 6:03 left in the first half. Five minutes later, she stole the ball, ran the length of the court and made a tough basket, bringing the crowd of nearly 4,300 to its feet.

Kevin Aha, the new marketing associate for women’s basketball, talked to the FBC after the game. He was followed by two more additions to the WBB staff, interns Lauren Greif and Sha'Rae Gibbons Mitchell. The two 2010 grads are guards from Cal and UC Santa Barbara, respectively.

USC --- While many students were outside basking in the unusually warm winter sunshine, USC was the latest team to feel the heat in Maples, falling 95-51 on Jan. 22. Jeanette led the way with a career-high 12 assists to go with 21 points, five rebounds, one steal and zero turnovers. Twelve of her points came from four 3-pointers.

Kayla added 16 points, including three more of the team’s 10 3-pointers. The others came from junior guard Lindy La Rocque with two and senior forward Ashley Cimino with one. Also scoring in double figures were Chiney and Nneka with 14 each and red-shirt sophomore Sarah Boothe with 11.

After the game, Kayla told the FBC that the team has benefitted from Jeanette’s 31 points against UConn because opponents have to pay so much attention to her, leaving openings for her teammates.

Kayla also modeled the team’s new home white uniform. Made of a “hyper-elite, aerodynamic,” lightweight material, it was designed by Nike with some input from Amy, the coach said. Behind the number on the back are faint pictures of campus landmarks along with a block S.

WASHINGTON STATE – After two successful road trips, during which Stanford defeated Oregon 91-56 on Jan. 27, Oregon State 77-44 on Jan. 29, Arizona State 72-54 on Feb. 3 and Arizona 91-51 on Feb. 5, the Cardinal returned home to topple Washington State 100-59 on Feb. 10. Thus Stanford won its 49th consecutive Pac-10 game, breaking its own record.

Because it was a night for breast cancer awareness, everyone was asked to wear pink. Continuing a practice started by Joe Appel, father of Jayne Appel, ’10, Jeanette’s dad, John Pohlen, wore Joe’s pink tutu over his pants but added a pink scarf rather than Joe’s pink shower cap.

In a halftime video promoting the wrestling team, Tara wore a Stanford wrestler’s uniform and took on wrestling coach Jason Borrelli, who dubbed her “Tara the Terror.” The wrestling team then came onto the court for cheers and applause.

In a KerryCam video created by manager Kerry Blake during the previous week’s trip to the Arizona schools, Tara teamed with Sarah to challenge assistant coach Kate Paye and Ashley in a two-on-two basketball matchup, which Kate and Ashley won.

The videos were shown to the FBC after the game, when fans got to meet Kerry and her fellow manager, Dorothy Boakye-Donkor, who are both seniors. Even with their many duties, “it’s a really great job,” said Dorothy, a political science major. Kerry is majoring in sociology.

Another FBC guest was Jenny Claypool, director of championships, who has been in her post for 11 years.

WASHINGTON – After coasting to easy wins, the Cardinal had a tougher time against Washington on Feb. 12 but emerged with a 62-52 home victory. Washington held Jeanette to 3 points, but the three starting forwards stepped up with Nneka scoring 22, Chiney 21 and Kayla 13.

“It was a very physical game. It was a battle,” Amy said afterward. Washington was whistled for 27 fouls that led to four players fouling out. Stanford had 16 fouls. Washington had 21 turnovers compared with 12 for the home team.

Fans also had a chance to catch up with Sarah Dimson, ’01, who works for a social entrepreneurship organization in Washington, D.C. She travels a lot and recently spent a year and a half in India and Pakistan.

Senior guard Hannah Donaghe, an earth systems major, talked about her summer travels. She had an internship through the biology department and spent most of her time in a dry tropical forest near Oaxaca, Mexico. Hannah isn’t playing because she tore her ACL during a fall practice.

OREGON STATE --- After returning with two wins – 78-64 over USC on Feb. 18 and 67-53 over UCLA on Feb. 20 -- from what is often its most challenging Pac-10 trip, the Cardinal completed the conference season at home.

First up was Oregon State, which fell 73-37 on Feb. 24. The victory assured Stanford of a least a share of its 11th consecutive Pac-10 season title and marked the team’s record-tying 59th straight victory at Maples.

Nneka missed both this game and the UCLA game after injuring her ankle at USC. Against Oregon State, Sarah came off the bench and helped to make up for that lost production by pouring in a team-high 16 points along with six rebounds. Joslyn started in Nneka’s place.

A halftime highlight was Bloomer Basketball, featuring a half-court game between some bloomer-clad fans and graduates between the ages 50 and 80. They followed the rules from the 1950s and 1960s, which are quite different from today’s rules.

Prior to the regular game, Stanford fans loudly applauded the OSU players and head coach Scott Rueck as they were introduced. The fans were showing their respect for a program that made remarkable progress after the termination of Rueck’s predecessor and decimation of the roster due to transferring or quitting.

“Our fans are first class,” Tara said.

Those fans were honored as part of Fan Appreciation Night after the game. Other schools envy the support that the Stanford team gets from its fans, especially through the FBC and its website, said Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations. She acknowledged webmaster Marian Cortesi and others who write for the site.

Sponsors of the freshmen’s lockers received photos of themselves with their freshmen. Wally Mersereau, who reports on most away games for the FBC site, was honored with the annual Fan Spirit Award.

OREGON – With a 99-60 victory over Oregon on Feb. 26, the team won its 11th consecutive Pac-10 season championship and its 20th overall in the league’s 25 seasons of women’s sports. The win and championship were expected, so Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott was on hand to present the trophy to Tara after the game. She in turn gave it to the team captains: Kayla, Jeanette and Nneka.

The game also marked a milestone as the team won its 60th consecutive home game, a team record. That streak started with the first game of the 2007-08 season, meaning that seniors Kayla, Jeanette, Ashley and Hannah have never lost a home game.

With only one more conference game on the schedule, Tara used this game to rest the starters for much of the game. Hence, everyone got in, and no one played more than 22 minutes. Nneka returned to action but played only 12 minutes and had 4 points. Playing 20 minutes, Jeanette scored 20 points, while Kayla had 13 (plus 10 rebounds for a double-double) and Sarah had 11. Chiney, Mel and Toni had 10 each.

Three of the seniors – Hannah was on a field trip – plus Mel spoke to fans after the game. Mel said she hopes to get into talent management, while Jeanette and Kayla were hoping for the WNBA. Ashley said she has applied for graduate school in Boston and for Teach for America.

CAL -- The seniors were honored more extensively following the team’s 75-51 victory over Cal on March 3.

As fans began filling Maples before this Senior Night game, many carried signs thanking the seniors and picturing the five of them. Shortly before the game, Tara gave flowers to Cal’s two seniors, Rama N’diaye and Rachelle Federico. A video showed Tara thanking all the people connected with the games, people who aren’t usually recognized but who are so important to the team’s success and the fans’ experience.

During timeouts, three Trees cavorted in their costumes, joined by a green-hued guy, the Sprout, who will be next year’s Tree. As the second half wore on, this year’s Tree removed his costume and helped his successor put it on.

Then there was a touching moment with 25.8 seconds left and Cal with the ball. Tara put Hannah into the game, kept her safely in front of the bench, and then quickly called a timeout to allow her to return to the bench.

After the game, a video honored the senior players and the managers. Then Tara presented flowers to the two graduating male practice players, Greg Klausner and Ilan Kolowitz, followed by managers Kerry and Dorothy.

Then it was time to honor the players, starting with Ashley, joined by her mother and sister. Hannah was escorted by her parents and sister, and Mel was escorted by her mother. Kayla came onto the floor with her parents, followed by Jeanette with her parents and two brothers.

Because the game had started at 8 p.m. on a school night, there was no opportunity to hear directly from the players and their parents.

After that, it was tournament time – coming in Part 3

Thanks for the memories – A look back at 2010-11 – Part 1 of 3

2011-04-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a ride the Stanford women’s basketball team and its fans took during the 2010-11 season. Compiling a 33-3 record, the team made history with its second consecutive combination of an undefeated Pac-10 season and the Pac-10 tournament championship. It also set a team record of 63 consecutive wins – and counting -- in Maples Pavilion, meaning that the class of 2011 has never lost a home game.

The team marched through the NCAA tournament at home and in Spokane before going on to its fourth consecutive Final Four and the semi-final game in Indianapolis in April.

All along the way, the team and individual players broke records and won well deserved honors. Here’s a look at how it all unfolded.

Pre-season events

KEZAR --- Fans who couldn’t wait for the season to start got their first tantalizing sample of what was to come as they watched incoming freshman guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis plus forward Chiney Ogwumike in the Bay Area Pro-Am summer games at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco.

On the same team with them were sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef and junior forward Sarah Boothe, who was returning to competition after red-shirting the previous year to recuperate from foot surgery. Chiney didn’t play right away because she was in Colorado for the USA U-18 team’s gold medal game, which it won.

All five Cardinal players impressed fans with their scoring, rebounding and ball handling while tallying the majority of their team’s points.

At various times, spectators included not only fans and family but also Stanford players like senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, junior guard Lindy La Rocque and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike, all of whom were in summer school. Another interested observer was the James family dog, Sadie, a terrier mix.

WINE TASTING --- As the players returned for the fall term, about three dozen fans gathered at Vino Locale in Palo Alto for the fifth annual Fast Break Club wine tasting and social Sept. 12.

Looking ahead, “this is probably the most competitive schedule that we’ve ever had,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the group. She listed UConn, which defeated Stanford for the 2010 NCAA national championship in San Antonio; and Xavier, which lost to Stanford in the Sacramento regional final. That’s when Jeanette – in one of the most memorable moments in Stanford WBB history – ran the court in the final 4.4 seconds and scored the winning basket.

Fans also had a chance to meet the season’s two interns, Lauren Greif, recently graduated Cal guard; and Sha’Rae Gibbons Mitchell, recently graduated UC Santa Barbara guard.

The players began an eight-hour-a-week training regimen on Sept. 15, spending two of those hours with the coaches and the rest in conditioning and weight-lifting.

OPEN PRACTICES --- Regular practices started Oct. 6, followed by an open practice consisting mostly of drills Oct. 9 in Maples Pavilion. Afterward, the players signed autographs for fans going to the Stanford-USC football game (won by Stanford).

Progress was evident three weeks later on Oct. 30 when the team had another open practice followed by a barbecue at Jimmy V’s, where Tara introduced the players. She started with the eldest, fifth-year senior guard, Melanie Murphy, who was rehabbing from knee surgery after the previous season.

The only sour note of the afternoon was that fans learned that senior guard Hannah Donaghe would miss the season after tearing her ACL in a previous practice.

Otherwise, “I don’t know that we’ve ever had a better October,” Tara said. “This group has been really special. Great things are in store.”

She also said she hadn’t decided on a starting lineup except for the big three, returning starters Kayla, Jeanette and Nneka.

EXHIBITIONS --- One week later on Nov. 6, the players donned their home whites and hosted Vanguard for an exhibition game, which the Cardinal won 116-65. In the next exhibition, UC San Diego fell 100-52 to the host Cardinal on Nov. 9. Joining the big three in the starting lineup were Toni and Sarah. Chiney came off the bench to score 24 points in 23 minutes.

The season starts

RUTGERS --- The season got under way for real on Nov. 14 when Rutgers came calling and fell 63-50. The starters were the big three, Chiney and sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle. Afterward, Jeanette spoke to the FBC and thanked the fans for their support. She said that during the time between summer school and the fall term, she went home to Brea in Southern California and worked with the speed coach and the trainer who had helped her so much after her freshman year.

UTAH --- While the team took its first road trip to the University of Utah on Nov. 19, about 30 fans watched the 62-53 victory at the First & Main sports bar in Los Altos. Nneka didn’t play for undisclosed reasons, so Sarah started in her place. Joslyn and Chiney also started along with Jeanette and Kayla. The Stanford crowd cheered for Utes forward Michelle Harrison. She graduated from Stanford in June, but had another year of eligibility after missing a year with a torn ACL. The game also marked Lindy’s first action after rehabbing from a foot injury.

SOUTH CAROLINA --- The team continued its pre-Thanksgiving road trip at Gonzaga on Nov. 21, winning 84-78. Back home after Thanksgiving, the team drubbed South Carolina 70-32 on Nov. 26. The starters were the big three plus Joslyn and Chiney. “A lot of different people are getting looks,” Tara said afterward. “It’s a puzzle to put together.” Joining her at the post-game gathering was Chiney. Even though older sister Nneka was an obvious draw, Chiney chose Stanford after asking herself, “What’s the best combination of athletics and academics? That was an easy decision,” she said.

TEXAS -- The next visitor, the University of Texas, fell 93-78 on Nov. 28. Stanford was ahead 2-0 even before the clock started running. Kayla made two free throws after Texas was called for an administrative technical foul for failing to submit its starting lineup by 10 minutes before the game’s start. After the game, Sara was FBC’s guest. “Stanford was always my first choice,” she said.

FRESNO STATE --- It was Dog Lovers Day on Dec. 12 as the Fresno State Bulldogs came calling but left with a 77-40 loss. Honoring Humane Society Silicon Valley, the afternoon was devoted to Cardinal dogs with photos of players’ and fans’ canines shown on the video board. Then there were some videos of coaches and some staffers morphing into dogs. To top it all off, the popular agility dogs from ACE Dog Sports made their third annual appearance at halftime.

Toni and Chiney were in the starting lineup. Chiney had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the first double-double of her college career. Jeanette also hit a milestone, becoming the 32nd Cardinal to score 1,000 points. She hit that mark in the first half and finished with 15 points. Yet another milestone was that Tara recorded her 799th coaching victory.

“It’s really exciting to see so many people play and do so well,” Tara said while being interviewed by Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, ’10, who was providing color commentary for KZSU radio Post-game guests were Mikaela and Joslyn, who said they were glad to have final exams behind them.

DEPAUL, TENNESSEE --- Next came a disappointing road trip with the Cardinal falling 91-71 to DePaul on Dec. 16 and 82-72 in overtime at Tennessee on Dec. 19. Kayla missed the DePaul game after hitting her head on the floor in the Fresno State game. The crowd included a large contingent of friends and family of Toni and Sarah, who are from the Chicago area.

About 30 fans gathered at Mike’s Café in Menlo Park to watch the Tennessee game. The starting lineup featured the big three plus Chiney and Lindy.

USF --- The USF game on Dec. 22 was an away game, but it had the feeling of a home game with a busload of Cardinal fans joining hundreds of others expecting to witness history. They weren’t disappointed, as Stanford won 100-45 and gave Tara her 800th career victory. As the final seconds ticked off, red signs popped up everywhere. They read “800” on one side and “Congratulations Tara S” on the other.

The signs were a grace note to the accolades from USF. Head coach Jennifer Azzi and associate head coach Katy Steding, both in their first year there, gave Tara the game ball and flowers. Jennifer and Katy were in Tara’s first Stanford recruiting class in 1985 and went on to help Stanford win its first national championship in 1990. They also played for Tara on the undefeated U.S. Olympics team that won the gold in 1996. Besides the present team, others who had added to the victory total were Tara’s staff: associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coaches Bobbie Kelsey and Kate Paye.

Chiney didn’t play because of a tweaked ankle, so Joslyn started in her place, along with Lindy and the big three. Kayla led all scorers with 16 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.

XAVIER --- With memories of the last-second win in the Sacramento regional earlier in the year, fans were expecting a tough game when Xavier visited Maples on Dec. 28. They were wrong. Xavier fell 89-52. “This was a statement game for our team,” Tara said afterward.

It also secured the starting lineup for the rest of the season with the big three plus Chiney and Lindy. Also speaking afterward was Vanessa Nygaard, ’98, who was joined by her 6-month-old daughter, Emerson.

UCONN --- Then came the most highly anticipated game of the season for not only Stanford but for all fans of women’s college basketball. UConn arrived at Maples on Dec. 30 with an unprecedented 90-game winning streak, the most by any women’s or men’s NCAA team.

The Huskies left with the streak only a memory as Stanford won decisively, 71-59, before a loud packed house. The score was never tied, nor did UConn ever take the lead. The last time UConn had lost was to Stanford 998 days earlier in the semi-finals of the 2008 Final Four in Tampa.

Jeanette was the game’s undisputed MVP, scoring 31 points, including five 3-pointers, and snatching nine rebounds while dishing out six assists and making one steal. Stanford’s defense held UConn superstar senior Maya Moore to 14 points.

Prior to the game, Angela Taylor, ’93, hosted a gathering in Dallmar Court to announce her new venture, Networks Sports Consulting. One of her first projects is to help Candice Wiggins, ’08, organize a tour of Spain, where she played two years ago. A member of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, Candice returned to Stanford for the fall quarter to finish her undergraduate degree while rehabbing from a torn Achilles.

NEXT UP – Pac-10 play

A final farewell

2011-04-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Stanford women’s basketball spring banquet on April 20 was both a celebration of the 2010-11 season and a sad farewell to some of the people who made it so successful.

Chilly temperatures and the possibility of rain moved the pre-dinner social inside as more than 300 people attended the sold-out event at the Stanford faculty club. The social gave guests a chance to mingle and to talk with the players and coaches. It also gave them a chance to see the players with their hair down and wearing dressy attire. Several of the taller players wore high heels that added 2 or 3 inches to their height.

Senior forward Kayla Pedersen and her classmate, guard Jeanette Pohlen, drew lots of attention as guests wished them well and said how much they’ll be missed. Kayla is headed for the Tulsa Shock after going seventh in the recent WNBA draft, and Jeanette Pohlen will play for the Indiana Fever after going ninth.

Assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey also drew a crowd of well-wishers. She has been named head coach at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

DeeDee Zawaydeh, administrative assistant, served as emcee for the evening, which she termed a tribute to “a memorable and exceptionally great season.” Gracing the wall behind her were the framed jerseys of the departing seniors: Kayla, Jeanette, forward Ashley Cimino and guards Hannah Donaghe and Melanie Murphy (completing her fifth year).

Honors for Tara

After the main course, DeeDee introduced head coach Tara VanDerveer and went through the long list of her accomplishments this year. She was named national coach of the year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, the Associated Press and Atlanta Tip-Off Club (Naismith Award). On top of that, she was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She’s already a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

She recorded her 800th career win on Dec. 22 when the Cardinal defeated USF 100-45, becoming just the fifth Division I head coach to achieve that milestone. By season’s end, her overall career record was 826-198, DeeDee said. Her record during 25 years at Stanford is 674-147, or 82.1 percent of her games.

After receiving a standing ovation, Tara said, “I’m blown away at how fast this year went.” She also thanked DeeDee for organizing the dinner.

“This is a bittersweet evening,” she said, because it means saying goodbye to five players, two managers and “one outstanding coach.” She then cited the four true seniors’ 63-0 record at home, but added an asterisk that this ongoing Maples record doesn’t include an exhibition loss to the USA team of greats that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.

“Going to the Final Four four times is exceptional,” she said. Except for Mel, no one else on the team knows anything else, “and we want to keep it that way.”

Saluting the Freshmen

After thanking the supportive Stanford administration and others, she asked the three freshmen to come forward and be introduced alphabetically. She started with guard Sara James, “a very motivated young lady” who had her best game against USF. Tara also noted that Sara’s mother was there.

Next came guard Toni Kokenis, a human biology major who got an honorable mention for the Pac-10 all-freshman team and served “as a very valuable reserve.” Her mother, a UCLA graduate, and father attended the dinner.

Forward Chiney Ogwumike was named the Pac-10 freshman of the year and was named to the all-Pac-10 team and Pac-10 defensive team as well as the NCAA all-regional team in Spokane. She led the team in rebounds with 281, closely followed by Kayla with 280. “She is a competitor. She brought a great passion and energy to the court,” Tara said.

and the Sophomores and Juniors

After more thank-you’s, Tara called up the sophomores: forwards Sarah Boothe (an academic junior who red-shirted the previous season), Mikaela Ruef and Joslyn Tinkle.

Sarah, a psychology major, “is a very hard worker” with a “sweet high post shot.” Mikaela “made great progress from last year,” while Joslyn “is a high-energy player,” Tara said.

The juniors were introduced after additional thank-you’s. Lindy La Rocque, a two-guard who started 29 games, “is a heady player who does a lot of little things” like setting screens. Her parents were at the dinner.

As for guard Grace Mashore, who is an American studies major, “her contributions are more in practice,” where she runs the scout team. She won the traditional sombrero after recording the best shooting percentage, 2 for 2, on the Arizona trip.

With the graduation of center Jayne Appel last year, “Nneka became the focus of our opponents’ defense,” Tara said. A psychology major, she had “an exceptionally huge tournament,” especially in the second Gonzaga game, when “she was not to be denied.” With a 58.6 percent average, she led the team in scoring with 576 points. She also racked up a number of awards, including All-American recognition by the AP, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, State Farm Coaches and the John R. Wooden Award committee.

Thanks to the Coaches

In thanking her coaching staff, Tara asked the threesome to join her in front. Besides Bobbie, they are associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coach Kate Paye. She credited Amy for her “wealth of knowledge” and ability to judge talent, having spotted Jeanette and Kayla early in their high school years. She also bakes cakes for the players’ birthdays.

She said Kate is “very organized” and a “student of the game” as well as the “key to the development of our guards.”

As for Bobbie, “Congratulations to the newest Badger cheesehead,” Tara said. She’ll do well in her new job at Wisconsin, but she’ll be missed. Bobbie responded, “Thank you for four great years.” She hopes to import some of Stanford’s wisdom to Wisconsin, but “for all you folks who want us to schedule Stanford – forget about it!”

Tara then honored senior team managers Kerry Blake and Dorothy Boakye Donkor. “You don’t always have managers who are so committed to a team,” she said, citing the KerryCam videos from road trips, among other things. They take pride in what they do and became good friends to the team, Tara said.

Saluting the Seniors

Then it was time for the seniors to come forward and be introduced, starting with Ashley. “Ashley is a glue player” who “knows her role and values her role.” Ashley responded by thanking everyone. “I can’t believe this day is actually here,” she said. The communication major told me earlier that she is applying to graduate schools near her home in Maine and is hoping for an internship in public relations.

Even though Hannah couldn’t play this season after tearing her ACL, “she put her energy into cheering for her teammates,” Tara said. Moreover, “we are all better recyclers because of you,” she said to the earth systems major, who is going to Australia to fulfill a study abroad requirement. Hannah responded with a thank-you.

Tara commended Mel for her “tremendous individual effort in our Texas A&M game” and for working hard to come back from what could have been career-ending knee surgery last spring.

“It’s been a great five years for me,” Mel said. “I hope it’s been a great five years for you.” She told me earlier that she’ll probably go back to New York and perhaps run basketball clinics. She also wants to continue working with Candice Wiggins, ’08, who’s leading an autumn trip to Spain, where she played after her first season with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

Up next, “Kayla Pedersen. Wow,” Tara said. She first came to Stanford when she attended Tara’s summer hoops camp as a high school sophomore. During her collegiate career, she set Stanford records for minutes played, 4,762; games started and played, 150; and rebounds, 1,266. Her 1,941 points place her seventh in the Stanford 1,000-point club.

The recipient of many honors, “she has done so much for this team over four years,” Tara said. “She’s a jack of all trades and a master of all trades.”

“Stanford has always been a dream for me,” Kayla said. It was great to have the same coaches for four years, and “this team – they’re my sisters,” she said.

Turning to Jeanette, Tara said, “Jeanette has had a spectacular career.” She tied Kayla for number of games played and was second to her in minutes played. Improving year after year, “she made herself into a great player for Stanford.”

She’s second to Candice in career 3-pointers made (268 to Candice’s 295) and this year set the record for 3’s in a season with 96. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Year and an All-American by the AP, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the John R. Wooden Award committee. “She has a motor,” Tara said, as she singled out Jeanette’s 31 points in the historic victory over UConn in December.

Like her classmate, Jeanette thanked everyone for their support. She also thanked her parents, who were there, for attending nearly all of her games. Her mother, Cindy, has an unbroken streak of 136 games. “I’m genuinely grateful for the four years I’ve had here,” Jeanette said.

Video Pays Tribute to Season

The guests then were treated to a video prepared by director of videography Bud Anderson and video coordinator Sarah Boruta. It highlighted great plays by each team member as well as memorable moments during the season, including the “Got Bounce” music video created by Mel and featuring the team, cheerleaders, Tree, Dollies and others.

It even showed Hannah getting into the final few seconds of the Cal game, which was senior night. This retrospective made one realize all over again just what a terrific season it was and how much each player contributed.

The last official item of business was to announce the team’s choice for the Lizard Lung Award, a light-hearted tradition honoring the team’s most gullible player, usually a freshman. According to team lore, a player who was being treated for a blister asked what the trainer was using. The trainer told her it came from the lungs of a lizard, and the player believed her.

In keeping with tradition, last year’s winner, Hannah, was the presenter. She also won the award her freshman year. She asked other winners to join her, so Jeanette, Sarah and Bobbie all trooped to the front. Tara noted that the very first winner was Jennifer Azzi, ’90, who is now head coach at USF.

This year’s winner is Chiney, who fell for a traditional prank that upperclassmen play on the freshmen, asking if they brought certain items of equipment on the first road trip. When Chiney said she hadn’t, she went to Tara and apologized. She also believed a story that some teammates had saved two baby mountain lions at the Stanford Dish. “I’m taking one for the team right here,” Chiney said.

Some Final Words

Wrapping up the evening, Tara praised the team for its courage and “the emotional energy that went into this season.” She was especially proud that after the heartbreaking loss to Texas A&M, the team went to dinner, and each senior said how much she enjoyed playing with the team. .

Looking ahead, she said she’s excited about the six freshmen who will come on board this coming fall. “The seniors have set such a high bar” that was learned from others before them, she said. Therefore, she exhorted the returning players to continue that tradition. “Returnees (are the) keepers of the culture,” she said.

And with that, she reminded the returnees that they were due in the weight room at 7:15 a.m. the next day and sent everyone on their way.

Many in the crowd lingered afterward, chatting with the players and calling them together to pose for one last group shot of the team of 2010-11.

Coming next, a three-part retrospective of the season.

So close, so proud

2011-04-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Stanford women’s basketball team’s hopes for a national championship evaporated in a mere 3 seconds after Texas A&M scored the winning basket to inch ahead 63-62. It appeared the Cardinal had the upper hand after a basket by junior forward Nneka Ogwumike put her team ahead 62-61 with 9 seconds left, but the Aggies managed to get the ball down the court and score.

It was a bitter disappointment for a team that has now gone to four consecutive Final Fours and returned home without a trophy. Hopes were high that this would be the time as the team journeyed to Indianapolis to play the semi-final game on April 3.

The loss was especially difficult for the seniors, especially the two starters, forward Kayla Pedersen and guard Jeanette Pohlen, along with their classmates, forward Ashley Cimino and guard Hannah Donaghe, plus fifth-year guard Melanie Murphy, who played a significant role in the final game.

Nevertheless, the team and individual players can point to a long list of accomplishments as they compiled a 33-3 season record along with numerous records set by the team and individuals. In addition, head coach Tara VanDerveer earned three national coach of the year honors, was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and passed her 800-win milestone.

Sure, the outcome might have been different if just a few things had been different. Still, no one can deny that the Aggies played strong defense that led them to dispatch Notre Dame 76-70 in the title game. Thus the Aggies had eliminated two of the No. 1 seeds, Baylor (in the regional) and Stanford, while the Irish had bounced the other two, Tennessee (in the regional) and UConn, leaving two No. 2 seeds to vie for the national championship.

High Hopes at Rally

The day of the semi-final games began with warm sunshine, high hopes and high spirits for a social and rally at the team’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. The crowd included several hundred fans and family members like Erica and Olivia Ogwumike, younger sisters of Nneka and freshman forward Chiney. The younger O sisters were wearing T-shirts that said “Go Sis” on front and the numbers 13 and 30 on the back, for Chiney and Nneka, respectively. They later told a fan that their mother had made the shirts.

More creativity was evident in three children wearing Tree costumes with “Sprig” on one, “Sprout” on another and “Shrub” on the third. They quickly became favorites for photos, posing with the cheerleaders.

The crowd also included Bea Gorton, who was the first women’s basketball coach at Indiana University and who was Tara’s college coach.

As it came closer to the time for the team to leave, the band began playing outside and fans assembled along a red carpet to cheer the players and coaches as they emerged from the hotel. After several songs by the band, it was time to get on the bus, which was led by two Indianapolis motorcycle officers with their sirens wailing.

Before the Stanford-A&M game at Conseco Fieldhouse, I bought a bottle of water and was dismayed when the woman behind the counter took the cap. She said it was a practice that started when people at other events had thrown filled bottles onto the court.

Such a precaution seemed unnecessary in the large, loud but courteous crowd from all four schools. Stanford’s contingent took up about two sections behind the bench, and a few other Cardinal fans were scattered elsewhere.

Band Asks for Help

Just before the game started, the band played the traditional “All Right Now” and, as usual, mixed in some other tunes, including “Luck Be a Lady Tonight.” Nice try, but it didn’t work.

It was a tight game with nine lead changes and four ties. Stanford’s largest lead was 10 points with 15:07 left in the second half, while A&M’s biggest margin was 7 points with 7:54 to go in the first half.

Statistically, Stanford led in rebounds, 39-29; assists, 13-10; blocks, 8-5; steals, 8-7; and points in the paint, 32-22. The Cardinal had 18 fouls to the Aggies’ 19, but the Aggies made all 10 of their free throws while Stanford capitalized on 13 of 19. The Aggies had 12 turnovers, which led to 10 Stanford points, while Stanford had 22 that led to 21 Aggie points.

Nneka led both teams in scoring with 31 points. Jeanette was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 11 points, while Kayla was the game leader with 10 rebounds. Chiney and Mel both fouled out late in the game. Jeanette went to the bench with a sprained ankle after the Aggies’ final basket with 3.3 seconds left. Stanford’s effort to get the ball all the way up the court for a final score was unsuccessful, and so ended the game.

Two days later, the stands were filled with A&M and Notre Dame fans. It appeared that many Stanford fans had surrendered their seats, but a few stuck around, as did some UConn fans.

Aggie, Irish Fans Flock to Indianapolis

Some Aggie fans at my hotel that morning said they had driven up to Indianapolis through stormy weather after their team won. Likewise, it appeared that many Notre Dame fans had joined the crowd after their team’s semi-final win, but it’s only about a three-hour drive from South Bend to Indianapolis. Notre Dame also had a large turnout of green-clad students who came in the chartered buses that were parked outside the arena.

Even though the championship went to Texas A&M, the Stanford women have much to be proud of. One need only watch the press conference with Tara, Nneka, Kayla and Mel to see how gracefully, though sadly, they accepted the loss to the Aggies.

There was no finger-pointing, no blaming. Instead they complimented the Aggies. The players’ biggest regret, as voiced by Kayla, was that they would no longer be playing with and for their teammates. That’s a sentiment shared by their saddened fans, who will miss Kayla, Jeanette, Ashley, Hannah and Mel. They’ve given us many happy memories.

Outnumbered but not outscored

2011-03-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Stanford fans were vastly outnumbered at the Spokane regional of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, but their team was not outscored. Instead, the No. 1-seeded Cardinal defeated No. 5 North Carolina 72-65 on March 26 and No. 11 Gonzaga 83-60 to win the regional trophy on March 28.

Because Spokane is Gonzaga’s hometown, the Spokane Arena was packed to the rafters with its fans. Initially on March 26, the stands held a smattering of Louisville fans along with what appeared to be a similar number of North Carolina followers. Approximately 120 Stanford fans were wedged into a corner diagonally across from the Cardinal bench, while perhaps an equal number, including family members, sat in several rows behind the bench.

Everyone else in the announced crowd of 11,339 seemed to be cheering for underdog Gonzaga. The roar was deafening as the hometown team defeated No.7 Louisville 76-69.

Everywhere you looked around town, people sported the Gonzaga logo. One exception was the Red Lion Hotel at the Park, which was the headquarters for Louisville. The team even brought along red Louisville T-shirts for the front desk staff to wear. That didn’t last long, though, as the team and its fans left the day after their defeat.

Cardinal Gathering Spots

Two other exceptions were the Davenport Hotel, the Cardinal headquarters, and the neighboring Post Street Ale House, which hosted fan get-togethers before the team sendoffs.

The hotel projected a Stanford logo on the wall of the car entryway and a Stanford banner in the ornate central atrium.

Several dozen fans gathered in a back room at the Ale House before the first game. The tables were adorned with small Stanford pennants and strings of shiny red and silver basketball beads for souvenirs. In the meantime, fans watched the men’s game between Arizona State and UConn, groaning when the Pac-10 team lost to the Huskies.

Videographer Bud Anderson captured this gathering as well as events throughout the team’s stay in Spokane. His videos can be seen on the Cardinal YouTube site. He also mentioned that he shot the popular “I Got Bounce” video that featured the team, cheerleaders and other students dancing to the song written by fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy and sung by Mel, junior forward Nneka Ogwumike and Bud.

The sendoff featured the band, cheerleaders, Dollies and Tree performing while the beaming players clapped and took pictures before boarding their waiting bus.

This ritual was repeated prior to the Gonzaga game. The main difference was the players, coaches and staff carried their luggage to the bus first because they were flying back to the San Jose airport after the game so that they could go to class the next day. The spring quarter had begun the day before.

Another Packed House

Even though most of the Louisville and North Carolina contingents had left, the arena was packed for the Stanford-Gonzaga game. The local paper reported that only about 100 tickets were available for sale the night before.

When the arena doors opened 75 minutes before tipoff, most of the Stanford players were gathered near the bench prior to warmups. We could hear them say “Wow!” when it was announced that No. 2 seed Notre Dame was beating No.1 seed Tennessee 29-24.

Fans who had been wedged into a corner for the first game had a better vantage point across from the bench. More fans sat behind the bench. Rosalyn Gold-Onwude,’10, sat at the media table across from the bench as she provided commentary for Stanford’s radio KZSU.

Freshman guard Toni Kokenis, who had an ankle injury but had played against North Carolina, was not on the floor for the initial warmups, but joined the team shortly thereafter. A loud cheer greeted her arrival. In the meantime, athletic director Bob Bowlsby chatted with head coach Tara VanDerveer, and fans kept track of the Tennessee-Notre Dame game, which the Irish won 73-59.

Except for a 1-point lead at less than 1 minute into the game, Gonzaga trailed all the way but kept the margin fairly close during the first half, which ended at 47-38. After that, the Cardinal began pulling ahead. When a timeout was called with 3:54 left, the score was 79-53, and people began heading for the doors.

Cheers for Vandersloot

With 1:14 left and the score at 79-58, Gonzaga’s phenomenal senior point guard Courtney Vandersloot left the game and received a loud, prolonged standing ovation from everyone in the building, including Stanford fans, who had to admire her talent. She was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points.

She also was named to the all-regional team along with North Carolina’s Italee Lucas and Stanford forwards Kayla Pedersen, senior; and Chiney Ogwumike, freshman. Nneka was named the tournament’s most outstanding player with a total of 42 points and 14 rebounds in the two games.

After the team had donned their championship T-shirts and hats and posed for pictures with their new trophy, they began cutting down the net. Tara took the final cut, then tossed the net to senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, who helped her team with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, to go with two rebounds and five assists against Gonzaga.

Ros was on the court celebrating with the team. She played an integral role when the team won the Spokane regional four years ago and went to the team’s first of four consecutive trips to the Final Four.

The next morning, several fans, including the parents of junior guard Lindy La Rocque, boarded the same Southwest flight to Las Vegas. Except for the La Rocques, who live there, the rest awaited other flights to their Bay Area destinations.

There isn’t much time to unpack, do laundry, repack and fly to Indianapolis for the Final Four. In the first game on April 3, Stanford will face No. 2 seed Texas A&M, which defeated No. 1 seed Baylor. That game will be followed by Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Conn, which advanced by defeating No. 2 Duke. The championship game is April 5.

Mission accomplished at Maples

2011-03-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

When the Stanford women’s basketball team faced St. John’s University of New York City in the second round of NCAA competition March 21 at Maples Pavilion, the obvious goal was to win the game and advance to the Spokane regional.

In accomplishing that goal by a score of 75-49, the team’s seniors also did something no other Cardinal class before them had done – they ended their four years with a perfect record of 63-0 at home. They also gave themselves a berth in their fourth consecutive Sweet Sixteen in hopes of heading for their fourth Final Four.

But this game wasn’t just about senior starters, guard Jeanette Pohlen and forward Kayla Pedersen, along with forward Ashley Cimino and injured guard Hannah Donaghe plus fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy.

No, this was a total team effort with scoring led by junior forward Nneka Ogwumike with 22 points and five rebounds and Kayla with 14 points and eight rebounds. Freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike, celebrating her 19th birthday, had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Jeanette had 8 points.

The team’s two sophomores – forwards Mikaela Ruef and Joslyn Tinkle – made significant contributions. Their heads-up plays resulted in seven points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block by Joslyn and five points, four rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal by Mikaela. Their point totals included one 3-pointer each, to go with two each by Jeanette and Kayla.

As a team, the Cardinal had edges of 41-25 in rebounds, 19-11 in assists and 6-1 in blocks. The Red Storm had a 7-3 edge in steals and a 9-13 edge in turnovers.

The first half of the game was nip-and-tuck for a while, with St. John’s holding as much as an 8-point lead, but the Cardinal began closing the gap and pulled ahead to a score of 38-30 at the half.

The first half also was unsettling because freshman guard Toni Kokenis, who has become such a spark off the bench, limped off the court and then into the locker room with what appeared to be an ankle injury. When she returned to her teammates with about 11 minutes to go in the second half, the crowd of just more than 5,900 gave her a prolonged standing ovation.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer said in the post-game press conference that Toni would have a precautionary X-ray, but Tara was hopeful of having her ready for the March 26 game against North Carolina. Chiney was due for a precautionary X-ray on her finger, but she was able to stay in the game.

Halftime was highlighted by the introduction of the Stanford men’s volleyball team, which won the 2010 NCAA national championship.

When first Jeanette and then Kayla left the game near the end, they were loudly and deservedly cheered. With just 8.2 seconds to go, Tara walked along the bench and high-fived each player.

Afterward, many in the crowd waited while Tara, Kayla and Jeanette were interviewed for TV. As they walked toward the locker rooms, there were yet more cheers for the two senior leaders in their final home game and for Tara for guiding them.

Now it’s on to Spokane, where the class of 2011 journeyed to its first Sweet Sixteen in 2008, enjoyed two victories and went on to the Final Four and the championship game in Tampa.

The reign of 3’s

2011-03-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

The weather outside Maples Pavilion was cold and rainy March 19, when the No. 1-seeded Stanford women’s basketball team hosted No.16-seeded UC Davis for the first round of NCAA tournament. Inside, however, it was warmer as the Cardinal reigned with 13 3-pointers. They helped account for an 86-59 victory and advancement to the second round game against St. John’s, which defeated Texas Tech 55-50 in the earlier game.

Those 13 3’s were the most since 14 in the opening exhibition game against Vanguard on Nov. 6. The most in a regular game was 12 at Arizona on Feb. 5.

Junior guard Lindy La Rocque led the way with four 3’s. Senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and freshman guard Toni Kokenis had three each.

Also of note statistically – all five starters were in double figures. Junior forward Nneka Ogwumike had the game high 22 points, followed by Lindy with 14, Jeanette and Kayla with 11 each and freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike with 10. Toni had 11 off the bench.

All 13 uniformed players got into the game, and all of the starters were on the bench for the final minutes. Kayla logged the most time with 35 minutes, followed by Nneka with 33 and Jeanette with 32.

Although Stanford hosts the first two rounds of the Spokane regional, Maples underwent some transformation to reflect its NCAA status. Center court bore the NCAA logo, and the chairs at each team’s bench had NCAA covers over their Stanford stamp.

Stanford still appeared in bold red letters on the floor behind each basket, and the banner listing the team’s championships had already added 2011 to its Pac-10 array.

Another difference was that the players’ families sat behind the bench rather than across from it. To sweeten their experience, Jeanette’s mother, Cindy, was handing out little bags of customized red and white M&M’s imprinted with “Go Stanford” and 2010-11.”

The first game between No. 9 seed St. John’s and No. 8 seed Texas Tech was a rather sloppy affair. Each team had its band, cheerleaders, mascot and some fans in the stands. The Texas Tech crowd was larger because two of its players are from Solano County.

While that game was under way, head coach Tara VanDerveer and assistant coaches Bobbie Kelsey and Kate Paye observed from a courtside table. Associate head coach Amy Tucker was in the stands at the south end in front of the Stanford players. The Davis team sat behind them. The Stanford team left at halftime, but coaches continued to scout.

Another difference from Stanford home games was that the video board streamed NCAA features during timeouts. Near the end of the first game, it showed highlights of the 2008 Final Four championship game, when Candace Parker-led Tennessee defeated Candice Wiggins-led Stanford. Fans booed this clip, but cheered later when the live cameras showed Candice in the stands.

She was among the more than 6,500 people packing Maples as the Stanford-UCD game got under way. At halftime, the score was 42-30 in Stanford’s favor.

More of the Stanford flavor popped up at halftime when the 2010 national champion women’s tennis team was introduced. As of March 7, the team had amassed a 12-year streak of 173 match victories on its home court, the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
The streak extends back to Feb. 27, 1999, when Cal won 5-4, according to the Stanford sports site. This record is “recognized as the longest active home winning streak of any intercollegiate sport in NCAA Division 1 athletics,” the site says. The team is undefeated in Pac-10 play this year and will host the NCAA national championship in May, as will the men’s team.

As the Cardinal continued to pull ahead in the second half, the crowd was entertained by the antics of the Aggies’ mustang mascot, Gunrock, during timeouts. He cavorted about the court, dancing, doing handstands and maneuvering on his stomach. Sorry, Tree, but Gunrock beats you for entertainment value.

During the final minutes, when the game’s outcome was inevitable, Davis fans chanted “Thank you, Sandy” to honor head coach Sandy Simpson, who had announced he would retire from his post after the last game. They also chanted “We’ll be back.”
Not now, though. For now it’s the Cardinal who are looking ahead to another game as well as the opportunity to extend their own home winning streak to 63 games, meaning that the four members of the class of 2011 – Kayla, Jeanette, forward Ashley Cimino and guard Hannah Donaghe – have never lost a game at Maples.

 

The last Pac-10 champions

2011-03-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Stanford women’s basketball team continued its dominance of the Pac-10 by adding the tournament championship to its undefeated conference season. It also was the last Pac-10 WBB crown because next season the conference becomes the Pac-12 with the addition of Utah and Colorado.

The undefeated conference season gave the tournament’s top seed to the Cardinal, allowing it to sit out the first two rounds before a semi-final game March 11. Its opponent was Arizona, which had to win two games in two days to get to that level.

The competition – of sorts – started earlier than expected when the bands and cheerleaders from both schools were on hand at 10 a.m. to give their teams a loud sendoff from their hotel.

The Arizona delegation formed a reception line outside one door toward the waiting buses, while the Cardinal group, which also included the cheerleaders, Dollies and Tree, formed another line at the adjacent door. Joining them were perhaps two dozen fans and family members, who cheered as each player and coach appeared.

Although the two bands played simultaneously a few times, mostly they took turns. When the Arizona band launched into “Born to be Wild,” the Stanford players happily joined in the refrain.

The bands also played in the plaza outside Staples Center before the game. The Arizona band led off, followed by the Stanford band, which made its familiar running entrance as passersby took photos. Just before tipoff in the arena, it was the Stanford band that did the honors for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

After that, the crowd was treated to a lot of Stanford as the Cardinal women dominated the game from beginning to end, amassing a record 100 points against Arizona’s 71.

Although all 13 uniformed Stanford players got into the game, it was the bigs who did the most damage. Junior forward Nneka Ogwumike led the way with 32 points, followed by freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike with 21, senior forward Kayla Pedersen with 16 and red-shirt sophomore forward Sarah Boothe with 12.

All told, Stanford had 64 points in the paint, compared with Arizona’s 18. The Cardinal outrebounded the Wildcats 41-29 and had 30 assists to Arizona’s 10.

After briefly joining their families, the players, along with the coaches, returned to the arena to scout the other semi-final game between Cal and UCLA. Thus they were on hand to cheer when Kayla was honored with the annual Pac-10 Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award. She received a plaque, and Toyo Tires, the award’s sponsor, gave $1,000 to the Stanford athletic scholarship fund. Last year the award went to Stanford’s Jayne Appel, ’10.

The competition and story line were different on March 12, when Stanford faced UCLA for the championship. The 9:30 a.m. sendoff from the hotel involved only the Stanford contingent, but it was far from quiet. With the band playing under the overhang at the entrance, the sound was amplified. With more such sendoffs likely in the NCAA tournament, fans would be well advised to have earplugs handy. They help a lot.

The game against UCLA had a promising start as junior guard Lindy La Rocque opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, but things began going downhill fairly fast. UCLA played tough defense, especially near the basket, bottling up the bigs and forcing Stanford to shoot from the outside.

At the half, the Cardinal women found themselves in an unfamiliar spot, trailing 21-30. UCLA expanded its lead to 11 points early in the second half, but then Stanford began closing the gap.

Coming off the bench, freshman guard Toni Kokenis provided some needed spark as she finished the game with a team-high and career-high 17 points. The speedy guard also contributed two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 23 minutes. Some of her points came from fast breaks as well as two crucial 3-pointers. Senior guard Jeanette Pohlen made two important 3’s in her 40 minutes on the court. Nneka, who had 15 points, and Kayla, who had 12, also played the full 40 minutes.

As the Stanford women rallied, their fans urged them along. Sitting behind me, two men, Stanford grads from Orange County, came up with a terrific variation on the “De-fense” chant. “Tree-fense,” they yelled. Others seated near us picked up on it.

After the game, the victorious players donned the traditional T-shirts and hats before Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott presented the championship trophy to Tara. She subsequently handed it to the team’s tri-captains – Kayla, Jeanette and Nneka.

Then it was time to cut down the nets, with the players going alphabetically, starting with Sarah and ending with sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle. They were followed by the staff and coaches. Tara made the final cut and held up the net before tossing it to Nneka, who put it around her neck. The net-cutting ritual went faster than usual because there were two ladders and two pairs of scissors, eliminating waiting time between players.

After the team, coaches and staff had posed for group photos, Chiney was honored as part of the five-member all-tournament team. Then Nneka was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

There were more festivities for the team and fans in the plaza shortly after the game, but by then I was headed homeward.

Next up – the Big Dance.

Classy salute to seniors

2011-03-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Stanford women’s basketball’s salute to its class of 2011 was classy from start to finish.

The five seniors and their teammates responded in kind with a 75-51 victory over Cal on March 3 at Maples. Thus the team:

Recorded its second-straight undefeated season in the Pac10.
Won its 11th consecutive Pac-10 season crown.
Won its 55th consecutive game against Pac-10 opponents.
Extended its record-setting home game win streak to 61, which means that the class of 2011 has never lost a game at Maples.

As fans began filling Maples before the game, many of them carried signs thanking the seniors and picturing all five of them – forwards Ashley Cimino and Kayla Pedersen, guards Hannah Donaghe and Jeanette Pohlen, and fifth-year guard Melanie Murphy.

Among those sitting in the family section were Jayne Appel, ’10, and her parents, who chatted for a while with head coach Tara VanDerveer. Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, who graduated as a fifth-year senior last year, also was on hand. She was working as a TV commentator for the game.

The National Anthem was well sung by Hookslide, the men’s quartet that includes Bud Anderson, director of videography. They were followed by a video of Tara thanking all the people connected with the games, people who aren’t usually recognized but who are so important to the team’s success and the fans’ experience.

Flowers for Cal’s seniors

Another touch of class – Tara presented flowers to Cal’s two seniors: Rama N’diaye and Rachelle Federico.

Then it was time for the game. Cal played hard and kept the score close during the first half, which ended with Stanford ahead 38-33. Halftime featured a group of Stanford students displaying the Axe, the traveling trophy given to the winner of the Big (football) Game between Cal and Stanford. Among those watching this display were the Cal band, cheerleaders and mascot Oski.

During timeouts, three Trees cavorted in their costumes, joined by a green-hued guy, the Sprout, who will be next year’s Tree. As the second half wore on, this year’s Tree removed his costume and helped his successor put it on.

Special time for Hannah

And then there was Tara’s classiest gesture of all. With 25.8 seconds remaining and Cal with the ball, she put Hannah into the game. Hannah hasn’t played all season because of a knee injury, followed by surgery and ongoing rehab. Therefore, Tara kept Hannah safely in front of the bench, then quickly called a timeout to take her out.

All of Hannah’s classmates got into the game. Kayla and Jeanette both played 37 minutes, as did junior forward Nneka Ogwumike. Jeanette led the scoring with 18 points, while Kayla had 14 and Nneka had 16. Jeanette also had four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kayla had nine rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Nneka pulled down eight rebounds to go with one block and three steals.

Following the traditional tossing of victory balls into the stands, the crowd was treated to a video featuring the evening’s five honorees plus managers Kerry Blake and Dorothy Boakye-Donkor, both seniors. It’s available here.

The first people to be honored in person were the two graduating male practice players, Greg Klausner and Ilan Kolowitz. They were followed by Dorothy and Kerry, each with their families.

Cheers for seniors, families

Then it was time to honor the players, starting with Ashley, joined by her mother, Lisa, and sister, Caitlin. With Hannah were her parents, Dale and Karen, and sister, Haylee.

Mel was escorted by her mother, Rochelle, while Kayla came onto the floor with her parents, Gary and Kelli. Finally, Jeanette was joined by her parents, John and Cindy, and her brothers, John and Tom.

Because the game had started at 8 p.m. on a school night, there was no opportunity to hear directly from the players and their parents. However, four of the seniors, minus Hannah, who was on a class field trip, had spoken to fans after the Oregon game on Feb. 26.

Finally, the seniors, families and everyone else involved in the ceremony, including the rest of the Stanford team, posed for pictures as the band played the alma mater song.

And the best part of it all – it’s not over. There’s the Pac-10 tournament in LA next weekend, followed by the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament at Stanford the following weekend and then …. Spokane? Indianapolis? We’re ready.

Another season, another trophy

2011-02-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

With a 99-60 victory over Oregon in Maples on Feb. 26, the Stanford women’s basketball team won its 11th consecutive Pac-10 season championship and its 20th overall in the league’s 25 seasons of women’s sports.

The win and championship were expected, so Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott was on hand to present the trophy to head coach Tara VanDerveer. (It’s no coincidence that this is Tara’s 25th season at Stanford.)

She in turn gave it to the team’s three captains – senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike – before all the players, coaches and staff lined up for photos.

With only the March 3 game against Cal remaining on the regular schedule, Tara used this game to rest the starters and give more game experience to the bench. Everyone got into the game, and no one played more than 22 minutes. The starters were on the bench for nearly half of the game.

Nneka returns to lineup

Nneka rejoined the starting lineup after missing two games with an ankle injury. She played only 12 minutes and finished with 4 points and four rebounds. Her sister, freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike, led the team in minutes with 22, recording 10 points and eight rebounds.

Jeanette was the high scorer with 20 points in 20 minutes. She added three rebounds, three assists and a steal to the stat sheet. Besides Jeanette and Chiney, those scoring in double figures were Kayla with 13 (plus 10 rebounds for a double-double), red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe with 11, and fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy and freshman guard Toni Kokenis with 10 each.

The game also marked a milestone as the team won its 60th consecutive game at Maples – a team record. The streak started with the first game of the 2007-08 season, meaning that seniors Kayla, Jeanette, forward Ashley Cimino and guard Hannah Donaghe have never lost a home game.

Fans had a chance to hear from Kayla, Jeanette, Ashley and Mel after the game. Hannah, sidelined by an injury all season, was on a class field trip.

As the season nears its end and tournament time looms, “they really show a sense of urgency,” Tara said of the seniors.

Mel gets to be a senior twice

Introducing Mel, Tara noted that she celebrated “senior year twice.” Mel was part of senior night last year because she wanted to join the players with whom she had started her Stanford career. Tara also noted that Mel “went through major surgery (on her knee) to come back” this season. Thus she brings her maturity and sense of the game to the team.

“It’s just coming up so fast,” Mel said of her final year. “I’ve always appreciated all of your support.”

Looking ahead, the communication major said she’s working with Candice Wiggins, ’08. “We’re putting a few things together,” such as the trip to Spain that Candice will lead later this season. “I’m hoping to get into talent management,” she said, but she’s not sure if she’ll be based in California or her hometown of Brooklyn.

Coaches, teammates appreciate Ashley

Ashley was the next to be introduced. “Ashley’s one of the first out for practice,” Tara said, and “a very popular player on our team.”

“I feel a real sense of community here. (It’s) almost family out here,” said Ashley, who’s a long way from her home and family in Maine. “I have coaches who really appreciate what I do in practice” she said.

Her plans are unsettled for right now. The communication major has applied for grad school in Boston and for Teach for America.

According to its website, Teach for America members teach in low-income communities for two years. They receive training along with a salary, health insurance and retirement benefits through their schools.

Maples is magical for Jeanette

Associate head coach Amy Tucker took over the microphone to introduce Jeanette, also a communication major. “I don’t think I’ve seen any player improve as much as she has each year,” Amy said. “We’ll also miss Jeanette’s parents,” who have been to nearly every one of her games," even when the team went to Italy in August 2009.

“Thank you so much for all the support,” Jeanette said. “Every time we play at Maples, it’s just like magic.”

After graduation, “I’d like to keep playing overseas or in the WNBA,” she said. One fan asked what moment in her Stanford career is most special to her – aside from the end-to-end run and basket against Xavier that sent her team to its third consecutive Final Four last season.

“It has been just a great overall experience here,” Jeanette said, adding that the Dec. 30 defeat of UConn at Maples “was just so exciting.”

Jeanette’s father, John, told a story that reflects just how far she has come since she started playing as a young girl. “Jeanette’s first basket was for the wrong team,” he said.

Returning to the microphone, Tara told the fans, “Jeanette has grown so much in front of your eyes.”

Tara cites Kayla’s attributes

Then it was Kayla’s turn. “Kayla from day one has been so steady,” Tara said. She’s a “leader, worker, very talented, a very versatile player.”

Throughout the game, several fans waved signs that had Kayla’s picture on one side and “Thank you Kayla” on the other.

“Thank you for making this so special,” Kayla said to the fans. Two of her best memories came at Maples with the overtime win over Tennessee her freshman year and this year’s defeat of UConn. She also cited the defeat of Maryland in the Spokane regional that led to her first Final Four her freshman year.

Like Jeanette, she hopes to play for the WNBA or overseas. Otherwise, she’ll pursue a master’s degree in psychology. She has a double major in psychology and communication.

Someone asked her to name the toughest player on the team. “All the players on our team,” she responded. Their motto is “tough and together,” she said.

Overall, “players are getting faster and stronger. This year has been very physical,” she said. The best player she ever faced, she said, was Candace Parker, who graduated from Tennessee in 2008 and now plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.

As for any advice she would give to aspiring players, she replied, “Offensive skills, our coaches say.” And practice every day.

“Kayla’s an extremely intelligent player. She would be a good coach,” Tara said, citing her heads-up decision to call a time out when she got the final rebound in the Xavier game, which was tied. Thus the coaches had a chance to call the play that gave Jeanette the ball and Stanford its victory.

For now, though, “We still have a lot left in our season. We want to go undefeated,” Tara said.

Stanford stepping up

2011-02-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

After junior forward Nneka Ogwumike sprained her ankle during the USC game Feb. 18, someone had to step up and account for all the points and rebounds she contributes.

Two freshmen -- Nneka’s sister Chiney, a forward, and guard Toni Kokenis -- helped to fill the void in the victory at UCLA on Feb. 20. Then against Oregon State at home on Feb. 24, red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe helped to fill the bill with a team-high 16 points along with six rebounds in the 73-37 win.

“I was really excited for how well Sarah played,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club after the OSU game. “She did a great job.

Other stalwarts like senior guard Jeanette Pohlen with 10 points and senior forward Kayla Pedersen with 13 continued to do their part, while Toni and Chiney chipped in 10 points each. Sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle started in Nneka’s place and scored five points to go with three rebounds, two assists and a block. Every uniformed player got into the game, thus ending with 32 points off the bench.

Game dynamics change without Nneka, Tara said. However, her absence means that others have to answer the call, thus creating greater team depth.

The evening started well with another excellent rendition of the National Anthem, this one by the Peninsula Women’s Choir, which received prolonged applause. Fans have been treated to some fine singing of late.

Applause for OSU players, coaches

Another noteworthy moment came shortly afterward when fans applauded as the OSU starting lineup and coaches, led by head coach Scott Rueck, were introduced. It was a symbol of fans’ respect for a program that has made remarkable progress in the wake of the disarray caused by the termination of Rueck’s predecessor and decimation of the roster due to transferring or quitting.

“Our fans are first class,” Tara said.

During halftime, some Stanford fans and graduates between the ages of 50 and 80 played “Bloomer Basketball.” Wearing actual bloomers, they followed rules from the 1950s and 1960s, when the women’s game used six players from each team. This half-court game allowed only two dribbles, had no three-second rule and confined players to their half of the court.

Another halftime treat was the introduction of the Stanford softball team.

Fan Appreciation Night

Fans were the focus of the post-game session, dubbed Fan Appreciation Night. Other schools envy the support that the Stanford women’s team gets from its fans, especially through the Fast Break Club and its website, said Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations. She acknowledged webmaster Marian Cortesi, as well as the others who write for the FBC and its website.

Sponsors of the freshmen’s lockers received photos of themselves with their freshmen from associate head coach Amy Tucker. Those sponsors are the Amy Tucker Fan Club for Toni, Su Schaffer and Joan Hinckley for Chiney, and Mary and Bob Dodge for guard Sara James.

Amy also recognized members of the executive board, which meets quarterly, and added that the auction fundraiser will return next year after a break this year.

Harriet Benson, an executive board member who has chronicled the FBC’s early days in her book, “Boosters Always Win,” presented the Fan Spirit Award to Wally Mersereau. Wally not only goes to most of the team’s away games but also reports on them for the FBC website.

“This is an easy thing to win. All you’ve got to do is show up,” Wally said. His name will be added to a silver trophy honoring the late Margie Santillan, an avid fan. “We have a great history of fans,” Tara said.

Post-game questions

Some of the questions from fans focused on officiating and the seeming increase in physical, sometimes rough play seen in some games. Tara expressed concern about this trend.

Women’s “basketball should be a finesse game,” she said, citing the late John Wooden, legendary coach of the UCLA team, who is being honored this year.

In the meantime, “We’re in the home stretch now,” Tara said.

“We’ve been working really hard on getting the ball inside” to the bigs, she said. Still, “we have so many things we want to work on” even 27 games into the season.

She also noted that the team has clinched at least a share of its 11th consecutive Pac-10 season title. One more win will put the Cardinal in sole possession of first place.

It was the team’s record-tying 59th straight victory in Maples, and it gave the team the No. 1 seed in the Pac-10 tournament. And just a bit of frosting on the cake – the AP and ESPN polls both rank Stanford No. 2 in the country behind UConn, which lost to Stanford on Dec. 30.

“I’d love to bottle this team,” Tara said. “It’s a great team to work with.”

It wasn’t pretty, but Stanford wins

2011-02-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Cardinal fans have become accustomed to winning games by comfortable margins of late. However, “we’re not going to beat everybody by 20 or 30 points,” associate head coach Amy Tucker reminded fans following the Stanford women’s basketball team’s 62-52 victory over Washington on Feb. 12 at Maples.

As expected, “it was a very physical game. It was a battle,” she said. “They played Jeanette (Pohlen) very tough,” she said, thereby limiting the standout senior guard to only 3 points.

On the other hand, “we got Nneka (Ogwumike) going in the second half,” so the junior forward finished with a team-leading 22 points plus nine rebounds. Her sister, freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike, contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Add in senior forward Kayla Pedersen’s 13 points (plus five rebounds), and the three bigs accounted for all but 6 of the team’s points. Jeanette, as mentioned, had 3, while freshman guard Toni Kokenis tossed in the other 3 with the team’s only successful 3-pointer out of 21 attempts.

“It’s over. It’s good to get it out of our system,” Amy said. “I was happy to see that we stayed together.”

The Cardinal players also kept their composure in a game in which Washington was whistled for 27 fouls that resulted in four players fouling out. Stanford had 16 fouls. Washington also had 21 turnovers compared with Stanford’s 12. “We have a very good defensive team, one of the best,” Amy said.

Prior to hearing from Amy, fans had a chance to catch up with Sarah Dimson, ’01. She said she works for a social entrepreneurship organization based in Washington, D.C., but she travels a lot. She recently spent a year and a half in India and Pakistan.

Another traveler heard from was senior guard Hannah Donaghe. She expanded briefly on the recent Fast Break Club blog in which she talked about her summer in Mexico. She was there on an internship through the Stanford biology department and spent most of her time in a dry tropical forest near Oaxaca.

Prior to the game, fans had another chance to see the KerryCam video created by team manager Kerry Blake during the team’s trip to Arizona the previous week. The video caught the attention of the smiling and laughing Cardinal players, who were preparing to make their entrance onto the court.

Another treat was the singing of the National Anthem by the Peninsula Girls Chorus. It’s always gratifying to hear “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung properly.

The first half started out slowly for both teams. The score was tied 8-8 at 10:07 and had inched up to only 11-10 with 7:48 to go. It was 24-18 at the half.

During halftime, fans were treated to precision dancing by the girls of the McGrath Irish Dancers from Dublin in the East Bay.

They were followed by a brief video, “Lacrosse-quet Ball” featuring some women’s lacrosse and basketball players. Then the entire women’s lacrosse team came onto the court and used their sticks to lob T-shirts to the crowd.

Up next – the L.A. schools.

Cardinal in the pink

2011-02-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

It was Cardinal and pink all over as the Stanford women’s basketball team handed Washington a 100-59 loss Feb. 10 at Maples Pavilion.

Because it was a night for breast cancer awareness, everyone was asked to wear pink. Continuing a practice started by Joe Appel, father of Jayne Appel, ’10, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen’s dad, John, wore a pink tutu over his pants. In fact, it was handed down to him by Jayne’s dad. The pink shower cap wasn’t included. Instead, John wore a pink scarf. In the meantime, junior guard Lindy La Rocque’s father, Alan, wore pink pants. Several other fans wore tutus, too.

The Washington team donned pink shoes and socks to go with pink T-shirts for their warmups. The Stanford women likewise wore the pink T-shirts and pink shoelaces, and some sported pink ribbons or pink headbands. Senior forward Kayla Pedersen and freshman guard Toni Kokenis went a bit further by adding pink streaks to their hair.

The streaks were perhaps symbolic of the streaks occurring that night. Stanford won its 49th consecutive Pac-10 game, breaking its own record. It defeated WSU for the 52nd time (against no losses). It notched its 57th home victory, closing in on its record of 59. The team moved up to 21-2 for the season and 12-0 in the conference. And, by the way, it was head coach Tara VanDerveer’s 814th career victory.

Seeing other sides of Tara

The game also gave fans a chance to see Tara in a way that’s different from her game-day persona. In a video promoting the wrestling team during halftime, she wore a Stanford wrestler’s uniform and took on wrestling coach Jason Borrelli, who dubbed her “Tara the Terror.” The wrestling team then came onto the court and was met with cheers and applause.

In a KerryCam video created by manager Kerry Blake during last week’s trip to the Arizona schools, Tara teamed with red-shirt sophomore forward Sarah Boothe to challenge assistant coach Kate Paye and senior forward Ashley Cimino in a two-on-two basketball matchup. Kate and Ashley prevailed.

This same video showed Tara stopping the team bus after dinner and treating everyone to ice cream at a Baskin-Robbins – something the players thoroughly enjoyed.

Meet the managers

The videos were shown again to the Fast Break Club after the game, when fans got to meet Kerry and her fellow manager, Dorothy Boakye-Donkor, who are both seniors. Kerry has been with the team for four years, while Dorothy has logged three years. “These two are the finest (managers) we’ve ever had,” associate head coach Amy Tucker said.

“It’s a really great job,” Dorothy said, adding that they both love basketball. Their duties include doing the laundry every day, setting things up for practices and video sessions, running the clock and rebounding for players during practice, and keeping statistics.

Kerry, a sociology major, hopes to work for Nike after graduation. Dorothy, a political science major, has set her sights on law school.

Another FBC guest was Jenny Claypool, director of championships. She reported that fewer than half of WBB season ticket holders have bought tickets for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament at 1 and 3:30 p.m. March 19 and 6:30 p.m. March 21 at Stanford. Sales to all fans totaled 1,870 as of Feb. 10. Citing how well the team is doing this season, she urged fans to get their tickets. “They need our support,” said Jenny, who has been in her post for 11 years.

The time for Stanford’s first game won’t be announced until 4 p.m. March 16, when the NCAA reveals the tournament brackets. All-session tickets are on sale now. Individual game tickets go on sale March 16. To buy tickets online, click here.

Tara’s views on the game and team

Finally Tara had some comments and answered questions. Recalling the Washington road game earlier this season and looking to the rematch in Maples on Feb. 12, she said, “Washington was one of our more physical games, and our team hasn’t forgotten.”

As for the just-completed Washington State game, “We started out just a little casual,” she said – so casual that Stanford found itself in the unaccustomed spot of lagging 28-26 with 6:51 to go in the first half.

After that, the Cardinal began to pull ahead, leading 46-32 at the half. One noteworthy stat from the first half is that the Cardinal had only two fouls, the first at 9:49 to go.

The score continued to widen during the second half even after all the starters were resting on the bench with 9:51 to go and the score at 76-43. Everyone had seen action by the end of the game, when Sarah made the layup that pushed the Cardinal total to 100.

“We had to make some adjustments” after the first half, Tara said. Then “our depth and our confidence took over” in the second half. Ten of the 13 players recorded 10 minutes or more on the court.

Pleased that “everyone played, and nobody got hurt,” Tara dished out praise to each player. “It’s a wonderful group to work with. They’re very coachable. The leadership is outstanding,” she said.

Trojans trip up at Maples

2011-01-23T14:25:00.001-08:00

While many Stanford students were outside basking in the unusually warm winter sunshine, the USC Trojans were the latest women’s basketball team to feel the heat inside Maples Pavilion, falling 95-51 to the Cardinal on Jan. 22.

There was lots of praise to spread around, what with senior guard Jeanette Pohlen recording a career-high 12 assists to go with 21 points, five rebounds, one steal and zero turnovers. She notched 12 of her points via four 3-pointers.

And how about fellow senior, forward Kayla Pedersen, who pitched in with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. She accounted for three more of the team’s 10 3-pointers. Joining her and Jeanette in the 3-point parade were junior guard Lindy La Rocque with two and senior forward Ashley Cimino with one.

Also scoring in double figures were freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike with 14 (plus 11 rebounds), junior forward Nneka Ogwumike with 14 and red-shirt sophomore forward Sarah Boothe with 11 (plus nine rebounds).

What may be even scarier to upcoming opponents is that even though Stanford shot 52.1 percent for the game, more than a few missed shots, especially some layups, could easily have gone in.

Repeating the stats of her season debut against UCLA on Jan. 20, fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy played seven minutes and scored two points. She also snared one rebound. “It’s really great having Mel healthy,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the crowd in Maples after the game. Mel had knee surgery after last season and was cleared to play shortly before the UCLA game.

Freshman guard Toni Kokenis was held out of the game as a precaution after falling in the UCLA game. She reportedly is expected to play next week.

Tara complimented USC, saying, “They are a really skilled offensive team.” On the other hand, “The thing that’s been consistent (for Stanford) is our defense.”

Kayla comes in for praise

The coach lauded Kayla, who “had a great game. (She’s) just a rock.” She also noted that Ann Roubique, the Ogwumike sisters’ high school coach from Cypress, Texas, was at the game.

Associate head coach Amy Tucker joined in the praise for Kayla. “I thought she put together two great games” this week. Kayla said of her recent shooting prowess, “It’s all mentality.” The coaches tell her to keep shooting and eventually the shots will fall.

Responding to a question, Kayla said that the rest of the team has benefitted from Jeanette’s 31-point performance in the win over UConn because opponents have to pay so much attention to her, leaving openings for her teammates.

Kayla will graduate after this term and plans to enter the WNBA draft as well as play overseas, she said.

Uniform has a new look

Kayla then became the model for the new home white uniform as Amy pointed out its subtle features. Amy also cleared up a mistaken report that she had designed it. Made of a “hyper-elite, aerodynamic,” lightweight material, it was designed by Nike with some slight input from Amy.

Behind the number, the back has faint pictures of campus landmarks like Memorial Church and the quad along with a block S. The team’s red road uniform also features the new material and design. Next year the black road uniform will incorporate them.

As Kayla headed back to the locker room, she hugged her grandparents, whom Amy acknowledged. As a final compliment, “We started recruiting Kayla when she was an eighth grader,” Amy said.

Amy then fielded more questions. One concerned whether the coaches look at a recruit’s potential compatibility with the team. First, “they’ve got to get in” to Stanford, meaning they have to have the grades, she said. Second is skill level. “There are no superstars (on this team). It’s all about winning and playing together.” Smart kids figure that out, Amy said.

Once these smart kids get into Stanford, they get a lot of academic support, Amy said, noting that freshmen each have three advisers.

Regarding offensive plays, she said the team has been using only about five or six rather than 60 offensive sets in recent years. These are in addition to some plays for specific situations.

“We have settled on a starting lineup,” she said. Lindy has become a part of it – joining Nneka, Kayla, Jeanette and Chiney – because of her “high basketball IQ. She knows exactly what everyone else should be doing, and she has that 3-point shot going.”

During this question-answer session, a long line of people across the court waited for autographs from Nneka, Sarah, sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle, junior guard Grace Mashore and senior guard Hannah Donaghe. The five also were featured on trading cards handed out at the Fast Break Club table before the game.

The team is on the road to Oregon next week and Arizona the week after. Fans won’t see the team at home again until Feb. 10, when Washington State comes to call.

Cardinal breeze by the Bruins

2011-01-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

On paper, the Stanford vs. UCLA game at Maples Pavilion on Jan. 20 was supposed to be competitive, what with the Cardinal ranked fourth and the Bruins eighth in the AP national poll.

Tear up that paper. Stanford won 64-38 and placed itself squarely atop the Pac-10 conference.

“It was a great game for our team,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club afterward. UCLA was “very disruptive” in this “very physical game.” Therefore, Stanford tried “to take away their strengths.”

She credited assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey for “a great job of scouting” and the team for paying attention to the scouting report. “Our team focuses really well,” Tara said, adding, “Kudos to our defense.”

Mel makes welcome return

One of the highlights for Stanford fans was the return of fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy. She had been cleared to play only two days earlier after rehabbing from microfracture knee surgery at the end of last season. Many fans thought that if she got into the game at all, it would be toward the end with Stanford enjoying a big lead.

Instead, Tara sent her in with 6:03 left in the first half. Five minutes later, Mel stole the ball, ran down court and made a tough basket, bringing the crowd of nearly 4,300 to its feet. The crowd roared again in the second half when Mel’s basket was shown on the video board as the Impossible Play of the Game. She played a total of 7 minutes and contributed those two points and the steal. “I thought she did very well,” Tara told the FBC.

Mel’s return bodes well for greater depth and experience in the guard contingent.

The video board caught the players’ attention even before their official entrance. It featured the KerryCam video shot by team manager Kerry Blake during the team’s trip to the two Washington schools the previous week. The players stood laughing and smiling near their door.

The video showed such sequences as senior guard Jeanette Pohlen simulating a media interview with senior forward Kayla Pedersen and sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef after they had defeated Tara and red-shirt sophomore forward Sarah Boothe in a euchre game while awaiting a delayed flight. The link to the SWBB YouTube channel is available on the left side of the FBC website.

The team’s entrance, pre-game warmups, the National Anthem (sung by Stanford’s Everyday People) and player introductions proceeded as usual. Then the game was delayed for several minutes because the clock was malfunctioning. Between that delay and other stoppages for fouls and timeouts, the game seemed to run longer than usual.

Besides Tara’s comments, the FBC gathering featured a silent auction for a No. 14 jersey autographed by Kayla. Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, said that even though the FBC auction is on hiatus this year, player jerseys are so popular that a silent auction seemed in order. The minimum bid was $150 with the winner to be chosen the next day. In case of a tie, Tara would draw the winning bid from the basket.

New staff member aims to boost attendance

Eileen then introduced Kevin Aha, the new marketing associate for women’s basketball, who has been on the job since early November, shortly before the first exhibition game. The 2008 graduate of the University of Virginia worked at Auburn and the University of Akron before arriving on The Farm.

He said his job entails two primary goals. The first is to “build awareness and get people to come to these amazing games,” he said. The second is to go beyond the game itself and to make all aspects of it fun. That goal covers such areas as the halftime entertainment, music and the videos.

He’s enlisting the FBC to help increase attendance by staging the Fast Break Club Sales Showdown. It asks FBC members to tell groups they’re involved in that they can form groups of 10 or more to buy tickets at the discounted prices of $4 for general admission or $14 for upper reserved. Those groups could include churches, clubs, social or fraternal organizations and family groups.

When they buy their tickets, they list the FBC member as their reference. The FBC member who accounts for the most tickets sold by Feb. 21 will win a seat on the bench at the Feb. 26 game against Oregon.

The phone number for the ticket office is (650) 726-8181. Kevin can be reached for questions and suggestions at (650) 725-0779 or kaha@stanford.edu.

Interns learning the ropes

Kevin was followed by two more additions to the WBB staff – interns Lauren Greif and Sha’Rae Gibbons Mitchell. Lauren is well known to Stanford fans after playing guard at Cal for the past four years. Sha’Rae was a guard at UC Santa Barbara.

Even though they don’t get paid, “They do a tremendous amount of work,” associate head coach Amy Tucker said. “They are both going to be great young coaches,” she said, adding that, among other things, they have been learning about recruiting and breaking down scouting tapes.

Sha’Rae explained that a computer program allows them to view a game video and label almost any aspect of the team’s, opponent’s or individual player’s game such as missed shots, 3-pointers, assists and others. The results are viewed by staff, team and individual players.

During the game, Lauren said, the interns work on statistics, chart plays and make note of who’s doing what, such as setting screens.

“This (Stanford basketball) program is different for a reason,” Sha’Rae said, citing the caliber of players and coaches. “Tara watches a ton of film,” she said.

Lauren said she’s impressed by “the staff and players’ ability to stay on an even keel” even after the historic win against UConn.

One fan asked what the interns are learning at Stanford that they hope to incorporate into their own coaching careers. “I’m going to go with Tara’s humor,” Lauren said, adding that the head coach is honest but funny.

“I’ve always wanted to be in coaching,” she said. That, along with her experience of playing against Stanford for four years, led her to apply for the internship.

Sha’Rae said she hopes to have the coaching staff’s “ability to enjoy what (they’re) doing” after so many years in the profession.

Tara cited one reason why she enjoys the job. Referring to the team, she said, “These are the nicest kids you can ever imagine.”

Tributes to Tara

2011-01-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

On the afternoon of her 805th career victory, Stanford officials and women’s basketball fans honored head coach Tara VanDerveer for her 800th. The tribute was somewhat delayed because the 800th win came at an away game (USF, Dec. 22), and many from the Stanford community were in Miami for the football team’s Orange Bowl game after that.

Hence, the accolades from Stanford president John Hennessy and athletic director Bob Bowlsby came just after Tara’s team had defeated Arizona State 82-35 on Jan. 8. They gave her flowers, a game ball and a framed poster picturing her holding a net aloft following a tournament victory. A video (which you can view here) also paid tribute to her.

“Well, 800 was a lot of fun, but how about 802?” Bowlsby said, referring to the 71-59 home victory over UConn on Dec. 30 that ended the Huskies’ 90-game winning streak.

Surrounded by her players, Tara thanked everyone, then added, “800 wins is because I work for a great university” with a great administration and coaching staff as well as “fabulous players” in front of “the loudest fans in the land.”

“At Stanford you work with smart players,” Tara told the Fast Break Club a short time later in Maples. The goal of Tara and her staff is “to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses … This group gets it,” she said.

In games 800 through 805, the team’s average margin of victory has been 36.1 points. The team also has dominated in most other statistical categories. Against ASU, for example, the team had edges of 40-28 in rebounding, 17-4 in assists and 10-6 in steals.

Another telling statistic is that Stanford had 25 bench points to ASU’s 16. “We’re talking about terrific players coming off the bench for us,” Tara said. “We substitute early and liberally,” and need “all players to be as invested as our starters.”

At the same time, she and her staff “want to outwork other coaches.” “We have the potential to be a very special team,” she said, adding that “we took them (ASU) out of what they like to do.”

“I thought our team played very well today,” she said. She had reminded the players that ASU beat DePaul, which handed Stanford a 91-71 loss in Chicago on Dec. 16.

When a fan commented on the Cardinal’s crisp passing against ASU, Tara said, “For our team, ‘pass’ is not a four-letter word.”

As for the victory over UConn, “That was a statement game” after “the Xavier game (an 89-52 victory) gave our team confidence and motivation.” Looking ahead, she said that “the maturity that we have going on the road will be key.”

Kayla talks about being a senior

Preceding Tara at the microphone was senior forward Kayla Pedersen, introduced by associate head coach Amy Tucker. Being a senior “is extremely different,” Kayla said, because of the realization that she and her classmates have their last chance for everything. “You take in all the little things that you take for granted,” she said.

Kayla has already completed the coursework for her major in psychology. This term she is taking only one class, the one that’s needed to complete her other major in communication. She’s finishing one quarter early with hopes of going into the WNBA and playing overseas. She doesn’t have a preferred country. “I’ll just jump at any opportunity to play overseas,” she said.

In her free time she likes to go to movies with her teammates. “Our whole team hangs out together,” she said.

Noting that Kayla has played many positions, one fan asked which is her favorite. “Anything that keeps me on the floor,” she said.

Asked about the UConn game, she said, “It was absolutely amazing. All the fans were just incredibly loud and rowdy.” Afterward, the team went out to eat, then hung out together at the hotel where they were staying during the break between quarters.

Reminders of the UConn game are likely to be seen often because red T-shirts emblazoned with “Stanford 71, UConn 59” were on sale in the concourse. Running down the right side of the shirts are these words: “All good things must come to an end.”

What Ros has been doing

Also speaking to the FBC was Rosalyn Gold-Onwude,’10, who talked about her post-Stanford activities. Her day job is with Tesla, the electric carmaker headquartered in Palo Alto. “I’ve enjoyed staying close,” she said. “California has really grown on me.”

The communication major also has auditioned for ESPN after meeting some of its staff at the Final Four and giving them her resume. As a result, she will provide color commentary for some of its women’s basketball broadcasts, starting with Oklahoma at Texas on Jan. 16. She also has done All Access webcasts of Stanford home games.

Sidelights from the ASU game

The national anthem was sung by the Fisher Middle School Choir from Los Gatos and was followed by prolonged applause. It was one of the best renditions I’ve heard at Maples.

With 14 minutes to go in the second half, freshman point guard Toni Kokenis made a basket, then lost her shoe as she was racing back on defense. She continued running, but luckily for her, a whistle stopped the action and gave her a chance to put her shoe on. In the meantime, Kayla, who was on the bench by then, had retrieved it.

All 12 healthy players logged at least five minutes of playing time. The most anyone played was 26 minutes – junior forward Nneka Ogwumike. Her 16 points were second only to senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, who had 18. Also in double figures was Kayla with 10 points.

Talking with Toni

2011-01-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Toni Kokenis gave up soccer to focus on basketball during her senior year in high school. Now fans of the Stanford women’s basketball team are delighted with that decision.

The freshman point guard told the Fast Break Club about that decision after she and her teammates defeated Arizona 87-54 on Jan. 6 in Maples Pavilion. Toni played 19 minutes and contributed 4 points, one rebound, three assists and two steals. The stat sheet doesn’t show her other contributions such as her ability to get the ball up the court in a hurry and to elude opponents – skills that she may have honed while playing soccer.

People in her hometown of Oak Brook, Ill., might not have liked her decision to forgo soccer, especially after she scored the goal that won the state championship for her team in her junior year. Instead, she concentrated on basketball, a sport that she began playing when she was in first grade.

The Stanford coaches had asked her not to play another year of soccer to avoid injuries, said associate head coach Amy Tucker. Soccer is harder on the knees than basketball, she said.

Now that Toni is in college, she has found the speed and the need to learn everyone’s game are the biggest adjustments from high school. However, she and the other two freshmen, forward Chiney Ogwumike and guard Sara James, got a head start in summer school, giving them a chance to play pick-up games with several returning players. They also were joined by sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef and red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe on a team in the recreational league at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco.

On a personal level, Toni said she likes to tie-dye and draw and taught herself how to air brush during the summer. For her first day in the weight room, she wore a tie-dye shirt instead of Stanford gear, Amy said, but she was quickly advised of proper attire.

She’s the oldest of four, with two sisters and a brother. She once had a pet lizard, but other pets, even a turtle that belonged to her brother, are out of the question because she’s allergic to them.

“Her mom can cook,” Amy said, noting that Toni’s mother cooked dinner for the team during its visit to Chicago for the DePaul game in December. DePaul was Toni’s second choice for college because it’s close to home, but Stanford was her first choice.

Razing Arizona

After Toni left, head coach Tara VanDerveer spoke. “We didn’t start out that well,” she said of that night’s game, “but I was excited about how we played in the second half.” The Cardinal led all the way but let Arizona creep to within 2 points during the first half before closing it out at 40-33.

The team turned on the jets during the second half, shooting a torrid 70.4 percent and outscoring the Wildcats 47-21. All 12 healthy players saw action, and 11 of them scored.

Junior forward Nneka Ogwumike, whose status was doubtful after she landed on her shoulder during the Cal game, led with way with 24 points and eight rebounds. Chiney and senior forward Kayla Pedersen had identical double-doubles of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Jeanette Pohlen also was in double figures with 13 points and five rebounds.

Tara singled out several players for praise. Among them were Chiney, who “gets to guard the best players” on the other teams. “Chiney is fearless,” Tara said.

Still buzzing about UConn

Although the evening’s opponent was Arizona, many fans were still buzzing about Stanford’s 71-59 defeat of UConn on Dec. 30, a Cardinal victory that snapped UConn’s unprecedented 90-game win streak in the NCAA. One could see “the focus in their faces, the confidence” with which her team played, Tara said. “Jeanette had a great game” with a career-high 31 points. “Kayla made hustle plays,” she said.

“You’re a special team when you win special games,” she said. “It was a phenomenally electric atmosphere” at the UConn game. “We felt confident.”

Besides the UConn game, fans were buzzing about Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck’s announcement earlier in the day that he would return to The Farm next year to earn his degree in architectural drawing. Thus he chose his education over a chance to leave early and probably go No. 1 in the NFL draft.

His decision probably had a lot to do with the cheers that followed the showing of a short video with several football players, including Luck, congratulating the women for their UConn game. The football team missed attending that game but watched it while in Miami preparing for their Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech, 40-12, on Jan. 3.

“It has been an exciting past two to three weeks,” Tara told the FBC. Since returning from the December road trip when the Cardinal lost to DePaul and Tennessee, the team has gone on a tear, defeating USF 100-45, Xavier 89-52, UConn 71-59, Cal 78-45 and now Arizona 87-54.

“We’re just going to get better,” she said.

Stanford starts the year off right

2011-01-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

The Stanford women’s basketball team wished their fans a happy new year in a terrific way by defeating Cal 78-45 in the Bears’ den on Jan. 2. There was no sign of a let-up after the decisive wins over Xavier and UConn that ended 2010 so well.

Of the nearly 5,200 spectators watching this Pac-10 opener in Haas Pavilion, a great many wore the Cardinal red. They included 45 who rode the booster bus driven by the genial man who called himself Dave, the friendly bus driver. Dave also made a most cogent observation as the trip began: “We’ve got a longer win streak than UConn.”

Once again the Cardinal dominated nearly every statistical category such as rebounds, 49-26; assists, 21-9; and 3-point baskets, 7-3. The Cardinal also presented a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures: senior guard Jeanette Pohlen with 15, junior forward Nneka Ogwumike with 14, freshman guard Toni Kokenis with 12 and senior forward Kayla Pedersen along with freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike with 11 each.

Leading the way in 3-point shooting was Toni with three. Kayla, Jeanette, freshman guard Sara James and sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle had one each.

The only worrisome part of the game for Stanford was that Nneka left the game with what was reported as a shoulder injury in the second half.

On the other hand, fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy was in uniform for the first time this season. She had been sidelined while rehabbing from knee surgery after last season. Even though she was the only player in uniform who didn’t get into the game, Stanford fans have to be pleased that she’s made so much progress.

Next up, the Arizona teams come calling.

Stanford stops the streak

2011-01-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

Is the roof still on Maples Pavilion? I would have sworn that the sold-out crowd of more than 7,300 blew it off as the Stanford women’s basketball team blew out the vaunted UConn Huskies 71-59 on Dec. 30.

It truly was a storybook ending with the Cardinal book-ending UConn’s unprecedented 90-game win streak. The last time UConn lost was to Stanford 998 days earlier in the semi-finals of the 2008 Final Four in Tampa. Not to be overlooked is that while the Stanford women ended the UConn streak, they extended their home-game winning streak to 52 games.

The final score was indicative of the whole game. Except for 0-0 at the tipoff, the score was never tied, nor did UConn ever take the lead. And with its victory, the Cardinal gave head coach Tara VanDerveer her 802nd career win.

Tara used the same starting lineup that was so successful in the preceding win against Xavier. The forwards were senior Kayla Pedersen, junior Nneka Ogwumike and freshman Chiney Ogwumike, while senior Jeanette Pohlen and junior Lindy La Rocque handled the guard duties. Coming off the bench at various points were three forwards – red-shirt sophomore Sarah Boothe and sophomores Joslyn Tinkle and Mikaela Ruef – plus freshman guard Toni Kokenis.

Jeanette was the game’s undisputed MVP, scoring 31 points, including five 3-pointers, and snatching nine rebounds while dishing out six assists and making one steal. Also in double figures was Nneka with 12. Kayla snared 11 rebounds.

When Chiney fouled out in the final minutes after helping to control UConn great Maya Moore, she went to the visitors’ bench and hugged head coach Geno Auriemma. It was a classy gesture that exemplifies the way that Stanford players and coaches conduct themselves.

In her post-game remarks at center court, Tara praised the UConn team and coaches. After all, their 90-game win streak is the longest of any NCAA team, men’s or women’s. Tara also lavished praise on her own team. “Our team believed in each other,” she said, adding more praise to her coaching staff for their scouting on the Huskies.

Both Tara and Jeanette thanked the crowd. “It was a tremendous atmosphere,” the coach said. “This place was rocking, and all of us really appreciate it,” Jeanette said.

After tossing victory balls to the fans, the players went to the locker room, but Tara called them back to relish the crowd’s cheers. When they returned to the locker room again, they were joined by last year’s graduates Jayne Appel, JJ Hones and Rosalyn Gold-Onwude along with Candice Wiggins, ’08, who wore a shirt reading, “No. 1.” All of them were on the Stanford team that had previously defeated UConn. This year’s seniors – Kayla, Jeanette, forward Ashley Cimino and guard Hannah Donaghe – also were on that team, as was fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy.

Prior to the game, Angela Taylor, ’93, hosted a gathering in Dallmar Court to announce the launch of her new venture, Networks Sports Consulting. She plans to use her experience as a WNBA player and administrator to implement “a huge dream of mine.”

"Our mission is to assist potential employees & employers at collegiate institutions within women’s sports & Olympic sports by broadening the coaching/employment opportunities within the industry for a diverse group of rising stars,” says its website, www.networkssports.com.

Among others, she credited her older brother, Gary, who played football at Stanford; Alana Beard, a Duke graduate who plays with the Washington Mystics and who is doing an internship with Jamba Juice during the off-season; and Candice for helping her. She said Alana and Candice “are what women’s basketball is like.”

One of her first projects is to help Candice organize a tour of Spain, where she played two years ago. Candice said that experience made her realize how valuable it was to go overseas, but American fans don’t hear much about teams in other countries. She wants to “bring the fans overseas” and “show the world what we go through when we finish playing in college,” she said.

Candice plays for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and spent her first off-season in Spain and her second in Greece. After tearing her Achilles tendon, she returned to Stanford last quarter to complete her undergraduate degree. The link for the trip to Spain is www.travelwithcandice.wordpress.com.

While the group enjoyed Angela’s hospitality, which included refreshments, other fans were lining up to get into Maples, which opened 90 minutes before the game, rather than the usual hour. Five TV trucks were parked outside the southwest entrance, and Chron Live was broadcasting in the concourse.

It was all a prelude to a game that will long be remembered – even though it was only in December, as Tara noted. Next up – the Pac 10.

Surpassing expectations against Xavier

2010-12-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

It’s safe to say that most people were expecting a close game when the Stanford women’s basketball team hosted Xavier on Dec. 28. After all, Stanford had beaten Xavier by only 2 points in March, thus keeping the Musketeers out of the Final Four in March. So surely Xavier would want revenge and would figure to be tough with the loss of only one starter from last season.

So much for expectations. Stanford routed Xavier 89-52 and outplayed the visitors in every aspect of the game. “This was a statement game for our team,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club after the game.

Maybe the short holiday break was good for the Cardinal. More likely, the team learned a lot from its two road losses against DePaul and Tennessee before Christmas. And surely the coaches had prepared the team well and had a good game plan. The Cardinal knew all of Xavier’s plays and followed the game plan, Tara said. “I liked how our team came out and was the aggressor,” she said.

“That game plan was on the money,” said Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, as she awaited the coaches’ post-game arrival.

Not to be overlooked in all the statistics is that this was Tara’s 801st career win. She reached the 800 mark at the University of San Francisco on Dec. 22. Winning 800 games “is an amazing accomplishment,” Eileen said.

Stanford fans will have a chance to celebrate that milestone in a big way during the Arizona State game on Jan. 8 when more of Tara’s colleagues and others are on campus. Many of them are already in or on their way to Miami for the football team’s Orange Bowl game on Jan. 3.

Besides the victory over Xavier, it was gratifying to see the entire team at Maples. Many fans had wondered if everyone would be able to get back because of the blizzard that struck the East Coast. Associate head coach Amy Tucker said after the post-game gathering that everyone had left early enough to miss the worst of the weather.

The starting lineup featured senior Kayla Pedersen, junior Nneka Ogwumike and freshman Chiney Ogwumike in the forward spots along with senior Jeanette Pohlen and junior Lindy La Rocque in the guard positions. By the end of the game, all 12 healthy players saw action, and nearly everyone scored. Even with most or all of the starters on the bench as time dwindled, the scoring margin grew. It went from +18 (46-28) at the 17:10 mark, to +21, +26, +30, +31 and finally +37 at the buzzer.

Some other telling stats: The Cardinal shot 49.3 percent for the game while holding Xavier to 30 percent. Stanford’s 3-point advantage was 38.1 percent (eight of 21) vs. 11.1 percent (two of 18). Contributing to the 3-point advantage were Jeanette and Lindy with two each, plus Kayla, junior guard Grace Mashore, senior forward Ashley Cimino and sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle with one each.

The Cardinal had 19 assists to Xavier’s four, 44 rebounds vs. 41, 13 steals vs. four, five blocks vs. two, and only eight turnovers vs. 17. Xavier had the advantage in fouls, 11 to Stanford’s 16, but Stanford made 13 of its 16 free-throw attempts for 81.3 percent, while Xavier made 14 of 23 for 60.9 percent.

Amy’s guests at the post-game gathering were Vanessa Nygaard, ’98, and her 6-month-old daughter, Emerson. Vanessa, who is coaching the girls basketball team at the private Windward School in Los Angeles, said the Cardinal “looked great today.”

“We’re nothing but pleased with this game,” Amy said. “This is a nice little tune-up” for the UConn game on Dec. 30. To continue its tune-up, the team was scheduled to watch video at 6:15 p.m. after the Xavier game.

Love fest at USF

2010-12-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

With the crowd of 3,441 watching as the seconds ticked off the clock, red signs began popping up everywhere. “800” they said on one side. “Congratulations Tara – S” they said on the other. Thus with the Stanford women’s basketball team’s 100-45 victory over the University of San Francisco on Dec. 22, head coach Tara VanDerveer recorded the 800th win of her storied career.

The signs were a grace note on the accolades that USF gave the Cardinal coach. She also received the game ball and flowers from head coach Jennifer Azzi and associate head coach Katy Steding, both in their first year at USF. More significantly, they were in the first class that Tara recruited to Stanford after she arrived on the Farm in 1985. They went on to help Stanford win its first national championship in 1990. They also played for Tara on the undefeated U.S. Olympics team that won the gold in 1996.

Thus the gathering in the USF gym included a number of women who helped Tara rack up her 800 wins. Besides Jennifer, Katy and the present Cardinal team, they included her two assistant coaches, Stanford graduates Bobbie Kelsey and Kate Paye.

Then there was the woman who was associated with Tara the longest time on the road to 800 – associate head coach Amy Tucker. She played for Ohio State for two of Tara’s five years as head coach there, was a graduate assistant coach for her for a year and an assistant coach there for another year. When Tara left Ohio State for Stanford in 1985, Amy was hired as an assistant coach.

That tie-in was indirectly symbolized in the bottled water given to the three dozen Stanford fans who rode the booster bus to San Francisco. Pasted on each one was a label saying, “800 … 800 … 800 -- A toast to Tara’s 800th win!! – Cheers – Amy Tucker Fan Club.” Bus riders also were treated to brownies made by Marian Cortesi.

The cheers for Tara started as soon as she walked into the gym prior to the players’ coming in. She and Jennifer spent a long time talking on the sidelines as photographers gathered around them taking pictures.

Fans were briefly concerned upon realizing that freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike wasn’t in uniform. It was later learned that she had tweaked her ankle in practice that morning, so she was being held out as a precaution. She seemed to have no trouble high-fiving everyone on the bench every time one of her teammates made a 3-pointer.

She made that high-five trip along the bench 11 times, thanks to four 3’s by freshman guard Sara James, two by senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and one each by junior guards Lindy La Rocque and Grace Mashore, freshman guard Toni Kokenis, and sophomore forwards Joslyn Tinkle and Mikaela Ruef.

Jeanette, Lindy, Joslyn, senior forward Kayla Pedersen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike started the game, but Tara substituted fairly often. By the end of the game, all 11 available players had seen at least seven minutes of action and all 11 scored. Conversely, no one played more than 24 minutes (Kayla, Sara).

Kayla led all scorers with 16 points plus a career-high 20 rebounds. It seemed as if every time the ball missed the basket, she was there to rebound it or, better yet, to score if it was an offensive rebound. Nneka, Joslyn and Sara scored 14 points each. Lindy led the team in assists with eight. She also nailed the 3 that pushed the score to 100.

After receiving the game ball and flowers, Tara had some brief remarks. “800 is a lot of games,” she said, adding, “USF, you have a great coach. Jennifer and Katy were a big part of those wins.” The USF website says they accounted for 101 of them.

“I love coaching our team” and working with the coaches and administration at Stanford, Tara said. She then received hugs from each of her present players, who were waving the red signs.

Those 800 wins pay tribute to not only Tara’s prowess as a coach but also her ability to inspire and lead young women. Alumnae who played for her at Stanford have gone on to successful careers, some in professional basketball and/or coaching. Moreover, they have made significant contributions to their communities by becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers and other professionals as well as community leaders and volunteers. Many credit her as their greatest inspiration.

Through it all, Tara maintains a low-key public persona. She’s always quick to praise opposing teams and coaches and to thank fans for their support. After the USF game, she went to the USF locker room to encourage the players, who never gave up even when greatly outmatched by Stanford. After all, Stanford wasn’t chalking up very many wins until she arrived.

Now look at the record – 800 and counting. Congratulations, Tara!

Cheering from afar

2010-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Although they were some 2,000 miles from Knoxville, Tenn., on Sunday, Dec. 19, the 30 or so fans at Mike’s Cafe in Menlo Park did their best to cheer on the Stanford women’s basketball team in its game against Tennessee.

The good vibes almost worked as the Cardinal tied the game at 70-70 at the closing buzzer, but the tide turned in the five-minute overtime, ending in an 82-72 win for the Lady Vols.

Tennessee’s win also deprived head coach Tara VanDerveer of her 800th coaching victory. However, fans can take consolation in the possibility that they can be there in person to see Tara reach that milestone at USF on Dec. 22.

This was the first FBC viewing party at Mike’s, which is on Middlefield Road just north of Willow Road. Some may recall that it had been Late for the Train restaurant.

Mike’s offers a varied menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, main courses, desserts and drinks. Fans who bought a second drink received their first drink for free. The Stanford group occupied tables at the far end of the room, where several TVs were tuned to the game. The weather cooperated with a welcome break in the rain.

Once again the starting lineup changed. There were the usuals – senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and three forwards: senior Kayla Pedersen, junior Nneka Ogwumike and freshman Chiney Ogwumike – plus a new starter, junior guard Lindy La Rocque. It was good to see Kayla back in action after she had missed the De Paul game while recovering from hurting her head in the Fresno State game. Her leadership and steadiness were missed in the 20-point loss at De Paul on Dec. 16.

By the end of the game, only eight of the 12 Stanford players saw action. Besides the starting five, they included freshman guard Toni Kokenis, sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle and redshirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe. Senior forward Ashley Cimino did the high-five honors after the eight 3-pointers – six by Jeanette and one each by Joslyn and Kayla.

Several fans at Mike’s said they were recording the game. I was among them, so I watched it after I got home that evening. It was easier to hear the commentators and convenient to fast-forward through the commercials.

It also gave me a second chance to watch the action and take heart. The team was playing in front of a crowd of more than 14,000 -- most of them knew all the words to “Rocky Top” -- yet the Cardinal managed to come from behind and almost pull out the win. It was a good learning experience that will serve the team well as the season continues.

Doggone fun for everyone but Fresno

2010-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

It was the annual Dog Lovers Day as the Stanford women’s basketball team hosted the Fresno State Bulldogs on Dec. 12, and all the dogs shone except for the visitors, who lost 77-40.

Honoring Humane Society Silicon Valley, the afternoon was devoted to Cardinal dogs. Fans and players submitted photos of their favorite canines, which were shown on the video board. Then there were some hilarious videos of dogs and videos of the coaches and some staffers morphing into dogs. To top it all off, agility dogs from ACE Dog Sports made their third annual appearance at halftime. Dogs ranging in size from tiny Molly, a teacup poodle, to Zoe, a Great Dane, showed their stuff leaping hurdles and going through tunnels – all to the delight of the crowd.

The crowd also was delighted with the agility of the team, especially the Ogwumike sisters, who combined for 35 points and 18 rebounds. Freshman Chiney had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the first double-double of her college career, while junior Nneka had 17 points and five rebounds. Both forwards started, along with senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and freshman guard Toni Kokenis.

Jeanette passed a milestone in her career, becoming the 32nd Cardinal to score 1,000 points. She hit that mark in the first half and finished the game with 15 points, one rebound, three assists and five steals.

All 12 healthy players got into the game, and 10 of them had double minutes, head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club after the game. Ten of them scored, too.

“It’s really exciting to see so many people play and do so well,” she said while being interviewed by Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, ’10, in front of the Maples crowd right after the game. Ros, a standout defensive player for the Cardinal, was providing color commentary for KZSU radio coverage of the game. Other recent alumnae at the game were Candice Wiggins, ’08, and Morgan Clyburn, ’09. Morgan had conducted a basketball clinic for youngsters in the practice facility before the game.

Tara neared another major milestone herself, notching the 799th win of her college coaching career. “I really try to appreciate each game” and each team, she told the FBC.

Guests at the FBC gathering were the two sophomores, forwards Mikaela Ruef and Joslyn Tinkle. Joslyn said she spent the summer at home in Montana, where she worked on her perimeter game. Mikaela attended summer school along with several teammates, so “we were able to work together” and play pick-up games nearly every day, she said. She and four teammates also played pro-am games at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco.

Both players said they don’t especially enjoy defending against smaller, faster guards. “I try to pretend I’m fast,” Mikaela said. On the other hand, “we have an advantage because we’re taller,” Joslyn said. She and Mikaela are both 6’3”.

Both said they’re glad to have final exams behind them. “It takes a lot out of you,” Joslyn said. The coaches scheduled practices around exams, but “school comes first,” she said.

She took her finals in sociology, a foreign language and earth systems. Mikaela’s finals were in physics, French, computer science and economics.

Now the team faces four more tough tests this month, playing DePaul and Tennessee on the road before Christmas and playing Xavier and UConn at home after Christmas. “We’ve been doing a cumulative scouting” to prepare for those teams, Mikaela said.

Post defense has been an emphasis, associate head coach Amy Tucker said. “We thought we might prepare a little early,” she said.

After the two-week layoff for dead week and finals, “it was fun to get out and play,” Tara said. “I thought we played very well defensively.”

She praised several players along with assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey, who scouted Fresno. Even though the three freshmen – Chiney plus guards Toni Kokenis and Sara James – made some mistakes, as can be expected, they’re “further along than I thought they’d be” at this point, Tara said.

Overall, “I’m impressed with this team’s maturity and their cohesiveness.” The players show “great consideration and support” for each other, she said.

She ended by wishing everyone happy holidays.

Getting acquainted with Sara

2010-11-30T18:10:00.001-08:00

Freshman guard Sara James has started to make her mark on the Stanford women’s basketball team by coming off the bench and doing whatever she can to help the Cardinal chalk up another win.

During the 93-78 victory over the University of Texas on Nov. 28, for example, she scored 5 points in four minutes, thanks to one 2-pointer and one 3-pointer. She also managed to pick up two fouls, perhaps a testament to her increasingly tough defense.

Another side of Sara emerged when she spoke to the Fast Break Club after the game. Unlike her fellow freshman, forward Chiney Ogwumike, who had spoken to the FBC two days earlier, “Sara’s a little more shy,” associate head coach Amy Tucker said as she introduced her. Nevertheless, “Sara was a star” when her Oak Ridge High School team notched an upset win in the state basketball championship game last year.

Sara, who hails from El Dorado Hills, east of Sacramento, has two older brothers. One is a practice player at UCLA, and the other went to UC Davis. Besides her parents, the James family includes Sadie, a terrier mix that came from the SPCA. Sadie attended some of the games at Kezar Pavilion this past summer when Sara and four Stanford teammates played in the pro-am league.

“Stanford was always my first choice” for college, Sara said, but she kept Cal, Gonzaga and perhaps Arizona State in mind “just in case” she wasn’t accepted at Stanford.

“Things are going well at the Farm,” she said. She hasn’t decided on a major, but in the meantime, she’s taking psychology, calculus and humanities classes. As a freshman, she’s had to make “a lot of adjustments at the same time” such as being away from home and keeping up with classes and practice.

She likes the physical play. “It’s a lot more fun at this level,” she said. She also likes bike riding, running and being outside in addition to working on her 3-point shot.

When Sara attended Stanford’s summer basketball camp, the coaches told her she needed to be a 3-point shooter in order to fit into the program. “More than anyone else, she got it,” Amy said. She went home and worked on that shot. “She is a relentless worker.”

“Sara is going to make a difference in our program based on her work ethic for sure,” Amy said.

Commenting on the game, Amy said that fouls “really changed the flow of the game.” She was referring to times like the latter minutes of the first half when senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike – the Big Three – were on the bench with two fouls each. Texas started to close the scoring gap, but the less-experienced players on the floor still kept the margin at 49-39 to close the half.

“Toni did a phenomenal job,” Amy said, referring to freshman point guard Toni Kokenis. “Our zone defense helped us,” she said. In addition, red-shirt sophomore forward Sarah Boothe “can make a difference for us.”

The game was “a coming-out party for Toni,” said head coach Tara VanDerveer, adding that Sarah, Nneka and freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike “got that inside game going.”

Toni was another player who attended the Stanford summer camp. When she was a sophomore and had made the Illinois all-state team, Amy sent her a congratulatory letter. “That was a good letter,” Tara said.

The coach praised several players including Chiney, “a very intelligent young woman,” and Kayla – “We call her the rock. She’s really a great helper.”

Overall, this is “a great young group,” she said. “This was a great game for us. … A lot of different people went in there and helped us.” She noted that one of the team’s strengths is its unselfishness. The players are glad when things go well for their teammates.

One of its weaknesses is that several players are young and inexperienced. However, “we’re the type of team where we want to be good at the end. … This is a really fun team to go to practice with every day,” as were the teams preceding it, Tara said.

Besides the winning score, the game had several unique factors, starting with the fact that Stanford was ahead 2-0 before the clock started running. Texas was assessed with an administrative technical foul because it had failed to turn in its starting lineup by 10 minutes before the game’s start. Hence, Kayla went to the free-throw line and made both attempts.

Several players’ families were in the stands. They included Jeanette’s mother, who was wearing a white T-shirt with a Stanford logo on the front and Jeanette’s number, 23, in sparkles on the back.

Sitting courtside near the family section were two illustrious alumnae – center Jayne Appel, ’10, and guard Candice Wiggins, ’08. The fans gave them a prolonged standing ovation when they were introduced later in the game. During the half, Candice presented basketballs autographed by Tara to the grade-school winners of the creative writing contest sponsored by Stanford women’s basketball. She also was the guest of TV broadcasters Mary Murphy and Jim Watson for part of the second half.

Shortly before the end of the first half, the entire Stanford football team was accorded a standing ovation as the players paraded onto the floor and displayed the Axe trophy, symbolic of the team’s victory over arch-rival Cal during the season. The 11-1 Cardinal had finished the regular season at home the previous day by shutting out Oregon State 38-0.

And in a show of class, when Chiney fouled out with 1:14 left in the game, she went over to the Texas bench and hugged head coach Gail Goestenkors. Since Chiney and sister Nneka are from Houston, it’s likely that Gail had them high on her recruiting wish list.

Cardinal outshoots the Gamecocks

2010-11-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

"It’s fun to see different people stepping up,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the Fast Break Club after the Stanford women’s basketball team recorded a 70-32 victory over South Carolina on Nov. 26, the day after the team had a Jimmy V’s Thanksgiving dinner with other athletes in Dallmar Court.

All 12 healthy players got into the game, and no one played more 30 minutes. The starting lineup featured senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and four forwards, one from each class -- senior Kayla Pedersen, junior Nneka Ogwumike, sophomore Joslyn Tinkle and freshman Chiney Ogwumike. Tara substituted rather freely. With 4:25 to go in the game and the score at 64-28, the last of the starters was on the bench.

“A lot of different people are getting looks,” Tara said. She hasn’t decided which combinations work best together. “It’s a puzzle to put together.”

In this game, “our plan was to go inside,” thus opening opportunities on the perimeter. The strategy worked as the Cardinal made eight of 19 3-point shots, or 42.1 percent. Jeanette sank four 3s, Joslyn had two, and Kayla and freshman guard Sara James had one each.

The post-game session gave the FBC a chance to meet Chiney. “This is not a shy one,” associate head coach Amy Tucker said as she introduced the freshman. “I love Stanford so far. It’s great,” Chiney said. Commenting on the game, she said, “You can see how much we’ve been practicing.”

Fans also may have seen that “I have somebody who looks just like me on the team,” she said, referring to her older sister, Nneka. She also noted that the two sisters had a large family contingent at the game, including their mother, two younger sisters and several others.

Chiney didn’t start playing basketball until she was about 10 years old, after Nneka took up the game and got better and better. “We played in the driveway.”

She hasn’t decided on a major, but she’s considering a combination law-business degree program like the one that assistant coach Kate Paye earned at Stanford. International relations and communications are other possibilities.

She chose Stanford after asking herself, “What’s the best combination of athletics and academics? That was an easy decision.”

One of the big differences she has seen between the high school and college game is that in high school one person can set the tone, while “in college it takes five people to set the tone of the game. We call it tag team.”

She and Nneka played together in high school, but now that Nneka has two years of college experience, “she has completely developed into someone I don’t even know,” Chiney said, citing her sister’s maturity and experience. Still “we have protective instincts for each other,” and Chiney trusts Nneka’s advice.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?" Amy said as she excused Chiney. “Nneka is quite the little coach with Chiney.” As for the game, “I was happy to see our offense get going. Everyone did something well,” she said.

Other guests at the FBC gathering included South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and assistant coach Nikki McCray, who both were on the 1996 gold-medal winning Olympics team coached by Tara. “I’ve learned the most basketball from Tara,” Dawn said, adding that she was pleased that “we got a warm reception” from the Stanford fans.

Also speaking highly of Tara were Ruthie Bolton, another player on the 1996 Olympics team and a former professional player; and Edna Campbell, a former professional player who coaches the varsity girls basketball team at a Sacramento high school. Ruthie was there with her 18-month-old daughter.

Tara concluded the session by praising her team’s defense and the leadership of the Big Three – Jeanette, Kayla and Nneka – who accounted for 35 of the team’s 70 points.

First & Main comes through with Utah game

2010-11-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Undaunted by Friday night traffic, the oncoming rain and a 6 p.m. tipoff, about 30 fans of Stanford women’s basketball gathered at the First & Main sports bar in Los Altos to watch their team defeat the University of Utah 62-53 on Nov. 19.

And undaunted by the absence of junior forward Nneka Ogwumike and a sloppy first half, other players stepped up to clinch the win. Nneka was in uniform but did not play for undisclosed reasons. Fans in Los Altos noted that two fingers were taped together.

Red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe started in Nneka’s place, along with senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, senior forward Kayla Pedersen, sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle and freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike.

The gathering at First & Main was a last-minute affair arranged by Cardinal fan André Lalana. Although the game was televised by the Mountain Network, it wasn’t available in the Bay Area except to Direct TV customers. Luckily, First & Main is one of them. Consequently, the fans there got to watch the game in comfort while enjoying their dinner and drinks.

There were lots of groans after missed opportunities during the first half and many more cheers in the second half as Jeanette, Kayla and teammates began to take over. Still, people gave the young Utes credit for staying in close range.

Even though the fans wanted Stanford to win, they cheered loudly for starting Utes forward Michelle Harrison, who played 36 minutes. Her 14 points, including four 3’s, led her team in scoring.

Michelle had worn the Stanford uniform with the number 5 for the past four years and graduated in June, but she had a year of eligibility left after missing a year with a torn ACL. The Utah resident was granted a waiver to play that final year while in graduate school at Utah, and 5 is still on her uniform.

Jeanette led the Cardinal scoring with 19, followed by Kayla with 13. The TV announcers noted that when Kayla scored her 10th and 11th points on a 2-point basket, she moved into the ranks of Stanford’s top 10 all-time scorers.

The game ended with Kayla holding the ball and Michelle guarding her as the final seconds ticked off. The two hugged when the final buzzer sounded. There were more hugs all around as the two teams exchanged their traditional greetings.

Speaking immediately after the game, Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer said, “This is a great win for our team.” She praised the younger team members who were able to record more playing time than they had against Rutgers. Tara had said after that game that she wanted to get more players into the mix and not rely so heavily on the Big Three of Kayla, Jeanette and Nneka.

She realized that goal against Utah as Chiney, Sarah, Joslyn, sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef, junior guard Lindy La Rocque and freshman guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis all had a chance to contribute.

Cardinal prevails over Scarlet

2010-11-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

“This is a really good first game for us,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told fans after the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 63-50 in Maples Pavilion on Nov. 14.

“For freshmen, this first game is an eye-opener,” she said, indicating that she was pleased with them. Forward Chiney Ogwumike had 9 points and 12 rebounds in 21 minutes. Guard Toni Kokenis added 2 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes, while guard Sara James saw two minutes of action.

“Rutgers is an excellent opponent for us,” Tara said. “This was not an easy game. We had to battle, (but) our team will learn from it.”

One fan pointed out that Stanford went for a long time with no fouls (none in the first half and only five for the game). “I really felt that we were not aggressive enough,” the coach said, adding the caveat that she doesn’t want too many fouls from her players. She did note that the team “became more aggressive in the second half” after leading by only three points, 32-29, at the end of the first half.

Tara was joined by senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, who is “very special for our team,” Tara said. She praised Jeanette’s “leadership skills that are way off the charts. … She’s vocal. She commands the respect of her teammates.”

“We really appreciate all your support,” Jeanette told the fans. Speaking of the team, she said, “We have so many people who can contribute on offense,” so she just tries to look for who’s open. In the meantime, “we’re trying to focus on defense.”

Jeanette said that she and many of her teammates worked on their skills at summer school. Then in the month between the summer and fall terms, she went home and worked with the speed coach and the trainer who had helped her so much between her freshman and sophomore years.

When she has free time, “First I study,” she said. “We watch a lot of movies” or go out to dinner, keeping things fun and light. The players like to hang out together.

As for the Dec. 30 game against UConn, which handed Stanford its only two losses last season, including the NCAA championship game in April, “We will take that as it comes,” Jeanette said. “Our coaches will have us prepared.”

The starting lineup featured Jeanette at the point along with four forwards: senior Kayla Pedersen, junior Nneka Ogwumike, sophomore Joslyn Tinkle and Chiney. Together they scored 59 of the team’s 63 points. Jeanette, Kayla and Nneka – the Big Three and the team’s co-captains – played the entire game. Nneka led the team in scoring with 20 points, followed by Kayla with 13, Joslyn with 10, Chiney with 9 and Jeanette with 7. Chiney’s 12 rebounds led the team, while Jeanette dished out a team-high eight assists.

The band and Tree were there along with two flag-carrying men. There also was a fairly good turnout of students, who perhaps were lured by the free tank tops and Jimmy V’s barbecue given to the first arrivals at the student entrance. Most of the students sat behind the north basket. As indicated by two sign-waving students in the front row, it seems that one of the freshmen already has a fan club. One of the homemade signs said, “Toni Kokenis – I love you.”

During the half, the crowd of more than 5,800 honored members of the men’s volleyball and women’s tennis teams, both of which were 2010 national champions. After entertainment by the Cardinal Calypso Players and their steel drums, announcer Betty Ann Boeving reported that the women’s soccer team had won its second round of the NCAA tournament at home that afternoon.

As the game wound down, Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, stood at the exit near the home bench, ready to hand out victory balls for the players to toss into the stands. In the meantime, she was petting a campus policeman’s tail-wagging black Labrador retriever. Before long, the dog was on her back for a belly rub. Not much aggression there.

Several players’ parents were in the stands. They included forward Sarah Boothe’s parents, who had come from the Chicago area and marveled at the weekend’s wonderfully balmy weather as they entered Maples. Undoubtedly Joslyn’s father, Wayne, also liked the contrast in climate between Stanford and the University of Montana, where he coaches the men’s basketball team.

Tara acknowledged the presence of all the parents, noting that “Jeanette’s mom and dad have traveled all over the world” to follow her basketball career.

The final question for Tara focused on what it’s like to coach the Ogwumike sisters. Tara said there are good dynamics between them, and “they’re wonderful young women to coach.” No doubt that comment could apply to the entire team.

Mostly harmonious final tune-up

2010-11-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

There’s a lot to be learned from the Stanford women’s basketball team’s two exhibition games this week. Most of it is quite encouraging, as evidenced by the team’s 100-52 win over UC San Diego on Nov. 9.

Others have already reported well on the UCSD game’s many highlights, such as the strong performance by the three freshmen and the luxuriously versatile depth at the forward spots.

So just to summarize: Head coach Tara VanDerveer’s starting lineup featured the Big Three – senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, senior forward Kayla Pedersen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike – along with red-shirt sophomore forward Sarah Boothe and freshman guard Toni Kokenis. Toni scored the Cardinal’s first two points after stealing the ball.

After being held out of the Vanguard exhibition game because of a sore ankle, Nneka was used sparingly but still contributed eight points, three rebounds and one block in 13 minutes. Her younger sister, freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike, came off the bench to lead the stat sheet with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one block in 23 minutes. Fans are eager to see what happens when Nneka is back to full speed and the sisters are teamed up on the floor.

Kayla and Jeanette, though playing only 20 minutes each, are looking better than ever. Neither does any showboating. Both play with determination and intelligence. Kayla sometimes seems unstoppable, while Jeanette has become smooth as silk, playing with little wasted motion.

The defense looked better than it had against Vanguard. UCSD didn’t get its first basket until almost five minutes into the game. On the other hand, Vanguard limited the Cardinal to just three 3’s (one from Jeanette, two from Kayla), but it had no answer for the taller, stronger front court. Moreover, the forwards were generous in passing the ball, dealing out 16 of the team’s 23 assists.

With Stanford comfortably ahead 47-17 in the first half, Tara turned the floor over to the three freshmen – Toni, Chiney and guard Sara James -- along with the two sophomores – forwards Joslyn Tinkle and Mikaela Ruef -- who closed it out with the score at 51-20.

All 12 healthy players got into the game with most making solid contributions. It’ll be interesting to see how the starting lineup and player rotation evolve during the season, when the Cardinal will face some tough contenders.

While the Vanguard exhibition had been no frills with none of the usual supporting student cast, this one took on a more seasonal flavor with the addition of the band, Tree and Dollies. The scoreboard, though still set for volleyball, added a video feed with real-time action and replays. Betty Ann Boeving was back at the mike to provide her well-balanced, skillful announcing.

For those with fond memories of the past 36-2 season, a halftime video of 2009-10 highlights was awe-inspiring, especially the repeat of Jeanette’s remarkable 4.4-second dash across the court to defeat Xavier and send the Cardinal to the Final Four for the third consecutive year.

A key player on that team, graduated guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, was seen chatting with Eileen Roche, director of women’s basketball operations, and others before the game. I later learned that she provided color commentary for the gostanford.com video feed. She reportedly was practicing for the national coverage she’ll be doing for ESPN this season.

Next up: An it-counts-on-the-record encounter with Rutgers in Maples at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14.

Let the fun begin

2010-11-06T23:56:00.000-07:00

Sure, it was only an exhibition game, the first outing of the 2010-11 season, but the Stanford women’s basketball team gave its fans lots to cheer for and lots to look forward to as it defeated Vanguard 116-65 at Maples Pavilion.

There was some trepidation at first because junior forward Nneka Ogwumike didn’t play. She had a sore left ankle and was kept out of the game as a precautionary measure, according to the sports information department.

But have no fear. Younger sister Chiney Ogwumike started in her place and contributed 24 points and a team-high 16 rebounds to go with one assist, two blocks and no fouls in her 25-minute freshman debut. In fact, she had a double-double just in the first half with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Coming off the bench, the other two freshmen also had auspicious debuts. Guard Sara James scored 16 points – including four 3’s – to go with three rebounds and four assists in her 21 minutes. Fellow guard Toni Kokenis, a speedster who ably filled in at the point, scored 4 points, all on free throws, to go with two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.

The starting lineup featured four forwards -- red-shirt sophomore Sarah Boothe at center plus sophomore Joslyn Tinkle, Chiney and senior Kayla Pedersen – with senior Jeanette Pohlen at the point. Kayla opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, followed by 2 points from Chiney. All five starters scored in double figures, led by Kayla with 25 points, followed by Chiney with 24, Jeanette with 16, and Joslyn and Sarah with 10 each.

Toni was first off the bench, subbing for Joslyn at 17:31 in the first half. Sara was next at 14:35. Head coach Tara VanDerveer substituted rather freely throughout the game so that no one played more than 27 minutes (Sarah).

By the end of the game, every healthy player had seen action. Even junior guard Lindy La Rocque got in for six minutes. That was a good sign because she had been hampered by a foot problem and had just been cleared to practice, according to the sports information departhment. Fellow guard Hannah Donaghe, senior, is out for the season after a recent ACL injury. Fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy, rehabbing her knee after surgery in the spring, is expected to return later this season.

When the team huddled before the second half, it was Mel who was exhorting her teammates. In the meantime, Hannah has inherited the fun duty of high-fiving the bench whenever a teammate scores a 3. She was kept plenty busy as the Cardinal poured in 14 3’s – four each from Jeanette and Sara, two each from Kayla and sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef, and one each from Joslyn and senior forward Ashley Cimino.

It was one of Sara’s 3’s that pushed the Stanford score to the century mark with about 6 minutes to go in the second half. Mikaela had one of her best Stanford games with 7 points, 11 rebounds (second on the team), two assists and two steals.

On the other hand, Vanguard had 16 3’s, in part because its players had a hard time getting past the much taller Stanford women to get to the basket. Rebounding also was a problem for the Lions as the Stanford trees grabbed 67 rebounds, as opposed to Vanguard’s 27.

Because it was an exhibition game, there were no support groups like the band, cheerleaders, Dollies or Tree. “It’s All Right” came through as a recording.

One slight difference from last year is the way the players lined up for the National Anthem. Instead of standing in a line in front of the bench, they lined up by height – from 6’5” Sarah to 5’8” Lindy and then the coaches -- across the court at the free-throw line.

During the first half, the team was cheered by three recent alumni – Jayne Appel and JJ Hones, both ’10, and Morgan Clyburn, ’09 -- who sat in the front row just behind the Vanguard basket. About midway through the half they were joined by Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, who completed her fifth year last year. Jayne’s parents sat behind them. After speaking to and signing autographs for several youngsters and adults who gathered around them at the half, the former players left, but Jayne’s parents stayed.

Next up: UC San Diego in another exhibition Nov. 9. Then for-real competition starts with the Cardinal hosting Rutgers on Nov. 14.

Great things are in store

2010-10-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

What a difference three weeks make! When the Stanford women’s basketball team had its first open practice on Oct. 9, it was only their third full practice. Consequently, drills dominated the session.

Then on Oct. 30, the team had another open practice, followed by a Fast Break Club barbecue. With only a week to go before the first exhibition game, this practice looked more like a real game, starting with a 12-minute stretching session led by strength and conditioning coach Devan McConnell. In the meantime, a maintenance man repaired the unstrung net at the south end of the court.

After a short meeting with head coach Tara VanDerveer at the midcourt circle, the players formed the line that they’ll use to enter the court, led by senior forward Kayla Pedersen. They immediately engaged in an intricate pregame drill for passing, layups and 3-point shots.

The guards, joined by Kayla and sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef, then met at one end of the court to work on 3-pointers with assistant coach Kate Paye, while the other forwards met with Tara, associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey. Joined by some male practice players, they worked mainly on layups.

Senior guard Hannah Donaghe, a brace on her left leg, sat out the practice. She’s lost for the season after tearing her ACL in practice earlier in the month, Tara said at the barbecue. Fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy, recovering from knee surgery after last season, helped out wherever she could, mostly by rebounding when her teammates took practice shots. She’s expected to return in January.

Junior guard Lindy La Rocque and senior forward Ashley Cimino took part in the warmups and drills but not the scrimmages. Both have had foot problems, but it is hoped that Ashley will be ready next week and Lindy after that, Tara said.

Forty minutes into the practice, the team switched their jerseys to the white side while nine male practice players – all Stanford students – were in red. They were coached by Bobbie, while the other three coaches worked with the women. The rest of the practice was filled with five 10-minute scrimmages between the men and women. They played with three referees and the 30-second shot clock.

The starting lineup for the first scrimmage included the returning starters from last season’s 36-2 team -- Kayla, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen at the point and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike – along with red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe and sophomore forward Joslyn Tinkle. Jeanette started the scoring with a 3. In the meantime, the others either rode the exercise bikes or worked on various skills in pairs.

At the first timeout, two of the freshmen – guard Toni Kokenis and forward Chiney Ogwumike – replaced Sarah and Joslyn. These seven players worked in various combinations and ended the 10-minute session on top 22-9. Their play was marked by speed and good defense against the fast, athletic men.

The second session started with Jeanette, Sarah, Nneka, Mikaela and freshman guard Sara James. Other players, including junior guard Grace Mashore, subbed in and out. Again the defense was good, but offensive rebounds were a problem. Still, the women prevailed 25-15.

Session three starters were Jeanette, Nneka, Chiney, Toni and Kayla. All of the others saw action during the 10 minutes, which were marked by good sharing. Still, the men eked out a 16-15 win.

The men also scored 16 in the fourth session, while the women produced only 11 points. The starting five for this round were Mikaela, Nneka, Sarah, Jeanette and Sara, but everyone else got in.

Things began getting sloppy in the fourth and fifth sessions, probably as fatigue set in. Sarah, Joslyn, Mikaela, Grace and Sara were the starters in the fifth session, but again, others subbed in and out. The score ended 14-9 in the men’s favor.

After the scrimmages, the women gathered with the coaches and staff at center court, where Tara spoke for about five minutes. Then they headed to the locker room. The last players to leave were Kayla and Nneka, who took a few more practice shots.

More than 100 fans were on hand for the practice. By the time the barbecue began at Jimmy V’s, the crowd had grown much larger. While the fans enjoyed chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs or veggie burgers to go with all the trimmings and pasta as well as soft drinks and dessert, Tara introduced the players. (They were precluded from dining with the fans because of NCAA rules, she said.)

She started with Mel, the team’s eldest. Her rehab has progressed to running on the Alter G (anti-gravity treadmill), so it’s hoped that when Pac-10 play starts in January, “Mel will be ready,” Tara said.

Lamenting the loss of Hannah because of the ACL injury, Tara said, “We hate those three letters.” She asked Hannah if she had found the Forrest Gump shirt she wants to wear for Halloween because he wore leg braces as a kid.

Turning to Jeanette, Tara said that she had thought that the guard showed tremendous improvement between her freshman and sophomore years. “Wrong,” Tara said. She’s even better in her senior year, showing great leadership and maturity to go with her basketball skills. (That should give Cardinal opponents something to worry about.)

Tara said she’s looking forward to Ashley’s return to action for the first game.

As for Kayla, “she’s one of the most dedicated and steady players” on the team, Tara said, adding that it was helpful for Kayla to attend summer school. (Also in summer school were the three freshmen plus Nneka, Mikaela and Sarah.) Kayla is one of the team’s captains, along with Jeanette and Nneka.

Despite the foot problem, Lindy has been working hard, Tara said, and should be ready for action soon.

Grace worked hard during the summer and has done well in practice, Tara said. “I’m very impressed with how our whole team has been practicing,” she said.

To Nneka she said, “You were too nice to the guys today, Nneka.” She noted that Nneka has been tutoring her younger sister, Chiney, and has become a leader, part of the Big Three along with Jeanette and Kayla. “Nneka is a force in there,” Tara said.

Sarah, who missed last season after foot surgery but who practiced during the latter part of the season, is “in great shape,” Tara said. “She’s a big presence inside,” the coach said of the 6’5” post player. She’ll help to fill the void left by the graduated Jayne Appel.

Mikaela, who also had a good summer, can play in either the 3 or 4 spots. This particular day wasn’t her best, but “she’s been practicing extremely well,” Tara said.

Joslyn, who worked hard and slimmed down during her summer at home in Montana, missed some practices because of an ankle sprain, but she’s versatile and smart, the coach said.

Turning to the three freshmen, Tara said they’re doing well and have adjusted well to the pace of the college game. Their teammates have helped them.

Sara has been working with Kate to learn the 2 spot. She’s a good rebounder, and it’s hoped she can become as good a defender as the graduated Rosalyn Gold-Onwude.

Toni “is doing a great job as our point guard,” Tara said, citing her speed.

Chiney is similar to Nneka in talent and intelligence, but she’s more a perimeter player like Kayla, Tara said, adding, “She’s very talkative, which we really like.”

Overall, “I don’t know that we’ve ever had a better October,” the veteran coach said. “This group has been really special. Great things are in store.”

She praised the players for their maturity, talent, unselfishness and coachability. “They want to be great,” she said. “This is going to be a great year.”

In response to a fan’s question, Tara said she hasn’t decided on a starting lineup except for the Big Three. “We have a lot of choices.” It might change from game to game. She also expects to do a lot of substituting, keeping players fresher.

“You’re going to have a chance to cheer for a great, great team,” she said. She also said that she’s adding some new wrinkles to the offense, and “we’re way ahead defensively from last year.”

Asked to name the most improved players, she cited the Big Three along with Grace, Mikaela and Joslyn. She also praised her coaching staff for doing so well with recruiting. (The next crop of freshmen will sign their letters of intent in November.)

“We are looking forward to a great season,” she concluded as the fans left to go watch the San Francisco Giants play the Texas Rangers in the third game of the World Series and/or the Cardinal football team play at Washington.

Photos by Dave Cortesi

First look at the new edition

2010-10-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

With its first exhibition game a mere four weeks away, the Stanford women’s basketball team went through its paces at an open practice Oct. 9 in Maples Pavilion.

Regular practices started Oct. 6, so it’s far too early to make predictions. Nevertheless, the three-hour afternoon session gave an estimated 50 fans some tantalizing previews of this 2010-11 team. It also gave them a look at how head coach Tara VanDerveer and her topnotch staff are starting to mold these 14 talented scholar-athletes into one cohesive, championship-seeking team.

There always are question marks at the beginning of a season as freshmen – three of them this year – try to fill the roster gaps left by graduation. The 2010 departures were led by two terrific starters, center Jayne Appel, now playing professionally with the San Antonio Silver Stars, and fifth-year guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, known for her outstanding defense. Ros, who reportedly works for Tesla Motors, attended part of the practice.

Another observer of note was guard Candice Wiggins, ’08, who is on campus completing her undergraduate degree while rehabbing from Achilles tendon surgery. She plays professionally with the Minnesota Lynx.

The practice began as the players ran onto the court and formed a circle with the coaches at center court. They then expanded their circle with senior guard Jeanette Pohlen leading them in individual dribbling exercises, followed by two-player passing drills led by assistant coach Kate Paye.

Individual work continued with shooting drills from the 3-point and free-throw lines. For the most part, the guards were at one end of the court, while the forwards were at the other.

More than an hour was devoted to basic skills such as running, passing, setting screens, dribbling, shooting, defending, rebounding, inbounding and moving the ball. It was during these drills that fans got a taste of Tara’s creativity. She introduced several complex drills that required some time to master, but eventually they went smoothly.

During one such drill, Kate advised all the players to be aware of their footwork so that they would be ready to shoot no matter where they were in relation to the basket.

Other drills involved various combinations of players – groups of two or three, for example. During another stretch, Kate worked with the guards at one end while associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey worked with the bigs. Tara kept a close watch on the proceedings as she moved between them.

As the afternoon progressed, three male practice players joined the women in varied full- and half-court scrimmages. During one water break, fifth-year senior guard Melanie Murphy, whose participation is limited while she recovers from post-season knee surgery, talked animatedly with the men, apparently giving them pointers.

The session ended with free-throw practice at eight baskets arrayed around the court, followed by running from one end of the court to the other and then to closer marks along the floor. Freshman guard Toni Kokenis was the first to finish.

After another center-court circle for some final words from the coaches, the team waved to the fans and adjourned to the locker room.

Their next assignment came shortly thereafter, when they signed autographs for a long line of admirers at the Fan Fest preceding the Stanford vs. USC football game (won by Stanford).

As I said, it’s too early to make any concrete predictions about the season. Still, there were some impressions worthy of mention.

First, the coaches work well with the team. Every so often, one of them would talk quietly with an individual, demonstrating moves or giving advice. This was especially apparent with the freshmen. Likewise, returning players sought individual advice. On the other hand, the coaches were quick to shout out praise for good moves by individuals.

Second, the freshmen -- Toni, guard Sara James and forward Chiney Ogwumike -- will make positive contributions. They showcased their skills during the summer recreation program at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco, but it was apparent that they needed the fine-tuning that they’re getting from their Stanford coaches.

Third, the three returning starters – Jeanette, senior forward Kayla Pedersen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike – seem ready to lead the team on another winning run. All three showed their savvy, maturity and skill during the practice.

Fourth, the other returning players – seniors Ashley Cimino, forward, and Hannah Donaghe, guard; junior guards Grace Mashore and Lindy La Rocque; red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe; and sophomore forwards Mikaela Ruef and Joslyn Tinkle -- seem determined to contribute as much as they can. There were many signs of progress from them.

Fifth, the entire team works hard, very hard. Even though they seemed to be enjoying themselves and each other, everyone was focused during the drills.

Sixth, the coaches will have a hard time deciding how to allocate playing time.

Finally, the fans are in for another great ride.!

A toast to the season ahead

2010-09-14T23:44:00.000-07:00

“We’re looking forward to a great year.” That’s how head coach Tara VanDerveer and her staff view the upcoming Stanford women’s basketball season, she told fans at the fifth annual Fast Break Club wine tasting and social on Sept. 12 at Vino Locale in Palo Alto.

About three dozen fans enjoyed the pleasantly sunny afternoon as well as the wine, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks provided by Vino Locale owner Randy Robinson, who donated 10 percent of the afternoon’s bottled wine sales to the club.

This year’s event was about a month earlier than last year’s, which followed the team’s trip to Italy. Since the team had played four games there, the coaches had had a good look at the returning players and their improvement.

The players are just now returning to campus, so the coaches haven’t had a chance to assess their progress or to see the three freshmen in action. Instead, Tara talked about the coaches’ successful recruiting for the 2011-12 season.

“We have five players who have (verbally) committed,” she said. They are guards Bonnie Samuelson from Huntington Beach, Amber Orrange from Houston and Jasmine Camp from Chamblee, Ga.; and forwards Taylor Greenfield from Huxley, Iowa, and Erica Payne from Concord’s Carondelet High School, the prep alma mater of Jayne Appel, ’10.

Even though they have said they’re coming to Stanford, their commitment doesn’t become official until they sign letters of intent in November. In the meantime, there’s the possibility of one more. “It’s all really, really good,” Tara said.

As for this coming season, Tara noted that her staff is intact, with the return of associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coaches Bobbie Kelsey and Kate Paye. Both Amy and Bobbie were at the social, but Kate had another commitment.

Their expertise and experience will be invaluable. “This is probably the most competitive schedule that we’ve ever had,” Tara said, noting that several opponents were in last year’s NCAA tournament.

At the head of the list is UConn, which defeated Stanford for the national championship in San Antonio in April. Also figuring prominently is Xavier, which lost to Stanford in the regional final in Sacramento. The game was tied when guard Jeanette Pohlen – in one of the most memorable moments in Stanford WBB history -- ran the court in the final 4.4 seconds and scored the winning basket.

Jeanette was among the nine players who attended summer school. The others were fellow senior Kayla Pedersen, juniors Nneka Ogwumike and Linda La Rocque, red-shirt sophomore Sarah Boothe and sophomore Mikaela Ruef, along with incoming freshmen Sara James, Toni Kokenis and Chiney Ogwumike.

Besides the coaches, staff members at the social included Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, and Sarah Boruta, videographer. And there was another familiar face – Lauren Greif, a recently graduated Cal guard who is an intern this year.

Also serving as an intern is Sha'Rae Gibbons Mitchell, a recently graduated UC Santa Barbara guard. She and Lauren will help the staff with film sessions; film practices; break down films and maintain the database; burn and edit DVDs, prepare pre-game, halftime and post-game reports; create and update playbooks and drill books; manage Facebook and Twitter; assist with pre-game clinics; generate and distribute mailings to recruits; and do “anything that comes up in the course of the day,” Eileen said in a follow-up e-mail.

Arriving later in the afternoon were Krista Rappahahn, ’06, and her new husband, David Birnie. Krista is a Stanford med student.

One of the changes that fans will notice at Maples Pavilion is that rather than the portable baskets used in the past, the baskets will descend from the ceiling. Therefore, fans seated behind them will have a better view of the action.

The players will begin an eight-hour-a-week training regimen on Wednesday, Sept. 15. They will spend two of those hours with the coaches and the other six hours in conditioning and weight-lifting. Regular practices start Oct. 5. “The 5th is early enough for me,” Tara said, adding that the team wants to keep going until April.

Fans will get their first look at the team at a practice and autograph session Oct. 9 before the Cardinal football team plays USC at home.

An open practice followed by a barbecue at Jimmy V’s is planned for Oct. 30. “By then things should be very interesting,” Tara said.

Eileen said she will e-mail details to FBC members.

End of the line

2010-08-09T07:44:00.001-07:00

The five Stanford players in the San Francisco Pro-Am women’s basketball league saw their summer season come to an end Aug. 8 when their Golden State team lost 75-70 to the Mission Recreation Center team. This was Golden State’s second loss to Mission Rec in the best-of-three championship series at Kezar Pavilion.

Unlike the Aug. 7 game, which saw Golden State losing 77-61, this game was much more competitive and better played, especially by the Stanford women. Together they scored 53, or 75.7 percent, of their team’s points.

According to my unofficial count, freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike led the way with 16 points, followed by sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef with 13, red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe with 12, and freshman guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis with 10 and two respectively. Chiney and Mikaela were the top rebounders among the Stanford women with 11 each, followed by Sarah with five, Sara with three and Toni with two. Sarah, Chiney, Mikaela and Sara had one steal apiece.

Golden State led 33-31 at the half, then fell behind 48-40 with 15:33 to go. At 12:31, however, the score was tied 50-50. At 3:16 the score was 70-66 in Golden State’s favor, but the team never scored after that.

Chiney fouled out with 5.2 seconds to go, but it was a deliberate foul, a desperation move in hopes of getting the ball at the end of a very close game. Sara had four fouls, Sarah three, Mikaela two and Toni one. As he did the day before, the Mission Rec coach drew a technical foul after arguing with a referee about a call. The Golden State coach sent Sara to the free throw line, where she sank both shots.

All five Stanford women were on the floor together for less than a minute in the first half, but there were many stretches with three and a few with four. Sarah, Chiney and Sara all started. After controlling the opening tipoff, Sarah scored Golden State’s first basket – a sign that she was not to be denied after being shut out in the previous game.

The Stanford women also were responsible for some plays that would look right at home at Maples. In one particularly nifty no-dribble sequence in the first half, Mikaela passed the ball to Sarah, who quickly passed it to Chiney, who scored, was fouled and made the free throw. Twice during the second half, Mikaela made a defensive rebound and lobbed baseball passes to speeding Chiney, who scored. I didn’t keep track of assists, but all of the Cardinal women did well in that category.

The crowd wasn’t quite as large as the day before, but it included three Stanford starters: senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney’s sister.

Although the Stanford women were undoubtedly disappointed, the loss means they’re out of the playoffs and can head for home Aug. 14, when the summer session ends. They’ll return to the Farm for limited practices starting Sept. 15, followed by the first day of fall classes Sept. 20 and regular practices Oct. 5, associate head coach Amy Tucker said earlier this summer. Judging by their Kezar games, I’d say they’ll all make positive contributions during the coming season.

Chiney

Toni

Sarah

Mikaela

Sara

Unfamiliar experience for Cardinal fans

2010-08-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Fans of Stanford women’s basketball aren’t accustomed to seeing their team lose. On the rare occasion when it does, the score is relatively close – or so it has been in recent years. Therefore, it came as a shock to see a team stocked with Stanford players lose by 16 points after trailing by as much as 20.

That was the case Aug. 7 when Golden State lost to Mission Recreation Center 77-61 in the first championship game of San Francisco Bay Area Pro-Am play at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco. The two teams meet again Aug. 8 in the two-of-three competition.

Of the nine Golden State players in uniform on Saturday, five were from Stanford – red shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe, sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef, freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike and freshman guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis.

Back: Coach Chris Valentino, Natalie Jones (Arizona/Germany), Lena Gipson (Santa Clara), Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford), Sarah Boothe (Stanford), Mikaela Ruef (Stanford), Jackie Sheppard (UCLA), Coach Steve Neal. Front: Dellena Criner (Nevada/Poland), Sara James (Stanford), Toni Kokenis (Stanford), Rometra Craig (USC).

Mission Rec fielded only seven players, but their quickness and sharp shooting, especially from the free-throw line and the 3-point arc, were too much for Golden State.

Back: Coach Rudy Russell, Whitney Sutak (Santa Clara), Nicole Harris (Cal Berkeley), Lauren Bell (Pepperdine), Kamilah Jackson (Hawaii), Jazmine Jackson (Pepperdine), Coach LaRyan Russell. Front: Toni Russell (USF/Montenegro), Amanda Lassiter (WNBA/Spain).

For its part, Golden State was plagued by fouls, turnovers, poor shooting and lack of teamwork. Too often a player would try to get to the basket by herself instead of passing off to a more open teammate.

The closest Golden State came to good team play was when all five Stanford players were on the court, but that happened for only slightly more than two minutes in the first half. They have been playing pickup games on campus with teammates who are in summer school, so they presumably have a good notion of teamwork. However, they don’t practice with their Golden State teammates. For its part, Mission Rec reportedly does practice together.

Moreover, Golden State hadn’t played for two weeks because it was the No. 1 seed. During that time, Mission Rec played and won two games to earn its spot in the finals.

Chiney, Sarah and Sara were in the starting lineup, but Sarah picked up her second foul at 17:16 and went to the bench, followed by Sara for the same reason at 15:01. Both returned to action later.

According to my unofficial figures, Mikaela led her Stanford teammates with 12 points and 10 rebounds, closely followed by Chiney with 12 points and nine rebounds. Toni had three points, three rebounds and a steal, while Sara had two points and five rebounds. Sarah was held scoreless, but she had four rebounds. They all played good defense and showed a lot of quickness.

The score was 30-24 in Mission Rec’s favor at the half. Then within the span of 75 seconds, Mission Rec was up 37-24. Mission Rec also was called for two technicals during the game, one on the coach and one on a player.

The game drew a large crowd of Stanford fans, including Sara’s parents and the family dog, Sadie. Also in the stands were Left Coast Hoops writer Michelle Smith (this is her report) and four Stanford players – senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, junior forward Nneka Ogwumike and junior guard Lindy La Rocque.

The second and possibly deciding game is at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St. at Waller at the east end of Golden Gate Park. Admission is free. There’s paid parking next door. Allow plenty of time for heavy traffic.

If Golden State wins, the deciding game will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14.

Big threesome powers team to victory

2010-07-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

Three Stanford bigs powered their Golden State team to an 83-74 win over Bay City in San Francisco Women’s Pro-Am competition July 17 at Kezar Pavilion.

Though limited by four fouls, red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe led the way with 18 points, along with five rebounds and a steal. Most of her points came from nifty shots under the basket. She also ran the floor well.

Right behind her in the scoring column were sophomore Mikaela Ruef and freshman Chiney Ogwumike with 17 each. Fresh off being named Gatorade Female Prep  Athlete of the Year on July 14, Chiney made it a double-double with 10 rebounds plus a steal. She showed strong athleticism in getting to the basket.

Mikaela, who had her best game this summer, added six rebounds and two steals. The two forwards also had two 3-pointers each.

Also scoring in double figures was freshman guard Sara James with 12 points, including two 3’s, to go with four rebounds and one steal.

Fellow freshman guard Toni Kokenis had two points but showed her defensive prowess with six rebounds and two steals. All of these numbers are unofficial.

Sara, the only Cardinal to start, was stationed in the center circle for the opening tipoff, which she controlled. Chiney and Sarah joined her with 17:42 to go in the half and Golden State trailing 7-0. Sarah immediately scored the first points for Golden State, which began surging ahead. Most of that surge resulted from the gradual addition of Stanford players until all five were on the court at 11:04, but Sarah had to go to the bench at 10:00 when she picked up her second foul.

Golden State led 44-34 at the half. Bay City crept closer several times when the Stanford bigs were on the bench, but as soon as they returned, they took control.

It was fun to see 6’ 5” Sarah and 6’ 3” Chiney going against Cal’s 6’ 3” DeNesha Stallworth in the paint. Cal’s 5’ 7” Eliza Pierre tossed in two 3’s when Mikaela was late on defense. Eliza followed them up with cartwheels as she ran down the court. She was called for unsportsmanlike conduct the second time, but there was no penalty. One suspects that Cal head coach Joanne Boyle won’t let her keep that move in her repertoire.

As usual, there was a good turnout of vocal Stanford fans. The cheering section included Sara’s parents and the family dog, Sadie, a terrier mix that came from the SPCA about eight years ago. She was a hit with fans of all ages.

Chiney’s parents and two younger sisters also were in the crowd, as well as her older sister, junior forward Nneka Ogwumike. Nneka arrived with senior forward Kayla Pedersen and junior guard Lindy La Rocque.

Regular play in the recreational league ended with the 4-1 Golden State in first place even though two other teams also had 4-1 records. According to the league’s Web site, a point system was used to determine first place.

Therefore, Golden State won’t be back in action until the championship games at 2 p.m. Aug. 7 and 8. If a third game is needed, it will be at 2 p.m. Aug. 14. Admission to all games is free.

The games are played at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St. at Waller at the east end of Golden Gate Park. Paid parking is available in an adjacent lot.

Nneka, Kayla and Lindy crack up over one of Mikaela's 3-pointers

Erika, Lindy and Olivia

Stanford players lead team to victory

2010-07-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

For the first time this summer, all five Cardinal players who signed up for the San Francisco Pro-Am women’s basketball league played at Kezar Pavilion. In the process, they led their now-3-1 Golden State team to an 86-77 victory over still-winless Bay Pride.

All five also showed up in my unofficial scoring column with freshman guard Sara James leading her team with 15 points, including three 3’s. Two forwards, freshman Chiney Ogwumike and sophomore Mikaela Ruef, were close behind with 12 points each. Mikaela’s total included two 3’s.

Red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe chipped in 10 points, while freshman guard Toni Kokenis added 4. Thus the fivesome accounted for 53 of their team’s 86 points.

They also contributed rebounds, led by Sarah’s 12. Chiney had six, and Mikaela and Sara had five each, while Toni had three. As for steals, Chiney had three, Sara and Toni two each, and Mikaela one.

Sarah and Sara started the game. Chiney joined them with 17:33 to go in the first half, followed by Mikaela at 16:28 and Toni at 15:08. Thus all five Stanford players were on the court until 12:10, when Sara and Chiney went to the bench after picking up their second fouls. All of them were in and out after that, but no one fouled out. Chiney came close with four fouls, and Sarah had three. Mikaela had two, while the guards had one each.

Bay Pride fielded only five players, who thus had to play the entire game, while Golden State had 10. Nevertheless, Bay Pride kept the score relatively close, especially in the second half. Fouls and traveling calls caused Golden State the most problems.

It was fun to see the five Stanford women playing together. One could also sense the rapport that’s developing among them. The rapport also was evident as senior forward Kayla Pedersen, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen and junior forward Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney’s sister, arrived to cheer for their teammates.

Sarah, who didn’t play last season while recovering from foot surgery and who had missed last week’s game, once again impressed the fans with her quickness in transition and her toughness under the basket. She missed a few easy shots early in the game but regained her touch later on, making some close but tough shots. Mikaela, who had joined her teammates just last week, seemed more focused this time.

The three freshmen continued to impress. Sara is not only a scoring threat but also a bulldog on defense. One could picture her as the defensive successor to the graduated Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. Even though fouls have limited Chiney’s playing time, she shows tremendous promise. More than one fan commented that she and Nneka are likely to give most opponents more than they can handle, especially when Kayla, Jeanette and other returning players are added to the mix. Toni, like Sara, is fast, tough and apparently fearless. It’ll be fun to see how these three contribute once they’ve had the benefit of working with the Cardinal coaches.

Golden State’s final regular game is at noon Saturday, July 17. Playoffs are scheduled July 24 and 31, Aug. 7, 8 and possibly Aug. 14. All games are at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St. at Waller on the east side of Golden Gate Park. There’s paid parking next door. For more information go to SF Bay Area Pro-Am.

Freshman class shows class

2010-07-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Stanford WBB’s incoming crop of freshmen once again showed great promise in San Francisco Pro-Am play Saturday, July 3, at Kezar Pavilion.

Even though their Golden State team lost 83-76 to the Mission Recreation Center team, forward Chiney Ogwumike and guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis gave some three dozen Stanford fans reason to cheer.

According to my strictly unofficial count, Sara led the scoring with 26 points plus seven rebounds, followed by Chiney with 22 points, 12 rebounds and two steals, and Toni with 9 points and four rebounds. Sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef, who missed last week’s game, contributed 3 points, nine rebounds and one steal. All four of them started the game. Red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe, who was so instrumental in the team’s victory last week, missed this game.

The buzz among fans before the game was that this was their first chance to see Chiney in Bay Area action. Last week she was busy leading her USA U18 team to a gold medal against Western Hemisphere teams in Colorado. After controlling the tipoff Sunday, she showed some nifty moves both offensively and defensively. She had to take a seat with 16:57 left in the first half because she picked up two quick fouls. The tenor of the game seemed to change after that, but improved when she returned later in the half. She had only one more foul after that.

She also contributed a 3-point shot, as did Toni, while Sara had three. Both guards showed a lot of hustle while taking the ball up the court, driving to the basket or dishing out assists. They also showed some tough defense. Sara fouled out with under 22 seconds left in the game, but it was an intentional foul when the score was 79-74 in Mission Rec’s favor.

Overall, though, Golden State had some problems. For one, only eight players showed up, while Mission Rec had 10. Moreover, Mission Rec appeared to field more experienced players. For example, its two leading scorers, both with 19 (according to the San Francisco Chronicle), were Santa Clara University alumna Whitney Sutak and Amanda Lassiter, listed with WNBA/Spain experience in the program.

Although I don’t have numbers, Mission Rec appeared to outrebound Golden State. Golden State also was plagued by turnovers, many of them from errant passes. Golden State’s defense often left Mission Rec players open for successful 3s.

The Stanford boosters included Sara’s parents, Mikaela’s mother and Chiney’s big sis, forward Nneka Ogwumike, who had celebrated her birthday the previous day. With her was junior classmate Lindy La Rocque, guard.

Golden State, now 2-1, plays again at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 10, and at noon Saturday, July 17. Playoffs start July 24 and continue July 31, Aug. 7 and 8, and possibly Aug. 14.

The games are played at Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St. at Waller on the east end of Golden Gate Park. There’s paid parking next to the pavilion.

For details go to SF Bay Area Pro-Am.

Mikaela and Chiney get ready to play

Sara launches one of her three-pointers

Toni stops and pops

Chiney puts up a shot over Whitney Sutak

Cardinal moms Katie Ruef and Kelly James

SF Pro-Am whets fans’ appetites for 2010-11

2010-06-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

Some two dozen fans of Stanford women’s basketball got a tantalizing glimpse of the upcoming season as three Cardinal players helped to lead their SF Bay Area Pro-Am team to victory June 27 at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco.

Returning red-shirt sophomore center Sarah Boothe and incoming freshman guards Sara James and Toni Kokenis all started for the Golden State team, which defeated the San Francisco team 88-71. Although their team now has a 2-0 record, this was the Cardinal players’ first appearance. They were arriving on campus for summer school the previous weekend.

Sarah was playing in her first competitive game since her freshman year. She sat out all of last season after undergoing foot surgery, but she was practicing toward the end of the season. Sara and Toni were both making their Bay Area post-high school debuts.

As the teams were warming up, Sarah did some of the Cardinal’s familiar stretching exercises. She then controlled the tipoff. The game was nip-and-tuck for the first few minutes, but Golden State began to move ahead, leading 48-30 at the half.

All three Stanford women played well with lots of hustle. Sarah led the way with 14 points despite sitting out with four fouls for about 3 ½ minutes in the second half, then fouling out with 2:45 to go. Although this recreational league doesn’t keep stats other than scoring and fouls, by my reckoning Sarah – the tallest player on either team -- had at least eight rebounds plus one block and a steal.

Toni contributed 13 points to go with at least eight rebounds along with four steals and no fouls. She wasn’t afraid to drive to the basket and moved the ball well up the court. Sara, whose parents were at the game (she’s from El Dorado Hills), chipped in 8 points, at least three rebounds and one steal. She, too, moved the ball well.

All three ran the floor well. Sarah made most of her baskets in the paint, while the two guards scored from farther out or drove to the basket. All three shared the ball well and seemed to sense when to pass and when to shoot. They played aggressive defense, especially the two guards. Sarah often set screens.

The Stanford women were involved in several offensive plays that would have been right at home at Maples. I didn’t keep track of assists, but they seemed to recognize that passing the ball to a teammate who scores is just as valuable as scoring themselves.

Sophomore forward Mikaela Ruef and incoming freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike are on the Golden State roster but weren’t at the game. Mikaela was reportedly attending a family get-together, while Chiney was in Colorado awaiting her USA U18 team’s gold medal game later that afternoon. You can read about her accomplishments in Stories of the Season.

Golden State plays again at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 3; 4 p.m. Saturday, July 10; and noon Saturday, July 17. Playoffs are scheduled for the last two Saturdays in July, the first Saturday of August and, if necessary, August 14.

Kezar Pavilion is at the east end of Golden Gate Park with hourly paid parking next door. For directions and other information, go to SF Bay Area Pro-Am.

Toni grabs a rebound

Sara launches a three

Sarah goes up for two