Portland ends Stanford's season in OT

 

Head coach Kate Paye in a huddle with the team. (Brandon Vallance/ISI Photos)

The Stanford women’s basketball team saw its season come to a heartbreaking end with a 69-68 overtime loss to Portland in the first round of the WBIT tournament in Maples on March 20.

In the wake of that loss, some fans might be pondering what if….

One: What if Nunu Agara hadn’t fouled out in the final minute of overtime, when the score was 68-66 in Stanford’s favor?

After suffering an injury, the sophomore forward had returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Feb. 6. She led the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds in just over 35 minutes and made several clutch shots.

Two: What if the team had made just two more free throws instead of 13 of 18?

Three: What if the team had made just one more 3-pointer instead of five of 10 while the Pilots made seven of 19?

Four: What if the team hadn’t had 20 turnovers resulting in 12 points for Portland? For its part, Portland had 12 turnovers leading to 10 Stanford points.

Five: What if some of the officials’ calls, which were roundly booed, had instead been in Stanford’s favor?

Six: What if Portland hadn’t applied full-court pressure almost the entire game?

Missing the Big Dance

This was the first time in 37 years that Stanford hadn’t made it to the NCAA tournament.

With a record of 16-15, it had to settle for the relatively new Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament and the chance to host Portland.

The starting lineup featured Nunu along with senior forward Brooke Demetre, sophomore guard Chloe Clardy, sophomore forward Courtney Ogden and senior guard Elena Bosgana.

Elena was the team’s second-highest scorer with 19 points and eight rebounds. She was the first Cardinal to score in the first quarter and helped to get the second quarter off to a good start with two 3’s (of her three total) in a row plus a 2.

Chloe was the other Cardinal in double figures with 11 points, including the other two of the team’s five 3’s.

It was a back-and-forth game with nine lead changes and seven ties. One of those ties came at the end of the fourth quarter, 60-60. Hence the OT.

Stanford was ahead for about 31 minutes during the game. Its biggest lead was 13 points in the third quarter. Portland was ahead by just four points in the second.

The Maples crowd was sparse – only 1,106. The upper area was roped off on all four sides.

The Band and Tree were there, but no cheerleaders or Dollies.

The student section was sparse, probably because it was finals week. The last finals were slated for March 21, so it’s likely that some students might have left for spring break, which ends with the start of spring quarter on March 31.

Now the team and fans are left to wonder what if and to look forward to next season.

 

 

 

Early exit from first ACC tournament

 

Shay Ijiwoye (center,) Jzaniya Harriel (left) and Kennedy Umeh warm up. (Stanford Athletics)

Playing in the first round of its first-ever ACC tournament, the Stanford women’s basketball team lost to Clemson 63-46 on March 5 in Greensboro, N.C. Thus the team finished with a 16-14 record overall.

At first the game looked promising as the Cardinal got off to an 8-4 start early in the first quarter, but the Tigers rallied and had an 11-10 lead when the buzzer sounded.

In this game attended by more than 6,900, Clemson’s lead expanded from then on, leading to the 17-point Stanford loss.

Clemson surpassed Stanford in nearly every category. Perhaps the worst discrepancy was in 3-point shooting.

Clemson connected on eight of its long-range shots. Stanford saw only three go through the net, accounting for a 15-point difference.

Sophomore guard Chloe Clardy, sophomore forward Courtney Ogden and junior guard Tess Heal each had one trey.

Perhaps the best news that day was that sophomore forward Nunu Agara, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, was finally able to play after missing several games with an injury.

She wasn’t in her usual starting slot, but she entered the game late in the first half and went on to play just over 17 minutes. During that time, she had eight points, second-highest on the team, to go with three rebounds and two steals.

Courtney led the team with 13 points, the only Cardinal in double figures. Clemson had three players in double figures.

Although NCAA tournament teams won’t be announced until 5 p.m. PT March 16 on ESPN, Stanford’s chances look dim.

If it doesn’t make the cut, it will be the first time since 1987 that it was left out.  “That 37-season streak was the second-longest in women’s college basketball,” after Tennessee with 42. Yahoo Sports reported.

Instead, the team might make it to the WNIT or WBIT. The 48 WNIT teams will be announced right after the NCAA tournament announcement.

The WBIT will have a 32-team bracket that also will be announced March 16. It's the second year of the event, according to NCAA.com.

In the post-game press conference, head coach Kate Paye said the team is open to playing in another tournament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team completes regular season with two home wins

 

Shay and Elena celebrate the win over Georgia Tech. (Nhat V.. Meyer (Bay Area News Group)

The Stanford women’s basketball team completed its regular season with two home victories: 86-69 over Miami on Feb. 27 and 87-82 over Georgia Tech on March 2.

14 3’s help in victory over Miami

After the lead seesawed during the first half, the team tightened its defense and sharpened its offense to emerge with its 86-69 win over the Miami Hurricanes.

Stanford got off to a hot start with an 8-0 lead about two minutes into the first quarter before Miami got into the scoring column.

After that, the team eked out a one-point edge at the half and then outscored Miami by a total of 16 in the second half.

Scoring was boosted by 14 3’s. They came courtesy of sophomore guard Chloe Clardy with four, senior forward Brooke Demetre and sophomore forward Courtney Ogden with three each, senior guard Elena Bosgana with two, and freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye and junior guard Tess Heal with one each.

Brooke led four players in double figures with 19 points, followed by Courtney with 18, Chloe with 16 and Elena with 15. Tess wasn’t far behind with nine points.

One indication of the solid offense was the assist total of 23, compared with 13 by Miami. Stanford also had more rebounds and fewer turnovers, 11-15.

Stanford’s tight second-half defense led to three shot-clock violations by the visitors.

As was true in the following game, the Cardinal still were without the services of high-scoring sophomore forward Nunu Agara as well as freshman forward Harper Peterson and junior guard Talana Lepolo. Talana has missed much of this season and is expected to redshirt, giving her an extra season of eligibility after her senior year.

Because the game was sponsored by Stanford Health and Wellness as part of American Heart Month, two physicians from that department took the court.

Dr. Tamara Dunn, clinical associate professor in the Division of Hematology, sang the national anthem. Vascular surgeon Lizzie George, a Stanford grad who was on the women’s soccer team, accepted the honorary game ball.

Alums Lacie Hull (left) and Fran Belibi enjoy the Miami game. (Stanford Athletics)

The more than 3,300 people at the game included SWBB alums Fran Belibi,’23, and Lacie Hull, ’22. Fans may remember Fran for her dunking ability and Lacie as the twin sister of Lexie, who plays for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

Team withstands Georgia Tech’s onslaught

All looked rosy with a 13-point lead after the first quarter of the Georgia Tech game on March 2, but the Yellow Jackets kept rallying, but not enough to avoid an 87-82 loss to Stanford.

The loud crowd of 4,400 helped to cheer the victory. Many were wearing the T-shirts given out that day.

Elena and Brooke show off the T-shirts for the Georgia Tech game. (Stanford Athletics)

Because it was Senior Day, head coach Kate Paye presented flowers to GT’s two seniors before the game.

And in honor of Elena, who hails from Greece, the Greek national anthem preceded “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Elena started the game and made Stanford’s second basket, a 3-pointer, one of the two she made in leading the team’s scoring with 19 points.

Four other Cardinal players were in double figures: sophomore forward Mary Ashley Stevenson, 17; Courtney, 16; Chloe, 12; and Brooke, 10.

GT kept the score close as the game continued, thanks in part to its nine 3’s and rebounding advantage, 32-27.

Stanford had five 3’s. Besides Elena’s two, Brooke had two and Tess had one.

GT clogged the 3-point line, but Stanford compensated with mid-range shots and nifty backdoor cuts. Thus Stanford had 52 points in the paint, aided in large part by 18 assists.

The Senior Day ceremony after the game started by honoring the team managers and male practice players.

Elena (left), Jzaniya and Brooke with their Senior Day flowers . (Stanford Athletics)

Following a video featuring outstanding plays by the three seniors, they were introduced one by one alphabetically, starting with Elena. She was saluted by her Greek teammate, junior guard Stavi Papadaki.

Kate called Elena courageous for coming to Stanford without ever having been to the United States, let alone Stanford, because of strict COVID restrictions. She is on Greece’s senior national team and will play with it this summer.

Like her classmates, Elena thanked the fans, staff and teammates for their support.

Tara VanDerveer, who recruited the seniors and coached them for three years until retiring as head coach last season, joined Kate in honoring them.

Talana did the honors in saluting Brooke, whom Kate called mature and unselfish. Brooke’s parents also spoke.

Chloe credited guard Jzaniya Harriel, who redshirted her junior year, with joy and positivity. Jzaniya’s sister said she might go to law school.

On to the ACC tournament

With these two home victories, the team finished with a 16-13 record overall and 8-10 in the ACC. Ranked #11 in the conference, the team will face #14 Clemson at 3:30 p.m. March 5 at the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C. The game will be shown on the ACC Network.

Clemson hosted and won the teams’ previous meeting 65-61 in overtime Jan. 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last regular road games yield split results

 The Stanford women’s basketball team completed its final road trip of the regular season by pulling out an overtime thriller 75-74 at Virginia Tech and then enduring an 89-69 loss at Virginia three days later.

Underclassmen lead the way to OT win

Bolstered by a career-high 30 points by sophomore guard Chloe Clardy and solid performances from some other underclassmen, the team eked out its 75-74 overtime win at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Feb. 20.

The Hokies led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter and outscored or tied the Cardinal in the first three quarters.

However, Stanford surged ahead in the fourth quarter with a 23-16 effort and tight defense, thus tying the game at 63-63 and forcing overtime in front of nearly 4,950 people.

According to Stanford Athletics, freshmen and sophomores together scored 65 of the team’s 75 points.

Sophomore forward Courtney Ogden had 15 points. Despite four fouls, freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye had a career-high 10 points, including the two free throws that iced the win in OT.

Sophomore forward Mary Ashley Stevenson recorded six points and seven rebounds in 43 minutes. Freshman center Kennedy Umeh had four points and two of the team’s nine steals.

Sophomore forward Nunu Agara, who has been the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, is still recovering from a fall at Notre Dame on Feb. 6 and didn’t make the trip.

The two seniors, forward Brooke Demetre and guard Elena Bosgana, got into foul trouble, so they had only eight points between them. Brooke fouled out about four minutes into the fourth quarter.

Virginia Tech dominated the boards, snaring 42 rebounds to Stanford’s 32. The hosts also made more free throws, 20, while Stanford had 14.

Stanford had one more trey with five, courtesy of Chloe with three and Brooke and Courtney with one each.

Also on the plus side, Stanford had 14 turnovers while VT had 22.

Virginia’s treys help to sink Stanford

Visiting the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Feb. 23, the team suffered an 89-69 loss in front of nearly 4,800 people.

Much of UVA’s success came from beyond the 3-point line as the Cavaliers sank 14 treys for 42 points, almost half of its total.

For its part, Stanford had eight 3’s, thanks to Elena and Brooke with three each, and Shay and Chloe with one each.

Courtney led the team with a career-high 17 points as well as eight rebounds.

Brooke with 15 points and Elena with 11 also were in double figures.

Stanford actually had more rebounds, 41-37, and assists, 22-19. However, it committed 15 turnovers while UVA had nine.

UVA came out of the gate fast, besting Stanford 25-9 in the first quarter. The visitors outscored the hosts in the second and fourth quarter, but not enough to stave off the loss.

The team returns home to host Miami at 7 p.m. PT Feb. 27 and Georgia Tech at 2 p.m. March 2 for Senior Day. ACCNX will stream both games.

The ACC tournament starts March 5 in Greensboro, NC.

 

 

Home stand yields two wins

 

Chloe had 14 points and a team-high 12 assists against Syracuse. (Supriya Limage/ISI Photos)

The Stanford women’s basketball team completed its penultimate home stand by notching two wins: 79-58 over Syracuse on Feb. 13 and 80-75 over Boston College on Feb. 16, thus raising its season record to 13-12.

No Nunu? No problem

Just over 2,900 people braved the Bay Area’s latest atmospheric river by going to Maples on Feb. 13.

They were rewarded by seeing the team defeat the visiting Syracuse Orange.

Redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel was in uniform after missing several games, but she didn’t play.

Sophomore forward Nunu Agara was still out after falling hard early in the Notre Dame game and missing the Louisville game the previous weekend. Freshman forward Harper Peterson and sophomore guard Talana Lepolo were out, too.

Nunu had been the team’s leading scorer, but there was plenty of scoring in this game as five players were in double figures.

Senior guard Elena Bosgana led the way with 18 points plus 11 rebounds and both of the team’s two blocks.

Junior guard Tess Heal was right behind her with 17 points.

Senior forward Brooke Demetre and sophomore guard Chloe Clardy both had 14 points. Chloe also had a team-high 12 assists. Two of her points came from free throws during the fourth quarter after Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack was assessed a technical foul.

Sophomore forward Mary Ashley Stevenson completed the quintet of double-figure players with 12 points.

Another reason to cheer this victory is that Brooke broke out of a recent shooting slump by making three 3’s in a row during the first quarter.

Tess also had three 3’s. Chloe and Elena each had two of the team’s 10 3’s.

The Cardinal led the entire way, ending each quarter with a double-digit lead.

Freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye had, from my perspective, what should have been a game highlight when she made a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter, but the referees ruled it was too late.

Stanford dominated in most statistics except turnovers, committing 12 to Syracuse’s 11. Notably, Stanford had a 21-8 advantage in assists.

In honor of Black History Month, the Stanford Federal Credit Union handed out commemorative T-shirts.

Preceding the usual national anthem, which was sung by a trio of Black students, a Black woman student sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” considered the Black national anthem.

Tess led the scoring against Boston with 23 points. (Al Chang/ISI Photos)

Boston College keeps things close

Things weren’t quite as easy Feb. 16 when Boston College came to visit. Stanford eked out an 80-75 win.

It looked easy about halfway through the first quarter when the home team had a 10-point edge, but Boston rallied to take a 21-20 lead when the buzzer sounded.

The lead bounced around after that, leaving no one a chance to sit back and relax – much less the players.

For example, each team had 11 3’s. Tess had five for Stanford, followed by Brooke with three. Chloe, Elena and sophomore forward Courtney Ogden each had one.

Tess led the team overall scoring with 23 points. Also in double digits were Brooke with 21 and Elena with 15.

Nunu didn’t start, but she came in to applause about midway through the first quarter. However, she played less than a total of seven minutes for the game and added two rebounds and an assist.

Jzaniya also saw limited action, just over three minutes, and had two assists. Talana and Harper were still out, but Harper wasn’t wearing a boot.

Assists were an area where Stanford dominated, 20-9. On the other hand, it had 18 turnovers to BC’s 15. BC’s 11 steals contributed to Stanford’s turnovers.

The game ended on an almost comical note because of clock issues. The clock initially showed 3.2 seconds left with Stanford in possession.

However, it didn’t start right away, so the referees did a review to see how much time actually was left. They said 2.5 seconds, but the clock managers varied it from too little to too much time until finally hitting upon right setting.

At that point, Tess made two free throws to ice the win.

Because it was National Girls and Women in Sports Day, women from other Stanford sports oversaw activities for youngsters in the concourses before the game.

Betty Ann Hagenau, the usual announcer, wasn’t there. Andrew Scott Knox, who usually leads activities during breaks, filled in for her.

Among the more than 3,500 people at the game was Karlie Samuelson, ’17, sitting with retired head coach Tara VanDerveer and retired associate head coach Amy Tucker.

The team hits the road again with games at Virginia Tech at 5 p.m. PT Feb. 20 and Virginia at 3 p.m. PT on Feb. 23. ACCN will show both games.

Fans learn about Lifetime Cardinal

After the game, an information session about Lifetime Cardinal filled Kissick Auditorium.

Lifetime Cardinal was formed to provide financial support to Stanford student athletes. It responds to the changing collegiate athletic atmosphere that allows players to be paid for NIL, or name, image, likeness.

It has led to players being lured from one school to another with financial rewards.

“We want to have great players” and keep them, head coach Kate Paye said. “We have to be competitive.”

That’s where Lifetime Cardinal comes in. Fans can make tax-deductible donations and direct them to a specific team, such as women’s basketball.

For specific details and directions on donating, go to www.lifetimecardinal.com.  

 

 

 

Three time zones, two losses

 

Playing on Eastern time, which is three hours ahead of Pacific time, the Stanford women’s basketball team came away with two losses, dropping its season record to below .500, 11-12.

The team lost 96-47 to Notre Dame on Feb. 6 and 74-65 to Louisville on Feb. 9.

The loss at Notre Dame on Feb. 6 marked a record for the team, but it wasn’t a record anyone wanted: The Irish handed the Cardinal its largest margin of defeat in program history.

The previous record was a 96-51 loss to Long Beach State on March 10, 1983. The team’s 29 turnovers were just short of the 30-turnover record reached four times, most recently against UConn on Dec. 21, 2007, Stanford Athletics reported.

The team suffered another loss, too, when its leading scorer, sophomore forward Nunu Agara, fell hard onto her backside just five minutes into the game. Aided by trainer Katelin Knox, she was able to walk to the locker room.

She returned to the bench later but didn’t return to action. No word on her status was available.

The score was 9-6 in Notre Dame’s favor when Nunu went down, but the host team’s superior offense and relentless defense kept widening the gap in front of the crowd of more than 7,500.

The second quarter was perhaps the worst. Notre Dame outscored Stanford 33-7, giving the Irish a 50-15 lead at the half. It continued downhill after that. “There’s no space for Stanford to breathe offensively,” a TV announcer said.

With 10 points, junior guard Tess Heal was the only Cardinal in double figures. Making two of the team’s six 3’s boosted her total.

The other 3’s came from freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye, sophomore guard Chloe Clardy, senior guard Elena Bosgana and senior forward Brooke Demetre.

Stanford’s only statistical advantage was in rebounds, 38-35. Freshman center Kennedy Umeh contributed nine while sophomore forward Courtney Ogden had seven.

Louisville hands team another loss

After traveling south through Indiana and across the Ohio River to Louisville, Ky., the team made a better showing but still lost 74-65 on Feb. 9 before a crowd of more than 8,000.

Because Nunu was unavailable after her fall at Notre Dame, sophomore forward Mary Ashley Stevenson took her place in the starting lineup. She wound up being one of four Stanford players in double figures with 15.

That was just behind Chloe, who led the team with 16. Elena with 14 (plus 10 rebounds) and Tess with 10 also were in double figures.

Stanford actually led Louisville 15-13 after the first quarter and outscored the host team 31-22 in the fourth.

However, the second and third quarters were the team’s undoing, when Louisville amassed 39 points to Stanford’s 19.

Stanford stayed close in the final quarter but had to foul deliberately in hopes of getting the ball as the clock ticked down. That strategy backfired as Louisville made all but two of its free throws in the quarter. It also caused Elena to foul out with less than a minute to go.

Both teams had 18 turnovers, but Louisville grabbed more rebounds. It also had more 3’s, six. Stanford had only two, both by Chloe.

Returning to Maples, Stanford will host Syracuse at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 (on ACCN) and Boston College at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 (ACCNX).

 

 

 

Home stand yields mixed results

Lion dancers entertain the crowd at the Pitt game. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos)

The Stanford women’s basketball completed a home stand by defeating Pittsburgh 58-46 on Jan. 30 and nearly upsetting the University of North Carolina, then-ranked #15 by the AP, 67-69 on Feb. 2.

The Pitt game marked the host team’s fewest points so far this season, but it still had some bright spots.

One was 100 percent accuracy at the free-throw line, 15-15. Rebounds were another with career highs for sophomore forward Courtney Ogden with nine and sophomore guard Chloe Clardy with seven of the team’s 42.

Senior forward Brooke Demetre tied a career high with three of the team’s five blocks.

Elena welcomes her parents from the family's home in Greece. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos)

Chloe and senior guard Elena Bosgana led with team with 14 points each. Elena’s parents, Elisavet and Georgios Bosgana, came from her home country of Greece to visit her and see her play at Stanford for the first time in her collegiate career.

Courtney and sophomore forward Nunu Agara also were in double figures with 10 points each.

The starting lineup for both games featured Nunu, Chloe, Brooke, Elena and freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye.

Three players – junior guard Talana Lepolo, redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel and freshman forward Harper Peterson – were with the team but unavailable for both games, leaving Stanford with 11 active players. Harper was in a boot.

Scoring was anemic in the first quarter with Stanford ahead only 11-8. Each team scored only eight points in the second quarter, and neither team hit a trey in the first half.

Elena electrified the crowd of just over 2,800 by scoring a buzzer-beater after a fast break to end the half. By then the score was only 19-14.

Chloe broke the 3-point ice shortly into the third quarter. The team went on to add three more 3’s in that quarter and another in the fourth for a total of five. Chloe and Courtney had two 3’s each while Elena had one.

Pitt was 0-15 from behind the arc.

Marking the start of the Lunar New Year, Stanford handed out red fans with a Year of the Snake logo. The Stanford Lion Dance Team of four lions with two dancers each plus two percussionists entertained the crowd at halftime.

Oh so close in UNC game

Stanford trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter of the UNC game but nearly pulled off the upset before losing 67-69 on Feb. 2.

The score tightened considerably in the fourth quarter and actually was tied, 62-62, with under four minutes to go.

Nunu drives to the basket against UNC. .(Supriya Limage/ISI Photos)

Nunu had game highs with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Chloe also was in double figures with 15 points.

UNC did much of its damage by making nine 3’s while Stanford had only three with one each from Nunu, Chloe and Elena.

On the other hand, Stanford made 18 of 19 free throws while UNC made two of four.

Commenting at the Behind the Bench after the game, assistant coach Heather Oesterle said, “We’re building something really special here.” She was referring to improvements the team and individual players have made.

Talana (left), Jzaniya and Harper show off their Pink Game T-shirts.(Supriya Limage/ISI Photos)

It was the annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness. The players wore black warm-up T-shirts reading “Play for Kay” on the back, referring to the late North Carolina State coach who died of breast cancer.  “Hope, Strength, Courage” were on the front.

Fans received pink baseball caps.

Halftime entertainment for the crowd of more than 4,100, featured Grace Good, an “America’s Got Talent” winner who showed her ability to twirl several hoops at once, sometimes while standing on a large ball.

The team hits the road for the next two games, playing Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, at 5:30 p.m. PT Feb. 6 and Louisville at 9 a.m. PT Feb. 9. ESPN will televise the Notre Dame game. The Louisville game will be on ESPN2

Cal edges past home team despite strong comeback

Shay battles for the ball. (Scott Strazzante/SF Chronicle)

 

The Stanford women’s basketball team mounted a strong comeback, but it wasn’t quite enough as the visiting Cal team won 75-72 on Jan. 23.

Still, it represented a significant improvement from the Dec. 13 shellacking the team suffered at Cal, which won 83-63.

The game at Maples looked as if it might turn out the same when Cal held a 19-point lead about halfway through the third quarter.

However, Stanford ramped up its defense, using a full-court press to force Cal turnovers that led to Stanford baskets, cutting the deficit to 13 points by the end of that quarter. This defense also forced the shot clock to wind down when Cal had possession, leading to some desperation shots.

Stanford outscored Cal by 10 points in the fourth quarter and edged ever closer to a win, but it wasn’t to be.

In addition to the tougher defense later in the game, there were other bright spots, such as sophomore guard Chloe Clardy’s game-high and career-high 22 points.

And freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye continued to improve, scoring eight points and chipping in with three assists and three steals while committing only two turnovers. However, she fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

That foul came with less than three minutes left to play and Stanford just two points behind. A Cal player went to the foul line. Shay and a Cal player both fell, and the Cal player was temporarily hurt (but returned later). After refs had reviewed the play, they called a flagrant foul on Shay.  Thus Cal got two made foul shots, possession and another basket, ending the comeback.

As usual, sophomore forward Nunu Agara was a key factor with her 19 points, six of them from her two 3’s late in the game. Sophomore guard Courtney Ogden and senior guard Elena Bosgana each had one.

Elena’s trey was the first score by either team, lending some hope to the evening.

Overall, Cal had 18 turnovers to Stanford’s 17. The referees whistled Cal for 23 fouls and Stanford for 21. Both numbers led to some dissatisfaction among the nearly 4,600 fans, including a vocal Cal contingent.

Cal’s fouls included a technical on head coach Charmin Smith late in the third quarter.

Redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel was back with the team after missing the two games in North Carolina. She played less than a minute and was on the exercise bike when the team returned from the halftime break. There was no report on her status.

The team gets to stay home another week with Pittsburgh scheduled to visit at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 and North Carolina visiting at noon Feb. 2. ACCNX will stream the Pittsburgh game. The North Carolina game will be available on CW.

 

 

Mixed results in North Carolina

 

Nunu and Brooke are in sync against Wake Forest. (Stanford Athletics)

The Stanford women’s basketball team spent nearly a week in North Carolina and left with its first-ever ACC road win, 74-71, over Wake Forest on Jan. 16, followed by a 49-74 loss to Duke on Jan. 19.

The margin against Wake Forest was much wider for the first three quarters. Stanford had a 19-point advantage once during the third quarter, which ended with the visitors up 58-42 before a relatively sparse crowd of just over 900.

Wake Forest dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Stanford 29-16, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win for the home team.

This game was highlighted by junior guard Tess Heal’s 24 points, thanks in part to her six 3’s, four of them in the first quarter.

Thus she accounted for half of the team’s 12 3’s. Sophomore guard Chloe Clardy had two, as did senior forward Brooke Demetre. Sophomore forward Nunu Agara and senior guard Elena Bosgana added one each.

Nunu was right behind Tess with 23 points. They were the only two Stanford players in double figures.

Stanford dominated Wake Forest in most statistical categories such as rebounds (37-24) and assists (16-9).

However, Wake Forest had 11 steals, while Stanford had four. Wake Forest’s steals contributed to Stanford’s 17 turnovers, a costly issue.

One item of note is that freshman center Kennedy Umeh entered the game during the third quarter. It was her first game action for quite some time. She played just over two minutes and had a rebound as well as a turnover.

Blue Devils dominate Cardinal 74-49

Stanford trailed by only four points against Duke after the first quarter, but Duke poured in 25 points to Stanford’s seven in the second. Stanford actually outscored Duke in the third, but Duke took over and came out ahead by 25 points for the game.

Nunu was the only Stanford player in double figures with 15 points plus 10 rebounds.

Of note is that two freshmen helped out. Guard Shay Ijiwoye had eight points as a starter, and Kennedy came off the bench to add six points and four rebounds.

On the other hand, Tess, who had led the way against Wake Forest, was scoreless in just over nine minutes off the bench.

The team’s only four 3’s came from Shay, Chloe, Brooke and sophomore guard Courtney Ogden.

And then there were the turnovers – 20, half of them from Duke steals– while Duke had only nine turnovers.

The crowd of more than 4,700 included athletic director Bernard Muir and retired head coach Tara VanDerveer.

The team gets to stay home for a week, hosting Cal at 7 p.m. PT Jan. 23. ACCNX will stream the game.

 

Mixed results in two home games

 

Happy players and coaches celebrate the FSC win. (John Lozano/ISI Photos)

The Stanford women’s basketball team made a happy, welcome return to Maples by defeating Florida State 89-84 on Jan. 9, thus notching its first-ever ACC win.

The results weren’t quite as happy three days later on Jan. 12, when the team hosted North Carolina State and lost 81-67.

FSU came into the meeting with a 13-2 record overall and 3-0 in the ACC, while Stanford was 8-5 and 0-3, respectively.

Playing in front of more than 2,600 fans, the Cardinal apparently weren’t impressed with the Seminoles’ record and led for most of the game.  The home team led by as much as 17 points in the second quarter, but the visitors kept chipping away – not by enough to win, though.

Head coach Kate Paye stayed with the recently revised starting lineup: senior guard Elena Bosgana, senior forward Brooke Demetre, sophomore forward Nunu Agara, sophomore guard Chloe Clardy and freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye.

Brooke led the four players in double figures with 24 points. She was followed by Elena with 21 points, plus a game-leading 15 rebounds.

Also in double figures were Nunu with 17 and junior guard Tess Heal with 14.

Both teams tallied 10 3’s. Brooke was responsible for Stanford’s total with five 3’s. The others came from Elena and Tess with two each and Nunu with one.

Although free throws again were a problem overall – 13 of 21 -- that wasn’t the case in the first half, when the team was perfect in that department.

Turnovers also were a sore spot again with 18 compared with FSU’s six. On the other hand, Stanford had the advantage in rebounds, 52-35.

NC State hands team a loss

The starting lineup was the same against NC State, but the scoring output was somewhat different. Chloe led the team with 17 points, her career high, Kate said after the game. She was followed by Nunu and Elena with 14 each.

The team’s seven 3’s came from Chloe with three, Shay with two, and Nunu and Brooke with one each.

Things looked good after the first quarter when Stanford led 18-12.

However, the wheels came off during the second and third quarters, giving NC State a 25-point lead, 68-43. At that point, some of the more than 3,700 people at the game headed for the exits.

Stanford refused to go away, though, outscoring NC State 24-13 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the previous deficits.

In some ways, too, the turnover story was the same as in some past games. Stanford amassed 18 miscues, while NC State had 12.

On the other hand, Stanford had a slight advantage in rebounds, 38-36.

NC State won with better shooting, 47.1 percent vs. 41.5 percent. Both teams made all of their free throws.

After the game, associate head coach Tempie Brown introduced three of the sophomores: Nunu, Chloe and guard Mary Ashley Stevenson.

Joining them, Kate said she and the coaches knew this would be a tough game, but “I think we’ve made progress this weekend.”

She praised her coaching staff and several players, including Shay, whom she called the Energizer Bunny.

Coming up next, the team travels to the East Coast and across three time zones to face Wake Forest at 3 p.m. PT Jan. 16 and Duke at 10 a.m. PT Jan. 19, both in North Carolina.

The team travels by charter on planes that have Wi-Fi, giving players a chance to keep up with their classes, Kate said.

ACCNX will stream the Wake Forest game. The Duke game will be televised on ESPN/ESPN2.