Cardinal collar the Huskies

Tara joins the team and Stanford Soul Line Dancers for a post-game celebration dance.

After the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated Washington 77-56 at Maples on Jan. 5, the players celebrated the usual way by tossing victory balls into the crowd.

But then the celebration became even more joyous when some of the men and women from the Stanford Soul Line Dancers, who had entertained at halftime, joined the players for a spontaneous line dance at center court. Even head coach Tara VanDerveer got in on the fun.

Kiana goes for a 3 on her way to 20 points.

For the most part, the game was fun, too, beginning when junior guard Kiana Williams  opened the scoring with a 3-pointer. The host team tallied 9 points before the visitors finally had their first basket, a 3, at the 6:40 mark.

Half ends in a tie

During the seesaw second quarter, though, Washington overcame Stanford’s 19-15 first-quarter lead to tie the game 32-32 at the half.

After the needed halftime adjustments, Stanford poured it on to end the third quarter up 57-47. The Cardinal allowed only 9 Huskie points in the fourth quarter to guarantee the 21-point win.

Kiana’s opening basket was only the beginning for her as she went on to tally game highs of 20 points and nine assists.

Hannah gets free in the corner to shoot for a 3.

Hannah makes five 3’s

Also in double figures for Stanford were freshman guard Haley Jones with 11 and freshman guard Hannah Jump with 17. The bulk of Hannah’s points came from five 3’s, half of the team’s total.

Also recording 3’s were sophomore guard Lexie Hull with one and Kiana with two. Sophomore guard Lacie Hull also had two 3's plus a 2 in just six minutes of playing time. Lacie made her first 3 during the third quarter, right after she had entered the game after sitting out the Washington State game with a sore ankle on Jan. 3.

Lexie leads a fast break.

Lexie came close to a double-double with 9 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The starters were Kiana, Haley, Lexie, freshman forward Fran Belibi and senior forward Nadia Fingall.

By game’s end, all 12 available players got in. Senior guards DiJonai Carrington and Mikaela Brewer were again in street clothes, as was junior forward Maya Dodson, who had been absent for the past two games. None of them wore a boot.

Band and Tree return

Because Stanford’s winter quarter classes were to start the next day, the students were back on campus, thus heralding the return of the band and Tree.

Many in the pumped-up crowd of 3,273 wore the free T-shirts that were available in the concourses before the game, but they were all one size, extra-large. That didn’t deter one small boy who joined the traditional Conga on the Court after the first quarter . He happily wore his shirt, which came down to his ankles.

Overall, Stanford dominated the stat sheet in rebounds, 38-29; assists, 16-10; blocks, 4-1. Steals were even at eight apiece. Stanford had 17 turnovers (more than usual), but Washington had 19.

Stanford shot a respectable 52.5 percent overall, 50 percent from behind the arc and 83.3 percent at the free-throw line.

Thus Stanford started the Pac-12 season 2-0 and upped its overall record to 13-1.

Up next, Cal visits at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 and hosts Stanford at 5 p.m. Jan. 12. Both games will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.

Photos by John Lozano/ISIPhotos.com