Bright spots in loss to Oregon

Players on the bench celebrate a good play. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

If there’s such a thing as a moral victory in Stanford women’s basketball team’s 66-74 home loss to Oregon on Feb. 24, it’s that the score was a big improvement over the 55-87 pasting the Cardinal endured in Eugene on Jan. 16.

Thus Stanford held Oregon to 13 fewer points and narrowed the gap to 8 points.

Although news coverage was all about the Ducks’ Sabrina Ionescu and her ongoing records, sophomore guard Lexie Hull had a good night, too. She scored a team-high 27 points, the same as Oregon’s Satou Sabally.

Fired up, Lexie runs down the court. (Stanford Athletics)

Lexie pours in six treys

The bulk of Lexie’s points came from her career-high six 3-pointers. She tallied five rebounds, five assists, two steals, a block and no turnovers in 35 minutes.

Junior guard Kiana Williams also was in double figures with 14 points, including two 3’s. She added three rebounds, four assists but had three turnovers in 39 minutes.

While they were the only Cardinal players in double figures, five others scored.

In all, the team had 11 3’s. Besides Lexie’s six and Kiana’s two, freshman forward Ashten Prechtel had two, and senior forward Nadia Fingall had one.

A determined Nadia goes for a layup. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Stanford snares more rebounds

Stanford out-rebounded Oregon 36-34. Each team had 13 assists. Oregon had 13 turnovers, Stanford 12.

The first quarter ended 8-18 in Oregon’s favor, largely because  Stanford shot a miserable 17.6 percent, while the visitors shot 50 percent.

Stanford’s percentage rose to 30 at the half, but Oregon led 22-32. By then the Cardinal had had no opportunities at the free-throw line but had held Sabrina to 6 points and four rebounds.

The third quarter found the Cardinal in an 18-point hole, 38-56. The home team actually outscored the visitors 28-18 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The Cardinal shot 39.1 percent for the game, the Ducks 48.2 percent.

Sabrina rewrites records

Sabrina had had a hectic day. In the morning, she spoke at the Los Angeles memorial service for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, who were killed along with seven others in a helicopter crash in Southern California last month.

She reportedly was suffering flu-like symptoms when she arrived at Maples and didn’t come out for warm-ups.

Nevertheless, she raised her ongoing Division I NCAA record (men and women) of triple-doubles to 26 with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists; passed 1,000 career rebounds (1,003) and became the first player to pass 2,000 points (2,467) and 1,000 assists (1,041), according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Besides Nadia, Lexie and Kiana, the starters were junior forward Maya Dodson and sophomore guard Lacie Hull. Three guards – senior DiJonai Carrington, sophomore Jenna Brown and freshman Haley Jones – were still unavailable.

Stephen Curry (in green shirt) and Russell Wilson join Tara and the team in the locker room. (Stanford Athletics)

Warriors’ Curry attends game 

Maples was roaring with 6,511 fans, most for Stanford but a substantial number for Oregon. Among the latter was Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who sat courtside behind the Stanford basket. Anna Wilson's brother, Russell, was there with his wife to support Stanford.

The evening began with a well-received rendition of the national anthem by a chorus of youngsters from Bullis Charter School of Los Altos, who warmed up in the east concourse before the game.

Because it was the Breast Cancer Awareness game, Stanford’s home white uniforms were trimmed in pink. Stanford Medicine gave out free pink socks and pompons before the game.

Halftime was highlighted by a man who made a Copy the Cardinal trick shot – a free throw while seated on the floor. He made it on his first try and won $300. Usually the prize is $100, but this shot hadn’t been made this season until now.

Record assures a tournament bye

This loss to Oregon leaves Stanford with a 24-4 record, while Oregon is 26-2. It’s 15-1 in the Pac-12 

Conference, while Stanford is 13-3. Nevertheless, Stanford is assured of a first-round bye in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.

This was Stanford’s last regular-season home game, but the team is hoping for a high NCAA tournament seed that would allow it to be a host for the first two rounds.

Before then, the Cardinal will travel to the desert to face Arizona at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 and Arizona State at 11 a.m. March 1. Pac-12 networks will televise both games.

Cardinal hold off surge by Beavers

Nadia and fans are fired up with Stanford still in the lead in the final minutes. (Stanford Athletics)

Riding high after a sweep of the mountain schools the previous weekend, the Stanford women’s basketball team returned home and endured some ups and downs in its 63-60 win over Oregon State on Jan. 21.

The ups were first that the team won, but it nearly blew a 14-point lead with about seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The game had seemed well in hand before OSU mounted a comeback but fell short. Still, OSU outscored Stanford by 6 points, 15-9, in that quarter.

Also on the plus side was the team’s defensive intensity, often preventing OSU from shooting until the shot clock had nearly expired.

OSU perfect at the stripe

On the other hand, that tough defense led to 12 fouls (some protested vociferously by the crowd of 3,745). When those fouls led to free throws, OSU didn’t miss a one, going 12-for-12 at the line.

OSU had 11 fouls, but Stanford made only eight of 12 free throws. Its first free-throw opportunity didn’t come until early in the third quarter.

Two of the eight made free throws came from junior guard Kiana Williams after a technical on an OSU coach later in the third.

Rebounds also were a sore point, with OSU gathering in 40, 28 of them defensive, to Stanford’s 34, 22 defensive.

Kiana drives against an OSU defender.(AP Jeff Chiu)

Kiana leads the team

As she was at the mountain schools, Kiana helped to save the day by playing all 40 minutes and scoring 24 points. Thus she scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time this season, according to the Associated Press.

No other Cardinal player was in double figures. Senior guard Anna Wilson came closest with 8 points. Sophomore guard Lexie Hull added 6 as did junior forwards Alyssa Jerome and Maya Dodson.

Playing in only her third game this season, Maya was in the starting lineup along with Kiana, Lexie, sophomore guard Lacie Hull and senior forward Nadia Fingall, who, uncharacteristically, didn’t score.

Tara praises Maya

Head coach Tara VanDerveer credited Maya’s defense for helping the No. 4 Cardinal hold off the No. 15 OSU, AP reported.

“Maya is a difference maker,” Tara said in the post-game press conference. “She changes things for us.”

Very much on the bright side, the team had only one turnover in the first three quarters and only four turnovers for the game, while OSU had 10.

Kiana made three of the team’s seven 3-pointers. Anna and Alyssa had two each.

Jenna joins the injured list

Attrition also could have hurt the Cardinal as sophomore guard Jenna Brown, who has looked good in recent games, joined freshman guard Haley Jones and senior guard DiJonai Carrington in street clothes.

Haley, who was injured five weeks ago at Oregon State, was still wearing a leg brace, but it looked different from the one she had worn previously, and it allowed freer but still limited movement.

Leading off the 8 p.m. game, the St. Simon Parish School chorus of Los Altos sang the national anthem. It merited a roar of approval when the youngsters lifted small USA flags about two-thirds of 

the way through the song.

The crowd also applauded timeout appearances by the women’s softball and lacrosse teams as well as a videoboard shot of Kayla Pedersen, ’11.

Rocky Mountain highs

The team had returned from its trip to the mountain schools not only with two wins but with some very happy memories.

For example, the 97-64 score over Utah on Feb. 14 marked the most points an SWBB team had made in a conference game since 2011.

That Valentine’s Day total included 15 3’s recorded by seven players, led by Kiana and Lexie with four each. They were among four players in double figures.

Maya makes welcome return

Perhaps the happiest event of all was Maya’s game debut after missing all previous games this season because of an injury. Playing a cautious nine minutes, she nevertheless contributed 7 points on perfect shooting, plus a rebound, a steal and a block.

Against Colorado on Feb. 16, she played 15 minutes and again was productive with six points and four rebounds. She had no turnovers in either game.

Jubilant coaches and staff exult as her teammates engulf Kiana (seen above the ref's head) after her 13 seconds of game-saving heroics against Colorado. (Photo by Cliff Grassmick/Boulder Daily Camera)

However, the most memorable part of that game was what Kiana did. It probably will take its place among legendary individual accomplishments like Jeanette Pohlen’s, ’11, 4.4-second cross-court run to make the game-winning layup against Xavier in 2010. This victory sent Stanford to the Final Four in San Antonio.

Kiana saves the day

With a mere 13 seconds to go, Kiana hit a game-tying 3, then stole the ball and hit a 3 from 40 feet out with just 4 seconds left, giving the team a 69-66 win.

She finished the game with career highs of 29 points and seven 3’s. Together, she and five of her teammates had 14 3’s.

The two mountain victories boosted Stanford to No. 4 from No. 8 in AP’s weekly poll, released Feb. 17.

Next up for the Cardinal is Oregon in Maples at 6 p.m. Feb. 24. ESPN2 will televise the game.

Team honors seniors after beating USC

Seniors and their families gather with Tara at center court.

After enduring a 10-point home loss to UCLA two days earlier, the Stanford women’s basketball team rebounded with a resounding 79-59 victory over USC on Feb. 9, also at home.

Playing in front of a loud crowd of 5,221, the Cardinal got off to a fast start against USC, leading 13-0 until the Trojans finally made a 3-pointer with just over six minutes to go in the first quarter.

The first quarter ended 28-6. By then, five Stanford players had popped in six 3’s.

The total had risen to 11 3’s by the end of the game with six players joining in. They were led by sophomore guard Lexie Hull with three.

Senior guard Anna Wilson, junior guard Kiana Williams and freshman guard Hannah Jump each had two, while junior forward Alyssa Jerome and freshman forward Ashten Prechtel chipped in one each.

Three players were in double figures: Lexie with 14 and Ashten and senior forward Nadia Fingall with 11 each.

USC never had a lead, while Stanford enjoyed as much as a 33-point advantage.

Two reasons to celebrate

It was a day of double celebrations. First, it was National Girls and Women in Sports Day, when a number of girls groups attended and several women’s sports teams had exhibits. The volleyball team was honored for its second consecutive national championship and its third in four years.

It also was Senior Day when Anna, Nadia and guards DiJonai Carrington and Mikaela Brewer were saluted after the game.

That was an emotional time when those four plus two male practice players were introduced with family members.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer pointed out that even though there are two more home games – Oregon State on Feb. 21 and Oregon on Feb. 24 – neither is convenient for family members.

Underclass players salute seniors

Each senior was saluted by an underclassman, starting with junior forward Maya Dodson, emotionally lauding Mikaela, who “has gone through a lot of battles” and emerged victorious.

(By then, athletic trainer Katelin Knox had fetched a box of tissues for the tears, which flowed throughout the ceremony.)

Mikaela gets into action against USC.

Mikaela responded, “I’ve grown so much.” Noting that she’s minoring in creative writing, she said she has written a novel that she hopes to have published. Because she hasn’t had much time at home in Canada, she plans to spend time with family next year.

Kiana spoke of DiJonai as being “like a big sister that I never had.”

Tara added, “It’s been tough not seeing Di out there” because of an injury, but there’s still hope that she’ll be back.

DiJonai said, “I’m grateful for all my time here.”

References to big sisters

The big sister theme arose again when Maya talked about Nadia and their longtime friendship. After suffering a torn ACL last year, “she came back 10 times better, 10 times stronger,” Maya said.

“It’s great to have Nadia playing,” Tara said.

Nadia noted that she suffered her injury against USC at home almost a year ago and said she hopes to play more basketball after graduation.

Alyssa called Anna, an art practice major, “one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.” Anna also was saluted by her older brother, Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.

Tara added, that coaches are “trying to get another year for Anna.” She missed quite a few games because of injuries earlier in her Stanford career and wants a red shirt year.

As for this game, Tara said, “Our team played extremely well.”

Stanford dominates the stat sheet

The dominance shows up in statistics like rebounds, 48-38; assists, 13-7; blocks, 7-2; and steals, 9-7.

Stanford shot 42.1 percent and held USC to 27.7 percent.

The starters were Nadia, Lexie, Alyssa, Kiana and sophomore guard Lacie Hull.

As usual, Nadia and Maya were out. Freshman guard Haley Jones was back with the team after being absent for an injury, but was unable to play for either SoCal game. She was wearing a full-length brace on her right leg.

UCLA beats Stanford by 10

The outcome of the Feb. 7 game against UCLA was different from the USC game, when Stanford lost 69-79 before a crowd of  4,530.

Prior to the tipoff, there was a moment of silence in honor of NBA great Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven other people who died in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Jan. 26.

From left: Maya, Haley, Ashten, DiJonai, Fran, Nadia, Estella and Alyssa show off their Kobe Bryant T-shirts.

In addition, the Stanford players wore black T-shirts with Bryant’s retired numbers 8 and 24 on the front and the names of the victims on the back.

The starters this time were Lexie, Nadia, Lacie, Kiana and Ashten.

Kiana led the team with 25 points. Lacie with 12 and Ashten with 10 also were in double figures. In addition, Ashten had 12 rebounds.

This loss ended the team’s streak of 12 home wins this season and 16 from the past season, when the last loss was an 88-48 thumping by Oregon on Feb. 10, 2019.

Next up for the Cardinal is a road trip to the mountains with Utah at 6 p.m. Feb.14 and Colorado at 11 a.m. Feb. 16. Both games will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.

Photos by Stanford Athletics