Team back to study for finals and road lessons learned

 

Cardinal players celebrate after the victory over Maryland.

After a grueling seven-day road trip, the Stanford women’s basketball team has returned to campus to focus on completing assignments and studying for finals while reflecting on the lessons learned from three wins and one loss on the road.

The trip began in Spokane, where the team defeated Gonzaga 66-62 on Nov. 21. This victory was notable because junior guard Haley Jones, one of the team’s best players, was unavailable from what head coach Tara VanDerveer said was an injury.

Junior forward Fran Belibi and junior guard Hannah Jump helped to replace some of Haley’s scoring with 14 points each. Sophomore forward Cameron Brink added 12 points, and senior guard Lexie Hull had 11.

It then took the team an unexpectedly long 19 hours to get from Spokane to Nassau, The Bahamas, because of delays and a diversion caused by weather in Florida.

Team enjoys victory for Thanksgiving

Playing in a round-robin tournament at the Baha Mar Grand Hyatt, the team, ranked No. 7 in the Nov. 22 AP poll, celebrated Thanksgiving by squeaking past No. 4 Indiana 69-66 on Nov. 25. Haley was back in action but not quite back to her usual form, scoring 8 points in 22 minutes.

Cameron with 21 points (plus 22 rebounds) and Fran with 14 points did the heavy lifting on scoring.

The team’s loss came in the next game, when No. 18 South Florida topped Stanford 57-54 on Nov. 26. Once again, Cameron led the team in scoring with 23 points (plus 11 rebounds). Freshman guard Brooke Demetre came off the bench to add 14 points.

Although many factors go into a win or loss, the most glaring one in this game came at the free-throw line. Stanford cashed in on only four of 12 attempts, while South Florida made eight of 11, a 4-point advantage in its 3-point win.

Maryland falls 86-67

Stanford got back on the winning track the next day, Nov. 27, routing No. 2 Maryland 86-67 for the largest margin of victory over a top two team.

Giving Maryland the benefit of a doubt, however, it had only seven available players.

On the other side, junior forward Ashten Prechtel didn’t suit up because she was ill. Cameron didn’t start the game after reportedly throwing up in a trash can.  Nevertheless, she got in and managed to add 8 points in nine minutes. On Nov. 29 she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Haley was closer to her usual self with 15 points (plus 13 rebounds) in 31 minutes. Also scoring 15 points were Fran and Lexie.

Hannah was the heroine against Maryland.

Hannah starts, makes seven 3’s

Starting in Cameron’s place, Hannah topped everyone with 21 points, all of them from her seven 3-pointers. All told, the team had 10 3’s.

The 3-1 road record raised Stanford to No. 4 in the Nov. 29 AP poll.

After about a two-week break, the team returns to action at home against Pacific at noon Dec. 12 and UC Davis at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.

Then it’s back on the road to end the nonconference season against Tennessee at 2:15 p.m. Dec. 18 and South Carolina at 4 p.m. Dec. 21. ESPN2 will televise both games.

Photos by Stanford Athletics

 

Home stand ends with loss, win

Standing between the team's trophy and hers, head coach Tara VanDerveer speaks
during the ring ceremony after the Texas game. (Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle)

The Stanford women’s basketball team concluded its four-game home stand by losing to Texas 56-61 on Nov. 14 and defeating Portland 77-55 on Nov. 16.

Starters for both games were senior guards Lexie and Lacie Hull, sixth-year guard Anna Wilson, sophomore forward Cameron Brink and junior guard Haley Jones. Eleven of 15 available players saw some action.

The Texas game was a rough-and-tumble affair with a total of 38 fouls for the teams.

Perhaps Stanford’s biggest problems were turnovers and poor shooting. The game ended with 20 turnovers and 35.4 percent shooting. Texas had only 10 turnovers but 37.7 percent shooting.

On the plus side, Stanford had 37 rebounds to Texas’s 28 and 10 blocks to none by Texas.

Lexie led the team with 16 points plus 11 rebounds, followed by Haley with 15 points.

Only 4 3-point shots go in

Three-point shooting was a dismal 14.8 percent with only four total: two each by Lexie and junior forward Ashten Prechtel. The first 3-point shot didn’t go until about six minutes into the second quarter, when Ashten nailed one to energize the crowd of 3,681.

The first two quarters ended in ties: 10-10 and 25-25. The third quarter ended with Stanford ahead 40-35, but the lead evaporated in the final quarter.

Texas’s defense was tough and physical. Just inbounding the ball was often a challenge for the Cardinal.

2020-21 national champs honored

At halftime, the national championship men’s gymnastics team and women’s artistic swimming teams were introduced.

The afternoon also was a chance to honor the women’s basketball team’s national championship. Before the game, the trophy was displayed in the west concourse where fans could pose for selfies. The first 1,000 fans to arrive received championship T-shirts.

After the game, that trophy was moved to a table at center court, where it was joined by the Naismith Trophy honoring head coach Tara VanDerveer as women’s coach of the year.

The post-game ceremony began with video highlights from the championship game, a 54-53 nail-biter over Arizona.

The championship ring. (Stanford Athletics)

Persis Drell, Stanford provost, presented championship rings to the 12 returning players. Kiana Williams, ’21, the only one who didn’t return, greeted the crowd via video from Australia, where she’s playing professionally with a former Stanford teammate, Alanna Smith, ’19.

Rings also went to athletic administrators, team staff and coaches, ending with Tara.

“We have a great young team,” Tara said. “We’re going to keep improving.”

Co-captains Anna and fifth-year forward Alyssa Jerome spoke briefly before the updated championship board was unveiled on a wall in the southeast corner of Maples.

Portland tries to emulate Texas defense

The game against Portland wasn’t all smooth sailing. After prevailing 43-24 at the half, the host team was nearly hijacked when the Pilots outscored the Cardinal by four points in the third, which nevertheless ended 61-46.

However, Stanford righted the ship in the final quarter and came away with the 22-point win.

Portland apparently took a page from the Texas playbook by applying near-relentless pressure throughout the game, but it didn’t work.

Besides scoring more points, Stanford had more steals, 19-8, and more assists, 20-11, as well as fewer turnovers, 15-32, and fewer fouls, 16-23.

Portland actually had more blocks, 4-6, and rebounds were close, 33-31 in Stanford’s favor. Likewise, Stanford had a slightly higher shooting percentage, 49.2 percent vs. 48.8 percent.

Playing before 2,352 fans, the team was led by Cameron with 21 points.

Haley drives to the basket on her way to a triple-double. (Stanford Athletics)

Haley records a triple-double

Haley added 17 to go with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double. She nearly had 20 points when she sank a half-court shot with 2.6 seconds left in the third quarter, but it was negated by a travel call. It was the team’s first triple-double since Nicole Powell, 04, accomplished the feat in 2002.

Freshman guard Brooke Demetre had 11 points. Freshman forward Kiki Iriafen kicked in nine, adding to accolades for their class.

Stanford had an uncharacteristically low two 3’s, with one each by Lexie and Ashten. Lexie reached the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career when she made two free throws during the third quarter.

Tara used 10 players throughout the game until the final minutes when the outcome was clear. That’s when the rest took over.

Next four games are on the road

After playing its first four games at home, the team takes to the road for the next four, not returning until the Pacific game at noon Dec. 12.

In the meantime, the team will go to Gonzaga at 1 p.m. Nov. 21 (available on SWX), followed by a three-game tournament in the Bahamas during the Thanksgiving break.

Like Stanford at No. 7, the other three teams were ranked in AP’s Nov. 15 poll.

Thus the schedule features Indiana (No. 4) at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 25, South Florida (No. 23) at 9 a.m. Nov. 26 and Maryland (No. 3) at noon Nov. 27. All three games will be available on FloHoops, a subscription service.

 

Season starts with lopsided victory

Lexie shoots on her way to 11 points.

Stanford women’s basketball started its season on a winning note by defeating the visiting Morgan State Bears from Baltimore 91-36 on Nov. 11.

With the score so lopsided, the game provided some insights into the defending national champion’s strengths and weaknesses.

The strengths numbered many, starting with stingy defense. It resulted in only half of Morgan State’s points coming from baskets, just 19.5 percent efficiency. Stanford shot at a 58.2 percent clip.

The visitors made 18 of 25 free throws, resulting from the hosts’ 15 fouls. Stanford made 17 of 26 free throws from Morgan State’s 22 fouls.

All 15 available players got into the game, with 14 scoring and all contributing. Only redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown and freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel were sidelined. Jenna was in street clothes, but Jzaniya was in uniform and took part in warmups.

Coach rotates players

No one played more than 22 minutes as head coach Tara VanDerveer rotated players in and out, apparently looking for the best combos for given situations.

Perhaps the changing combos contributed to the 21 turnovers (Morgan State had 27). Those turnovers came from passes that didn’t get where they were supposed to go or from occasional failure to take care of the ball, giving the opponent 10 steals (Stanford had 14).

Cameron, backed by senior guard Lacie Hull, defends against a Morgan State player.

Even with limited time, five players were in double figures. They were led by junior forward Fran Belibi with 12; senior guard Lexie Hull and junior guard Hannah Jump with 11 each; and sophomore forward Cameron Brink and freshman forward Kiki Iriafen with 10 each.

Stanford outrebounded Morgan State 39-20 and had six blocks to the visitors’ none. Morgan State had only one assist, Stanford 18.

Starters were Lexie, Cameron, Hannah, sixth-year guard Anna Wilson and junior guard Haley Jones.

Visitors have trouble making baskets

Morgan State didn’t score until about four minutes into the game, nailing a 3. That was it for the first quarter, which ended 21-3.

It would have ended 18-3 if Lexie hadn’t been fouled while trying a desperation shot from the backcourt with just one second left. She then made all three free throws.

In the second quarter, which ended 39-19, free throws and two baskets produced Morgan State’s points

The story was much the same in the third quarter, which ended 63-22, with only free throws scoring for Morgan State.

Fran, Hannah team up for last-second heroics

Like the second quarter, this one ended with last-second heroics, thanks to a steal by Fran that led to a 3 by Hannah.

However, that quarter was marred when Anna fell hard, got up holding her hip and headed to the locker room with trainer Katelin Knox. She returned to the bench with an ice pack to start the fourth quarter and didn’t play anymore.

Stanford’s 10 3’s were produced by Hannah and Lexie with three each. Haley, sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek, fifth-year guard Jordan Hamilton and freshman guard Brooke Demetre with one each accounted for the others.

Military veterans are recognized

During halftime of this Veterans Day game, military veterans in the crowd of 2,696 were asked to stand and be honored.

Only a few concessions were open. They don’t accept cash, and customers submit  orders on tablets.

As with the exhibition game with Clarke, the band, Tree, Dollies and cheerleaders were missing.

My complaint about both games was the deafening music during breaks. At times it even continued when play was to resume. It was hard to hear anyone seated nearby. It must have been doubly hard for the coaches and players. I wished I had tucked earplugs into my clear bag.

Up next are home games against Texas at noon Nov. 14 and Portland at 7 p.m. Nov. 16. ESPN will air the Texas game. The Portland game will be seen on the Pac-12 Network.

The first 1,000 fans to arrive at the Texas game will receive championship T-shirts. The players will receive their championship rings in a ceremony after the game. 

Photos by Tony Avelar, Associated Press

Exhibition win gets fans excited

Tara (center) issues instructions during a timeout. (Stanford Athletics)

The Stanford women’s basketball team breezed to a 105-35 exhibition win over Clarke on Nov. 6.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer used all 14 available players in a mix of veterans and newcomers, giving everyone a chance to thrive.

Sidelined players were redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown, sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek and freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel, although she was on the floor for warmups.

Starters were sixth-year guard Anna Wilson at the point, junior guard Haley Jones, senior guard Lexie Hull, sophomore forward Cameron Brink and junior forward Fran Belibi.

The first five scores came from the Haley-Fran show. After that, everyone got into the act. By game’s end, everyone except Lexie had scored, but everyone contributed in some other way, too. No one played more than 18 minutes.

Six score in double figures

Nevertheless, six players were in double figures: Haley with 14; junior guard Hannah Jump, freshman guard Elena Bosgana and freshman forward Kiki Iriafen with 11 each; and Fran and Cameron with 10 each. Kiki also led the team with 11 rebounds.

The team lofted 11 3’s, with three by Hannah; two each by Anna, Elena and fifth-year forward Alyssa Jerome; and one each by senior guard Lacie Hull and freshman guard Brooke Demetre.

Fifth-year guard Jordan Hamilton takes the ball upcourt. (Clarke Athletics)

The Cardinal outperformed the visiting Pride (from Dubuque, Iowa) in all statistical categories.

Great defense stymied Clarke throughout the game, and back-door cuts resulted in several baskets.

Post-game routine changes

After the game, the teams skipped the usual handshakes or fist bumps and merely waved at each other – part of the COVID protocol. Then the victory balls flew.

That protocol requires everyone to show an ID and proof of vaccination at the door. The concessions accept no cash, and orders are submitted on tablets at each stand.

Because it was an exhibition game, there were no cheerleaders, band, Dollies or Tree.

The real season starts at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 when Maryland’s Morgan State comes to call.

Texas is next on the schedule at noon Nov. 14. During a post-game ceremony, the national championship players will receive their rings. The Texas game will be shown on ESPN/2/U.

As the 2,338 fans were leaving Maples, one of them said, “This is going to be an exciting year.” Judging by what the team displayed in the Clarke game, she was exactly right.