Cardinal host and sweep Arizona schools

 

Anna contributed nine points, five rebounds, two assists and four steals against ASU. (AP/Jeff Chiu)

Returning to Maples Pavilion for the first time since the UC Davis game on Dec. 15, fans of Stanford women’s basketball, including the band, Tree and Dollies, saw  the team defeat Arizona State 78-50 on Jan. 28 and Arizona 75-69 on Jan. 30.

Stanford started the ASU game somewhat shorthanded with the unexplained absences of junior guard Hannah Jump and freshman guard Elena Bosgana.

Hannah had moved into the starting lineup recently, so sixth-year guard Anna Wilson stepped in for her.  Although she didn’t match Hannah’s usual output of points, she did produce nine points to go with five rebounds and two assists plus four steals, evidence of her usual tenacious defense.

Trailed by Kiki, Jana drives upcourt against ASU. (AP/Jeff Chiu)

Jana ably fills in for Hannah

Coming into the game later, sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek did her best Hannah imitation with three 3-pointers for a total of nine points.

Four players were in double figures. Logging 12 points each were junior forward Fran Belibi, freshman forward Kiki Iriafen and junior guard Haley Jones, who also had 10 rebounds for a double-double. Sophomore forward Cameron Brink was close behind with 11 points.

Kiki’s 12 points came in only 10 minutes, when she also snared two rebounds and had a block.

The outcome was never in doubt. Stanford led 15-4 after the first quarter, 36-17 after the second and 60-29 after the third, when ASU didn’t make its first basket until more than five minutes into the quarter.

Starters get to rest

The Sun Devils actually outscored the Cardinal 18-21 in the fourth, when all of the starters were on the bench by the time three minutes had elapsed.

Besides Jana’s three 3’s, senior guard Lacie Hull added two more for the team’s total of five.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer used 13 players. As has been true in recent games, freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel was in uniform and warmed up with the team but didn’t play.

Video honors the late John Arrillaga

Before tipoff, Tara appeared in a video paying tribute to John Arrillaga, ’60, who died Jan 24 at the age of 84. After playing basketball on a scholarship at Stanford, he went on to become a successful Silicon Valley real estate investor and one of Stanford’s most generous benefactors.

His donations not only funded scholarships but also paid for renovation or construction of numerous campus facilities, including Maples and Stanford Stadium.

Tara saluted him as a longtime personal friend and said his No. 41 jersey would remain on his seat in the top row of Section 3 above the officials’ table for the rest of the season.

Afterward, the crowd of 2,551 was asked to give him a standing ovation.

Players and coaches celebrate another great play against Arizona. (AP/Josie Lepe)

Arizona rematch even better for Stanford

The Arizona game was a rematch of the national championship game that Stanford won 54-53 in April.

It wasn’t as close this time as Stanford led most of the way before a crowd of 3,479. The first quarter ended 17-16.  

Arizona led only twice, both times briefly in the second quarter, but the home team ended the half 41-33.

The third quarter ended 55-46, leading to the 75-69 victory.

Cameron likes what she sees against Arizona. (Stanford photo)

Cameron leads the way

Sophomore forward Cameron Brink had an epic game with 25 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. As a result of her performance over the weekend, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for the third time on Jan. 31.

Jana continued her Hannah imitation with a career-best 18 points on six 3’s.  Adding to the team’s total of nine 3's were Lacie with two and Cameron with one.

Jana and Cameron were the only two Cardinal players in double figures, but five others scored.

Haley had mixed results with only four points, but she had seven rebounds and a team-high six assists offset by six of the team’s 18 turnovers.

This Tara bobblehead honors the coach of the national champions. (Stanford photo)

Fans get Tara bobbleheads

The first 3,000 fans at Maples received a Tara bobblehead, which is likely to become a coveted collector’s item.

Although Stanford gear dominated the stands, some fans showed up in 49ers apparel in anticipation of the NFC conference championship game against the Rams in Los Angeles. (The Niners lost.)

After the game, fans were treated to a Behind the Bench. Before it began, some players crossed the court to greet family and friends.

Brooke (left), Kiki and Jzaniya speak after the game. (Stanford photo)

Three freshmen meet fans

Associate head coach Kate Paye then came out with three freshmen: Kiki, Jzaniya and guard Brooke Demetre.

“It’s great to see the stands filled with people,” Kate said, calling the game “a huge team win.”

She said that she expects Jzaniya to be in action soon and classmate Elena to return next week. Tara later said that both Elena and Hannah are expected for the next game.

The three freshmen answered several questions from fans and said what their majors might be. Brooke is interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), Kiki in computer science or engineering, and Jzaniya political science.

Tara pleased with players

Tara then took the microphone to open with “I’m really proud of our team … a great team weekend. …The players on our team are really great people.

“Our guard improvement is the thing I’m most excited about.”

She noted that it was a physical game. During the game fans loudly disputed several calls that they thought were missed or wrong.

Nevertheless, “our team did not get discouraged,” Tara said. 

Stanford next takes to the road to face UCLA at 7 p.m. Feb. 3 and USC at 3 p.m. Feb. 6. ESPN will televise the UCLA game. The USC game will be on the Pac-12 Network.

 

Team downs Cal, but rematch postponed

Haley shoots over a Cal defender on her way to 26 points.

The Stanford women’s basketball team rolled over the visiting Cal team 97-74 on Jan. 21, but its Jan. 23 trip across the bay for a rematch was postponed because of COVID issues at Cal.

That postponement is the third that Stanford has faced in the Pac-12 because of COVID issues with an opponent. The first was the Dec. 31 game at Washington. The second was the Jan. 9 home game against Oregon State, but Gonzaga agreed to fill in.

During the Jan. 21 contest, Stanford was rolling right along in the first quarter, which ended 20-10.

However, the host team seemed to take its foot off the accelerator in the second quarter, allowing Cal to outscore it by 10 points. Thus the second quarter ended in a 42-42 tie.

Strong second half fuels the win

The Cardinal were having none of that for the rest of the game, outscoring Cal by 23 points, leading to the win.

Stanford’s 97 points were the most it has scored this season, but Cal’s 74 were the most it has allowed this season.

Junior guard Haley Jones was Stanford’s do-it-all player, scoring 26 points and snaring 10 rebounds for a double-double. Seven of her points came from perfection at the free-throw line. She also had five assists, but her seven turnovers accounted for nearly half of the team’s 16.

Junior guard Hannah Jump was next in line with 21 points, thanks to five 3’s and 4-for-4 free-throw shooting.

Fran has season-high 20 points

Junior forward Fran Belibi was right behind her with a season-high 20 points. Rounding out the quartet of double-digit scorers, sophomore forward Cameron Brink tallied 12 points.

Besides the five 3’s from Hannah, senior forward Lexie Hull, sophomore guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu and Haley each contributed one for the team’s total of eight.

Freshman forward Kiki Iriafen drives to the basket.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer inserted 14 players into the game. Sixth-year guard Anna Wilson was in uniform but didn’t play. Tara said after the game that she was slightly under the weather but would be ready for the next (now postponed) game.

Jordan fills in for Anna

Fifth-year transfer guard Jordan Hamilton seemed to fill in for Anna. She made only two points, but she had a team-high seven assists in 26 minutes.

With the second Cal game off the table for now, Stanford is next scheduled to host Arizona State at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 and Arizona at 1 p.m. Jan. 30, assuming no more glitches.

For the first time since Jan. 4, when admission was limited to players’ families and friends, all fans will be allowed into Maples. They must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test administered within 48 hours and must wear a mask at all times except when eating or drinking.

Pac-12 Network will carry the first game. ESPN2 will show the second. That one will be a rematch of the Final Four contest that Stanford won by one point to capture the 2021 NCAA national championship in April.

As an extra incentive to fans, early arrivers to this game will receive a bobble head doll of Tara in the convertible she rode during the team’s celebratory parade on campus after the NCAA finals.

AP photos by Tony Avelar

 

 

 

 

Slow starts, but two more wins on the road

 

Hannah drives against a Colorado defender. (David Zalubowski/AP)

Chalk up two more wins for AP’s No. 2 Stanford women’s basketball team, now 13-3 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12.

Hitting the road, the team defeated Colorado, which had been the only undefeated team in Division 1, 60-52 on Jan. 14 and Utah 83-73 on Jan. 16.

The Colorado game began with the team seemingly discombobulated by the Buffalo defense, leading to 15 turnovers in the first half and seven in the second, giving Colorado 21 points.

Thus Colorado led 15-8 after the first quarter and 28-24 at the half despite being outscored by 3 points in the second quarter.

Things improve in second half

Stanford continued to right the ship in the second half, outscoring Colorado in the final two quarters.

Ten of 15 available players saw action, and all 10 scored. Junior guard Haley Jones had 11 points, followed by junior forward Ashten Prechtel and sophomore forward Cameron Brink with 10 each.

Six 3’s helped to push Stanford ahead. Ashten and junior guard Hannah Jump each had two. Sixth-year guard Anna Wilson and sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek added the other two.

Action took place in front of 3,744 fans, most of them cheering for the home team.

Still some Stanford fans were there mainly because three players, Ashten, Jana and junior forward Fran Belibi, are from Colorado.

Leah DuBois welcomes Stanford's three Coloradans. (Rick Bowmer/Denver Post)

Young fan cheers for Stanford

The Denver Post reported that one fan, 10-year-old Leah DuBois, sat in the third row behind the Stanford bench and held up a homemade sign reading, “Welcome home, Jana, Fran and Ashten.”

She told the newspaper she had met Jana in 2019 “through a Cherry Creek basketball teammate during” Jana’s high school team’s “run to a 5A state championship victory. A friendship blossomed.” Now she watches as many Stanford games as she can.

 

A highlight of the trip for head coach Tara VanDerveer was a chance to visit her mother, Rita, now in her 90s. A short Stanford video shows Rita walking out of a building using a cane and holding Tara’s arm to greet the team.

 

The TV announcer later said that Rita, who had often cheered Stanford in person, is no longer able to attend. However, it’s likely that she was cheering in front of her TV set.

 

Also not seen in the video or at the game was associate head coach Kate Paye. No reason was given. She was back for the Utah game.

 

Cameron shoots on her way to 24 against Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Team overcomes slow start in Utah

 

The Utah game was a seesaw affair with the lead shifting six times.

 

Leading by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, Utah had a 37-30 lead at the half. Not by coincidence, those 13 points came from 10 Stanford turnovers.

 

The second half was a different story. Stanford committed only two more turnovers and outscored the Utes in the final two quarters to emerge with the 83-73 win.

 

Another double-double for Cameron

 

Cameron led the team with another double-double, 24 points and 11 rebounds. She had 10 points in the fourth quarter alone, equalling Utah’s total output for the quarter. Her parents were among the 1,911 fans at the game.

Her efforts over the weekend led to her being named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

 

Lexie is undeterred by Utah. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Senior guard Lexie Hull was responsible for 21 points, Anna had 12 and Haley had 10.

 

Each team had 11 3’s. Lexie had five, Hannah three, Anna two and senior guard Lacie Hull  one.

 

Utah’s 73 points were the most any team has scored against Stanford this season.

 

Next up are two meetings with Bay Area rival Cal.

 

Assuming no complications, Stanford hosts the first game at 7 p.m. Jan. 21. Then it heads across the bay to visit Cal at 4 p.m. Jan. 23. Pac-12 Networks will televise both games.

Two wins in return to home

 

Lexie tries to shoot over an Oregon defender. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

After a prolonged absence because of the holiday break and road trips, the Stanford women’s basketball team made a welcome return home to Maples by defeating Oregon 80-68 on Jan. 7 and Gonzaga 66-50 in a nonconference rematch on Jan. 9.

Gonzaga was a last-minute fill-in for Oregon State, which had to cancel because of COVID issues there. In its first game against Gonzaga, Stanford won 66-62 in Spokane on Nov. 21.

In the Oregon game, the undoubted highlight was the game-high, career-high 33 points scored by senior guard Lexie Hull, who seemed almost unstoppable.

Lexie and Lacie open with 3’s

She and her twin sister, senior guard Lacie, opened the game by each launching a 3-pointer. Lexie went on to make seven of the team’s season-high 12 3’s. Besides Lexie and Lacie, the others came from junior guard Hannah Jump with three and sixth-year guard Anna Wilson with one.

Because of COVID rules imposed by Stanford, attendance was limited to players’ family and friends only. That meant 42 for the Oregon game and 32 for the Gonzaga game. Others had to be content with the Pac-12 Network telecast for Oregon and live streaming for Gonzaga.

It’s not known when all fans will be allowed to return.

Six players carry most of the load

Although Stanford built up what seemed to be comfortable leads, Oregon kept coming back. Therefore, head coach Tara VanDerveer stayed with a core of six players augmented by four others with no more than five minutes, but most of them contributed in some way.

Besides Lexie, those in double figures were Hannah with 11 and junior guard Haley Jones with 12.

The team was back with a nearly full contingent after missing six players for the Washington State win on Jan. 2. Tara attributed five of these absences to COVID protocols and one to an auto accident, but that player's OK, she said.

Stanford bested Oregon in most statistical categories, but had 18 turnovers to Oregon’s 14.

Hannah launches a shot on her way to 21 points against Gonzaga. (Stanford Athletics)

Hannah scores 21 against Gonzaga

Hannah led the way against Gonzaga on Jan. 9 by scoring 21 points. Haley had 15, and Cameron had a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

A big chunk of Hannah’s points came from five of the team’s seven 3’s. Haley and Anna had the other two.

One key difference between this game and the Oregon game is that Stanford had only five turnovers, while Gonzaga had 16.

Defense leads to 10 steals

Credit solid defense, such as 10 steals, for most of the visitors’ turnovers.

Other advantages for the Cardinal were eight blocks to Gonzaga’s one and 12 assists to Gonzaga’s six.

Although Stanford seemed to have comfortable leads, Gonzaga kept chipping away, but timely Cardinal baskets kept the visitors at bay.

It appeared that 15 players were in uniform, and 12 got into the game. Redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown was still in street clothes.

Assuming there are no postponements or cancellations, a road trip to Colorado is scheduled at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 and Utah at 11 a.m. Jan. 16. The Pac-12 Network will televise both games.

 

 

 

 

Easy win for depleted team at WSU

 

It was cold in Washington, but the short-handed team was hot. (Stanford Athletics)

Despite having only 10 players available, the Stanford women’s basketball team easily defeated Washington State 82-44 on the Cougars’ home court Jan. 2.

Thus the team started 2022 and Pac-12 Conference play on a winning note after the Dec. 31 game at Washington was postponed because of COVID issues there.

Missing were sophomore forward Cameron Brink, a regular starter; fifth-year forward Alyssa Jerome; junior forward Ashten Prechtel; sophomore guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu; and freshman guard Brooke Demetre.

In addition, senior guard Jenna Brown and freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel, neither of whom has played all season, didn’t make the trip to snow-blanketed Pullman. However, Jzaniya has been in uniform and warming up with the team at recent home games.

COVID protocol, accident account for six absences

Head coach Tara VanDerveer was reported as saying after the game that five players were out for COVID protocols and another was in a car accident but is OK.

Defeating WSU is nothing new for the Cardinal. In fact, in the two teams’ 70 meetings, WSU has never won.

Junior guard Haley Jones was one of the major reasons for the shorthanded team’s victory. She scored 24 points and had 16 rebounds in 34 minutes.

Despite playing only 14 minutes, freshman forward Kiki Iriafen logged 13 points and eight rebounds.

Following the game, Haley was named Pac-12 Player of the Week, and Kiki was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.

Also in double figures were junior guard Hannah Jump and junior forward Fran Belibi with 10 each.

All 10 players got into the game and all but one scored.

Lexie goes for 2 points against WSU. (AP Photo)

Dominating WSU in nearly every statistic, the team had seven 3’s. Hannah and sixth-year guard Anna Wilson had two each. Senior guards Lacie and Lexie Hull each had one, as did sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek.

Defense makes a difference

Solid defense contributed to the win, as evidenced by 17 steals and the fact that only six of 10 Cougars scored.

This was the team’s first game since a pre-Christmas road trip that resulted in a 74-63 victory over Tennessee on Dec. 18 and a 61-65 loss to South Carolina on Dec. 21.

The latter game was a rematch of last season’s Final Four semi-final game that Stanford won by one point in the final seconds. It also was a clash between top-rated teams with South Carolina ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press and Stanford No. 2. Stanford retained its No. 2 spot despite the loss.

After the Tennessee game, Haley was named Pac-12 Player of the Week by virtue of logging 18 points and 19 rebounds. Fran was unavailable for that game because she was in the concussion protocol.

However, she did play in the South Carolina game and had 12 points in 15 minutes.

Lexie led Stanford’s scoring against the Gamecocks with 17 points.

Stanford lets big lead slip away

The Cardinal led by as much as 18 points in the second quarter but was outscored in the next two to drop the game.

The team had nine 3’s against Tennessee and seven against South Carolina.

Next up: The team is scheduled to host Oregon at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 and Oregon State at 3 p.m. Jan. 9. The Pac-12 Network will televise both games.