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| 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
