7-0 record moves team up to No. 3 nationally

 

Kiki Iriafen holds her MVP trophy, and Stavi Papadaki and Hannah Jump hold the championship trophy after the team won both games at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Nevada. 

After playing four games in eight days, the Stanford women’s basketball team remains undefeated with a 7-0 record. Thus it moved up a notch to No. 3 in the Nov. 27 AP poll.

The first of those four games was Nov. 19, when Duke fell 82-79 in a game already reported here. As a postscript, though, senior forward Cameron Brink was named Pac-12 Player of the Week and a National Player of the Week for the second straight week. She was named Pac-12 Player of the Week again on Nov. 27.

The next two games took the team to Henderson, Nev., for the Ball Dawgs Classic. Playing on Nov. 22, Stanford defeated Belmont 74-55. Once again Cameron had an outstanding game with 27 points and 16 rebounds. However, hopes that she would have hit a record 75 free throws in a row vanished when she made her 73^rd at the line but missed the second.

Junior forward Kiki Iriafen was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 14 points. The team posted seven 3’s with three by graduate guard Hannah Jump and two by junior forward Brooke Demetre. Adding one each were sophomore guard Talana Lepolo and freshman forward Courtney Ogden.

It was a back-and-forth game with the lead changing six times and the score tied three times.

Kiki pours in career-high 30 points against Florida State

The Florida State game on Nov. 24 was even more back-and-forth with the lead changing 12 times and the score tied eight times.

Kiki posted a career-high 30 points plus 17 rebounds. Cameron had 19 points while Hannah had 17 and junior guard Elena Bosgana 16. Thus the team came home with two trophies: one for the tournament championship and the other for Kiki as the tournament’s most valuable player.

Nine 3’s helped with the win, thanks to five by Hannah, two by Elena and one each by Brooke and redshirt sophomore Jzaniya Harriel.

Hannah is nearing a Stanford record for 3-pointers. 

Hannah drains her 303^rd career trey in Albany game

Three-pointers also were part of the story as the team returned home to defeat Albany 79-35 on Nov. 26. 

During the second quarter, Hannah made two in a row. One of them was the 300^th of her career. She finished the game with four 3’s for a career total of 303, AP reported. The team record for 3’s is 311 by Kiana Williams, ’21. Also scoring 3’s were Elena with three, Jzaniya with two and Courtney with one.

The game was never in doubt at Stanford held the Great Danes scoreless until about halfway through the first quarter. By then the Cardinal had already made 11 points.

All 12 players got into the game and nearly everyone contributed in some way. Bench players added 20 points.

Joining the crowd of 2,754 were the band, cheerleaders and longtime announcer Betty Ann Hagenau.

Assistant coach Erica “Bird” McCall hosted the Behind the Bench and was joined by Kiki and Elena. Although they answered numerous questions, their answers were hard to discern because the sound was distorted.

Two more road games are on tap with San Diego State at 11 a.m. Dec. 1 and Gonzaga at 1 p.m. Dec. 3. After that, the players will have some time off for finals before hosting Portland at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.

Photos by Stanford Athletics

Cardinal vanquish Blue Devils in OT

 

Closely guarded, Cameron goes up against Duke defenders. (San Francisco Chronicle)

The visiting Duke Blue Devils gave fans of the Stanford women’s basketball team their full share of scary moments, but the Cardinal pulled it out in overtime, winning 82-79 on Nov. 19.

The first two quarters resembled the previous three games when Stanford dominated and went on to lopsided wins.

Not this time. After leading by 13 and 8 points, respectively, in the first half, Stanford was down by 2 points after the third quarter and tied 71-71 in the fourth.

By then it was back and forth. The lead changed six times and the score was tied eight times during the game.

Cameron's career-high 29 points lead team

Even though her time was limited by four fouls (some of them loudly disputed by Stanford fans in the crowd of 4,236), senior forward Cameron Brink led the team with a career-high 29 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. She scored 9 of Stanford’s 11 points in overtime, and iced the win with two free throws with 11.9 seconds to go.

As an added bonus, she had six of the team’s seven blocks.  As the final seconds ticked down, some fans held up a sign reading, “Cam’s swat tracker – 313,” indicative of her career blocks.

Junior forward Kiki Iriafen was close behind in scoring with her own career high of 27 points.

About halfway through the overtime, she limped off the court but returned with under a minute left. She had a cramp in her leg, head coach Tara VanDerveer said after the game.

Graduate guard Hannah Jump was the other player in double figures with all 15 of her points coming from five of the team’s seven 3’s.  Cameron and junior forward Brooke Demetre had the other two.

As usual, Cameron, Kiki and Hannah started along with sophomore guard Talana Lepolo and junior guard Elena Bosgana.

Missing from the excitement were the band, Tree, cheerleaders and Dollies as well as announcer Betty Ann Hagenau.

Coached by former WNBA great Kara Lawson, Duke had only 11 available players and used 10 of them. Likewise, 10 of Stanford’s 12 players got into the game.

'Great early season win,' Kate says

Afterward, associate head coach Kate Paye began the Behind the Bench by saying, “That was a great early season win. ..This game will really help us.  .. A game like this comes down to little things.’’

As she spoke, she was joined by the three freshmen: guard Chloe Clardy and forwards Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden, whom she praised for their maturity and skills. Meanwhile, workers were setting up the court for a volleyball game that night.

The Hull twins and Alyssa Jerome are welcomed back by the coaches. (Stanford Athletics)

She then was joined by three alumni who were part of Stanford’s 2021 national championship team: Lexie and Lacie Hull and Alyssa Jerome.

They had joined the team for lunch the day before, Tara said.

Commenting on the game, Tara said, “We had all we can handle. We have a lot of work to do.”

That work will involve three more games during the holiday week. The team will be in Henderson, Nev., near Las Vegas, for a tournament that involves a 1:30 p.m. Nov. 22 game against Belmont. On Nov. 24 the team faces Florida State or Northwestern at 6:30 or 9 p.m. followed by a quick trip home to host Albany at 1 p.m. Nov. 26.

        

Easy win against Cal Poly gives starters some rest

Elena drives against Cal Poly on her way to a team-high and career-high 15 points. (Karen Hickey/ISIPsiphotos/com)

The Stanford women’s basketball team cruised to an 86-32 victory over Cal Poly on Nov. 16.

At first it seemed as if the visitors from San Luis Obispo would give Stanford its first close competition this season. Cal Poly scored first, giving it a 2-0 lead – its first and only one of the game. Sophomore guard Talana Lepolo immediately responded with a 3, and that was almost that.

The score was tied 8-8 with just over six minutes to go in the first quarter. About two minutes later, Stanford was up 13-8. By the time the quarter ended, Stanford had scored 9 more points, held Cal Poly scoreless and led by 14 points, 22-8.

The Mustangs’ guards were disruptive at first, but the Cardinal soon righted the ship. When the first half buzzer sounded, the home team had five turnovers to Cal Poly’s 11. Thanks to eight 3’s during that half, Stanford amassed a 53-15 lead.

The starters – Talana, grad student guard Hannah Jump, senior forward Cameron Brink, junior forward  Kiki Iriafen and junior guard Elena Bosgana – began the third quarter together, but the frequent substitutions that had characterized earlier games soon led to them sitting on the bench and cheering their teammates for much of that quarter and all of the fourth.

Thus the starters avoided injury and the rest of the team got valuable game experience.

They’ll need it during Thanksgiving week. After hosting Duke at noon Nov. 19, the team travels to Henderson, Nev., near Las Vegas, for a tournament that involves a 1:30 p.m. Nov. 22 game against Belmont. On Nov. 24 it will face Florida State or Northwestern at 6:30 or 9 p.m. Then it’s a quick trip home to host Albany at 1 p.m. Nov. 26.

But back to the Cal Poly game.  Although Stanford’s 86 points were the fewest scored so far this season, Cal Poly’s 32 points were the fewest allowed. That’s thanks to a tenacious defense that often caused Cal Poly to use most of the shot clock and take hurried shots.

Stanford’s 11 3’s helped boost the score. Two of those 3’s were courtesy of Talana. Redshirt sophomore Jzaniya Harriel hoisted four 3’s for the best game of her career. Freshman forward Courtney Ogden added three. Elena and freshman forward Nunu Agara had one each.

Elena led the team with 15 points, matching her career high, according to AP. Jzaniya added 14 points and played the longest, 25 minutes. Kiki with 13 and Courtney with 10 also were in double figures. Kiki had been named a National Player of the Week following her double-doubles against Hawaii and IU. Junior forward Brooke Demetre had a team- and game-high 11 rebounds.

The crowd of 2,554 included the band, Tree, cheerleaders and Dollies. Regular announcer Betty Ann Hagenau was again replaced by a man, but the band’s presence meant a DJ and his deafening “music” weren’t there.

After the game, the three freshmen, or TreeO – Courtney, Nunu and guard Chloe Clardy -- signed autographs.

This game brought head coach Tara VanDerveer within 14 wins of breaking Mike Krzyzewski’s 1,202 victories as the winningest coach in college basketball history, AP  reported.

 

 

Much to celebrate in win over Indiana

 

Kiki and others on the bench celebrate during the game. (Karen Hickey/ISIPhotos.com)

 Five players scored in double figures as the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated the visiting Indiana Hoosiers 96-64 on Nov. 12.

This resounding victory vaulted Stanford to No. 6 from No. 15 in the weekly AP national poll. It bumped Indiana down to No. 18 from No. 9.

With “great performances all the way around, (this was) a great team win,” associate head coach Kate Paye said during the Behind the Bench that followed the game. “Our team was really, really focused.”

Starting forwards senior Cameron Brink and junior Kiki Iriafen shared scoring honors with 20 points each. Both recorded double-doubles, too, with Cameron snaring 17 rebounds and Kiki 11. Kiki garnered cheers when she dunked during warmups.

Joining them in double figures were two other starters: grad student guard Hannah Jump with 12 points and junior guard Elena Bosgana with 10. Coming off the bench, freshman forward Nunu Agara poured in 13 points.

Except for the fourth quarter, when mostly bench players were on the floor and were outscored 22-21, the Cardinal dominated the visitors. The domination extended to other areas, especially rebounds, where Stanford enjoyed a 50-27 advantage.

Cameron leaps toward the basket. (Nhat V Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Four of Stanford’s six blocks were courtesy of Cameron, who notched the 300^th block of her college career just over halfway into the first quarter.

And then there were the 11 3’s: two each by Cameron, Hannah, Elena and the other starter, sophomore guard Talana Lepolo. Chipping in one each were Nunu, freshman guard Chloe Clardy and redshirt sophomore guard Jzaniya Harriel.

The crowd of 3,678 did not include the band, Tree, cheerleaders and Dollies. Usual announcer Betty Ann Hagenau also was absent, replaced by a man who was too rah-rah in the introductions but toned down during the game. On the other hand, DJ Hatt did not tone the “music” down, making it difficult to talk with other fans. Earplugs helped.

Stat boards were off and on, mostly off. When they did come on, they flashed too briefly for complete reading – very annoying.

As players left the locker room after the game, they toted new athletic shoes courtesy of Nike, according to head coach Tara VanDerveer, an IU graduate.

After praising the “tremendous unselfishness of this team” to start the Behind the Bench, Kate introduced the three “super sophomores”; Talana and guards Stavi Papadaki and Lauren Green.

She also commented on the team’s defense, which Tara called “a big emphasis this year.” The game plan for this opponent and all others is to “take away their favorite stuff,” Tara said. She wants the team to play up-tempo and employs a tag team strategy with liberal substitutions. And she wants the players to stay healthy and happy and to play for each other.

Despite this early season win, “we have a lot to work on,” she said.

The work undoubtedly will focus on the Cal Poly game at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 and the Duke game at 1 p.m. Nov. 19, both at home. ABC will televise the Duke game.
 

 

Win over Hawaii opens season

Nunu Agara drives to the basket during her 18-point college debut.  (Al Chang/ISI photos.com)

The Stanford women’s basketball team started its season on a winning note, defeating Hawaii 87-40 at home on Nov. 8.

Two players who made a big difference were junior forward Kiki Iriafen and freshman forward Nunu Agara.

Kiki, one of the starters, poured in 23 points and snared 13 rebounds in a mere 24 minutes.

Coming off the bench in her collegiate debut, Nunu contributed 18 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes -- a productive rate of one point per minute. Fans were impressed with her strong moves under the basket.

Also in double figures were junior forward Brooke Demetre with 12 points and junior guard Elena Bosgana with 10.

Joining Elena and Kiki in the starting lineup were senior forward Cameron Brink, graduate guard Hannah Jump and sophomore guard Talana Lepolo.

Cameron played only 17 minutes and had 8 points. Like her teammates, she was frequently subbed in and out. However, about halfway through the second quarter she went to the locker room accompanied by trainer Katelin Knox. She returned a few seconds later and sat on the bench and was back in action to start the third quarter.

About halfway through the fourth quarter, Kiki went to the locker room with assistance. She returned to the bench late in the quarter and went to the bench.

Bench players took over for part of the fourth quarter. Thus, everyone got into the game, and everyone made a positive contribution whether by scoring, rebounding or assisting.

Apparently because inside play was going so well, the team had only four 3’s. Three of them came consecutively in the second quarter with two from Brooke and one from Hannah. Freshman forward Courtney Ogden made the other one later in the game. She also was the only player to foul out.

The crowd of 2,535 included a student contingent with the band, cheerleaders, Tree and Dollies. A group in the student section waved handmade signs such as “Clardy Party” to support freshman guard Chloe Clardy.

The team played tough defense, forcing Hawaii to shoot late in the shot clock. The Cardinal also enjoyed a huge advantage in rebounds, 60-18, and made 19 of its 20 free throws.

Hawaii had 11 turnovers, Stanford 12 – an area that head coach Tara VanDerveer will be looking to improve.

The No. 15 Cardinal face a tougher test at 2 p.m. Nov. 12 when No. 9 Indiana visits Maples. ESPN will televise this game.

Dominance over Dominion

Hannah drives to the basket as Cameron defends for her.

Although it was only an exhibition game over an outranked Division II opponent, the Stanford women’s basketball team gave fans a tantalizing taste of what’s to come with a 126-53 home victory over Dominican University on Nov. 1.

Starters were five returning players: graduate guard Hannah Jump, senior forward Cameron Brink, junior forward Kiki Iriafen, junior guard Elena Bosgana and sophomore guard Talana Lepolo.

In a game with frequent substitutions, junior forward Brooke Demetre was first in. By the end of the first quarter, which ended with Stanford up 40-10, all 12 players had seen action.

The score grew more lopsided after the half, 78-18, and the third quarter, 111-32. At that point, with no doubt about the ultimate outcome, some people left.

Dominican outscores hosts in fourth quarter

What they didn’t see was the sloppy fourth quarter, when Dominican outscored the home team 21-15. Thus there is much that needs to be improved.

Although Dominican fielded 16 players, most of them were shorter than the Stanford women. However, they were speedy, leading to fast play.

No Stanford woman played more than 23 minutes – freshman guard Chloe Clardy.

Others playing more than 20 minutes were Elena, 22; Brooke, 21; and freshman forward Nunu Agara and redshirt sophomore guard Jzaniya Harriel, both 21.

Elena scores one of her seven baskets.

Kiki, Elena lead in scoring

Kiki and Elena led the team in scoring with 19 each. Also in double figures were Nunu and freshman forward Courtney Ogden with 16 each; and Hannah and Jzaniya with 13 each.

The team lofted 13 3’s, with four by Courtney; three by Hannah; two by Elena and Jzaniya; and one each by Talana and Brooke. Showing her defensive prowess under the basket, Cameron had four of the team’s six blocks. Also on the defensive side, the team had 13 steals.

Since this was the three freshmen’s first competition, much attention was focused on them. They didn’t disappoint as they contributed a total of 40 points.

Rebounding, free throws look good

Rebounding was a strong point with a 69-28 advantage over Dominican. Kiki had 14 rebounds, Brooke 12 and Courtney 10. Free throws also were impressive – 15 of 17 – after Dominican had fouled twice in just under a minute from tipoff.

Attendance was recorded at 2,308. The crowd included a large contingent of Dominican fans since the university is in San Rafael and several of its players have local ties.

Because it was an exhibition game, there were no student support groups such as the band and cheerleaders. Nor were any statistics displayed on the boards in the upper corners. Instead, the one in the southwest corner touted, “Welcome to Maples Pavilion – 50^th season.”

Construction leads to changes

The recently begun construction project that involves enlarging ground floor facilities on the west side has led to the closure of locker rooms there, including the one for women’s basketball. Hence the team entered and exited Maples from the northeast corner.

This project also affects parking. The small lot next to the practice facility will be used for construction vehicles, thus removing the handicapped spaces.

A few handicapped spaces have been marked in the front row of the Maples lot along Campus Drive. More are available in the Graduate School of Business garage across the street.

The spaces in the last row nearer the football practice field also are available. From there fans can traverse the sidewalk between the field and practice facility to reach Maples.

It still can be accessed from all entrances, where there are bag check areas to accommodate people who don’t know about the clear bag policy.

Games that count start when Hawaii visits at 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

Photos by Stanford Athletics