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| Talana led the team with 16 points. (Stanford Athletics) |
If
you had asked what I would write if the Santa Clara game had continued on the
same path as the first quarter, I would have said something like, “It wasn’t
pretty, but it was a win, and we’ll take it.”
Yes,
it was a win but not ugly. Instead, the Stanford women’s basketball team
coalesced and came up with a 79-58 victory over the visiting Broncos on Nov. 6.
Of
the nine of 12 available players who got into the game, six – evenly divided
between upperclassmen and freshmen -- scored in double figures.
According
to Stanford Athletics, this was the first time that six players had scored in
double figures since Dec. 31, 2023, against Morgan State.
This
time they were led by senior guard Talana Lepolo with 16 points.
She
was followed by freshman forward Lara Somfai with 14 points plus 13 rebounds,
junior forward Nunu Agara and freshman guard Hailee Swain with 13 each, junior
guard Chloe Clardy with 12 and freshman forward Alex Eschmeyer with 11 plus 12
rebounds.
Stanford
Athletics reported that Talana’s 16 points were the most she had scored since a
career-high 20 at Cal on Dec. 29, 2023.
Talana
also had four of the team’s 11 3-pointers, including two in row during the
third quarter. Chloe had three 3’s. One each came from Nunu, Lara, Hailee and Alex.
As
for what I might had written if the game had followed the first-quarter path,
Santa Clara had 4-point lead about halfway through the quarter.
Sloppy
play marked the Cardinal’s effort during that time. The first 4 points came
from free throws, and the team had logged three fouls. The first basket didn’t
come until about the 4:41 mark when Talana scored.
The
score was tied 8-8 at the 3:40 mark, but when the buzzer sounded, Stanford had
managed to pull ahead 17-12.
Things
looked up after that. Nunu opened the second quarter with a trey, and Lara
bookended it with a trey to end the half at 38-27. The advantage widened during
the next two quarters to give Stanford the win.
The
taller Stanford team dominated the boards with 52 rebounds to Santa Clara’s 30.
The
home team also prevailed in other areas, but turnovers continued to be a
problem with 14 to Santa Clara’s nine.
The
three unavailable players were senior guard Lauren Green, sophomore center
Kennedy Umeh and freshman forward Nora Ezike, but they didn’t appear to be
seriously impaired.
Starters
were Talana, Hailee, Courtney, Lara and Nunu.
Next
up, the team will host Cal Poly at 1 p.m. Nov. 9 followed by a Behind the Bench.
