Team loses to visiting squads from Virginia

 

Returning to action, Nunu goes up against a Virginia defender. (Maddie Hinkley ISI Photos)

The Stanford women’s basketball team lost a pair of home games: 79-67 to Virginia Tech on Feb. 12 and Virginia 75-69 on Feb. 15.

These two losses left the Cardinal with a 16-11 record overall and 5-9 in the ACC.

Third quarter is Stanford’s undoing against Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech game on Feb. 12 was competitive until about the middle of the third quarter. That’s when the wheels came off, leading to a 79-67 loss for Stanford.

Once again Stanford was short-handed with only 11 available players, seven of whom got into the game. Virginia Tech used 10 players.

Junior forward Nunu Agara was back with the team after missing the trip to Georgia. She wasn’t in uniform, but she briefly took part in a drill with junior forward Mary Ashley Stevenson and seemed to be in good spirits.

Forward Harper Peterson and center Kennedy Umeh, both sophomores, were also back with the team but unavailable. However, starting senior guard Talana Lepolo again wasn’t there.

Because the game was a celebration of Black History Month, it began with the singing of the Black anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by Tamara Dunn, who followed with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The game itself started inauspiciously with a Stanford turnover followed by a Virginia Tech basket. However, freshman forward Lara Somfai countered with a 3-pointer.

After that, the first quarter went back and forth and ended with Stanford up by 2 points. The same was true of the second quarter.

The score remained close until that fateful mid-third quarter. That’s when VT surged ahead by 8 points and outscored the host team in the fourth quarter to win the game.

Overall, the game had 14 lead changes and nine ties.

Stanford had seven 3’s with four by junior Chloe Clardy, two by Lara and one by junior forward Courtney Ogden.

Chloe led Stanford with 20 points. Courtney and Lara both had 15 points, and Lara pulled down 15 rebounds.

Stanford outrebounded VT, but the Cardinal’s 13 turnovers were costly to the tune of 11 VT points.

Halftime was highlighted by the Stanford Soul Line Dancers as emcee Anthony Scott Knox spoke about the timeline of Black History Month going back to 1926. The video board also showed some prominent Black people, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J, a Stanford grad.

After the dancers’ first number, they were joined by the cheerleaders, band members, fans and others.

Good news – Nunu’s back, but team still loses

Making her first appearance since Jan. 25, Nunu returned to the starting lineup to loud applause and led the team with 21 points. But that wasn’t enough as Virginia won 75-69 on Feb. 15.

Harper, Kennedy and senior guard Lauren Green were unavailable, and Talana was absent again,

Nunu scored the team’s first five points. Virginia didn’t get its first basket until about two and half minutes into the game.

The game was competitive most of the way with five lead changes and three ties. Stanford led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, but was outscored by 10 points in the second.

Otherwise, Stanford tied with Virginia in third-quarter scoring and outscored the Cavaliers in the fourth.

Stanford had fewer fouls, but free throws were a big difference maker with 28 by Virginia and 15 by Stanford.

For once, Stanford had fewer turnovers than the opponent, 13-17, but Virginia outrebounded the home team, 46-36.

In addition to Nunu, Cardinal players in double figures were freshman guard Hailee Swain with 13, Chloe with 12 and Courtney with 10.

Stanford had four 3’s with two by Courtney and one each by Lara and Chloe.

Because it was Girls and Women in Sports Day, the doors opened early to give the 3,358 fans a chance to enjoy activities set up by other Stanford women’s sports team in the concourses.

The PCPA dancers entertained them during halftime.

Looking ahead, the team takes to the road again, playing Miami at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 and Florida State at 11 a.m. Feb. 22. ACCN will show both games.\

 

Maddie ISI Photos

 

Good news, bad news from road trip

 

Lara, shown in the Pitt game, has again been named ACC Rookie of the Week. (Stanford Athletics)

Taking to the road again, the Stanford women’s basketball team had a mixed outcome: an 86-65 win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 5 and a 74-52 loss to Georgia on Feb. 8.

Once again senior guard Talana Lepolo and junior forward Nunu Agara, both starters, didn’t make the trip. Forward Harper Peterson and center Kennedy Umeh, both sophomores, also weren’t with the team.

The two games left the team with a 16-9 record overall and 5-7 in the ACC. The 16 wins match the team’s total last season, when it went 16-15 overall.

Team excels against Pitt

Standout performances highlighted the team’s 86-65 victory at Pittsburgh on Feb. 5.

For one, freshman forward Lara Somfai poured in 15 points and snared 23 rebounds while adding eight assists and three blocks.

Her rebounds were “an ACC freshman record, the most by any freshman in the country this season, and the most for any ACC player since Sarah Imovbioh (Virginia) had 24 against Ohio State on Nov. 14, 2014.

“Her rebounding total is tied for third in Stanford history, trailing only 24-rebound performances from Cameron Brink at Oregon State on Feb. 29, 2024, and Chiney Ogwumike at Oregon on Feb. 24, 2013,” Stanford Athletics reported.

Moreover, her “six double-doubles this season are the most for a Stanford freshman since Chiney had a school-record 11 in 2010-11,” according to Stanford Athletics.

However, her 15 points didn’t lead the team. Instead that honor went to junior guard Chloe Clardy, who had a season-high 26.

Junior forward Courtney Ogden was close behind with 23 points to go with eight assists. Freshman guard Hailee Swain had a career-high16 points.

Stanford’s score was boosted by 12 treys, the most this season. They came courtesy of Chloe with a career high of six, Courtney with three, Hailee with two and Lara with one.

And here’s a number that stands out for many fans: only five turnovers.

Playing in front of a meager crowd of 571, Stanford led for almost the entire game, highlighted by its 21-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinal dominated most of the stat sheet, including rebounds, assists and blocks

Both Chloe and Courtney played the entire 40 minutes, and Lara was only a few seconds shy of 40 minutes.

Not much to like in loss to Georgia Tech

The team came to earth with a thud when Georgia Tech prevailed 74-52 on Feb. 8.

Georgia Tech came right out of the starting gate by nailing a 3-pointer followed by another basket before freshman forward Alex Eschmeyer could counter with a Cardinal basket.

In all, GT had a devastating nine 3’s, while Stanford had six. They came courtesy of Lara with three, Courtney with two and Eschmeyer with one.

Lara led the team with 19 points and nine rebounds while Hailee had 10 points.

Stanford trailed the entire game. There was some reason to hope in the third quarter when Stanford scored 6 quick points to start and outscored GT by a point, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the host’s previous scoring.

The team’s 14 turnovers didn’t help either.

Stanford fans got a scare in the final seconds of the second quarter when Lara was injured, had to be helped to the bench and then was charged with a foul.

However, she was back for the start of the third quarter and didn’t appear to be suffering an ill effects.

The crowd of more than 3,050 included family and friends of Hailee and Courtney, who both hail from Georgia.

Based on her performance in the two road games, Lara was again named the ACC Rookie of the Week.

The team returns home to host Virginia Tech for a celebration of Black History Month at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 and then Virginia for National Girls & Women in Sports  Day at 11 a.m. Feb. 15. Both games will be shown by ACC.

 

Losing streak hits four as Louisville, Notre Dame prevail

The sophomores, from left, forward Harper Peterson, guard Shay Ijiowye and center Kennedy Umeh, were honored at the Louisville game and posed for selfies afterward. (iconsportwire) 

 

The Stanford women’s basketball team extended its losing streak to four games after falling 84-66 to Louisville on Jan. 29 and 78-66 to Notre Dame on Feb. 1, both at home.

The team’s record is now 14-8 overall and 4-6 ACC.

“Stanford has now lost four consecutive games the same season for the first time since January and February 1987. The Cardinal has also lost its last three at home for the first time since 1985-86,” Stanford Athletics reported.

In the two home games, two starters – senior point guard Talana Lepolo and junior forward Nunu Agara, the team’s leading scorer – were absent.

Two more players, center Kennedy Umeh and forward Harper Peterson, both sophomores, were there but not in uniform.

Thus Stanford had only 11 available players.

Filling in for Nunu, freshman forward Alex Eschmeyer got her first two collegiate starts. Junior guard Chloe Clardy once again filled in for Talana, as she had in the Cal game on Jan. 25.

Louisville leads the entire game

In the Louisville game on Jan. 29, Stanford lagged right from the opening buzzer and went on to lose 84-66.

Louisville made a 3-pointer in its first possession and went on to stay ahead the entire game.

Nevertheless, the Stanford players didn’t back down. They outscored Louisville by a point in the third quarter and nearly equaled the visitors in the fourth, but they couldn’t overcome Louisville’s 18-point dominance in the first half, and that was Louisville’s advantage at the end.

Stanford was hampered by its 22 turnovers, which led to 26 Louisville points. Assists were lacking with only six.

Also a problem were missed layups and Louisville’s aggressive defense.

Four Stanford players were in double figures, led by junior forward Courtney Ogden with 16. She was followed by Chloe and sophomore guard Shay Ijiwoye with 15 each. Freshman guard Hailee Swain scored 12 points.

Six Stanford 3’s were produced by Shay and Hailee with two each. Courtney and freshman forward Lara Somfai had the other two.

The crowd of nearly 2,600 included the cheerleaders, Dollies, Tree and band, whose leader often conducted from an inflatable dragon.

Team doesn’t quit, but loses to Notre Dame

Before the 78-88 loss to Notre Dame on Feb. 1, a video showed Nadia Fingall, ’20, encouraging Stanford from Spain.

The video board also showed a photo of retired head coach Tara VanDerveer’s mother, Rita, who died Jan. 8 at the age of 99. She was honored by a moment of silence.

Since it was the annual Breast Cancer Awareness game, Stanford players wore pink and fans were given pink bucket hats.

Later during the third quarter, junior forward Mary Ashley Stevenson’s mother, Ashley, visiting from New York City, was introduced and honored as a survivor of breast cancer.

When the game started, Stanford won the tip but turned the ball over, allowing Notre Dame to score. Courtney countered by stealing the ball, scoring, being fouled and making the free throw.

She went on to lead the team with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Also in double figures were Chloe with 16, Alex with 13, and Hailee with 10.

Stanford kept the score close during the first three quarters, but Notre Dame outscored the Cardinal by six points in the fourth to seal the win.

Turnovers were close with 13 by Stanford and 12 by Notre Dame, but Notre Dame scored four more points than Stanford from those miscues. Notre Dame also outrebounded Stanford.

While Stanford has a relatively young team with five freshmen and only three seniors on the roster, Notre Dame is more experienced with five graduate students, three seniors and only one freshman.

Notre Dame also has seemingly unstoppable junior guard Hannah Hildalgo, who scored 37 points before fouling out with less than a minute to go.

The crowd of more than 4,100 included several dozen Notre Dame fans.

Next up, the team travels cross country again to play Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. Feb. 5 and Georgia Tech at 11 a.m. Feb. 8. Both games will be televised by ACC.

In other WBB news, associate head coach Tempie Brown has a new title and responsibilities in addition to coaching.

She has been named the team’s general manager. Her “new responsibilities will include management of name, image and likeness (NIL) and revenue strategy, roster and scholarship optimization, and operational and infrastructure alignment. The role will work closely with campus leaders across Stanford departments,” Stanford Athletics reported.