Fans leave early in exhibition loss to UCSB

 

Playing the second of its two exhibition games, the Stanford women’s basketball team hosted UC Santa Barbara and lost 65-56 on Oct. 28.

It’s hard to put a positive spin on a game in which the Cardinal never led. Instead, it was down by 3 points early in the first quarter and never got closer after that.

With both teams struggling early, the Cardinal trailed by 6 points after the first quarter and 13 at the half. That’s when some of the 1,623 people at the game began heading for the exits.

The team edged to within 5 points after the third quarter and offered some hope when it was behind by only 4 points with just under two minutes to go in the fourth, but to no avail.

Playing the entire game, sophomore guard Hailee Swain contributed a lion’s share of the team’s points, 23.

Sophomore forward Alex Eschmeyer was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 13 points despite missing part of the fourth quarter with a bloody nose. She finished the game with a plug in one nostril.

Stanford had the advantage in rebounds, assists and blocks, but lagged behind UCSB in other statistics. Perhaps the most worrisome were the 20 turnovers, with 12 steals by UCSB and none by Stanford.

Stanford’s 24 fouls leading to 15 UCSB points didn’t help either.

Ten of the 11 available players got into the game, but only seven scored. Freshman center Kiara Green didn’t play.

The starters were Alex, Hailee, sophomore forward Charlotte Tuhy and two juniors: guard Shay Ijiwoye and Inéz Sotelo Míguez, who fouled out in the fourth quarter after scoring 7 points, third highest on the team.

Exhibition games don’t count in the season record, but the next games do.

They start with Arizona in Las Vegas at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2 and St. Mary’s at home at 7 p.m. Nov. 4.

 

Everyone learns in opening exhibition win

 

Charlotte Tuhy (13) is mobbed by teammates after her long, long buzzer beater at the end of the third quarter. (Stanford Athletics photo)

The Stanford women’s basketball team’s 72-45 win over Pacific in the season’s first exhibition game on Oct. 24 was a learning experience for all involved.

It gave the players, especially the seven newcomers, a chance to learn what it’s like to play in front of a Maples crowd, sparse – 1,669 – as it was.

It gave fans a chance to learn the players by name, face, number, position and tendencies.

And it gave coaches a chance to learn what combinations work best in various situations as they substituted frequently, giving everyone some time on the floor.

Pacific’s first and only lead came early when it scored the game’s first basket. Sophomore guard Hailee Swain answered with two quick 3’s, and Stanford never looked back.

By the end of the first quarter, Stanford had a double-digit lead, 21-8. The Cardinal also finished the next three quarters with double-digit leads.

Ten 3’s helped the cause. In addition to Hailee’s two, junior point guard Shay Ijiwoye had four. Sophomore forward Alex Eschmeyer, freshman guards Gracyn Gilliard and Elyse Ngenda, and sophomore forward Charlotte Tuhy each added one.

Charlotte’s trey proved to be the game’s highlight as she lobbed in a buzzer-beater from behind the center line to end the third quarter and was mobbed by her teammates.

The starters were Hailee, Alex, Shay, Charlotte and junior forward Inéz Sotelo Míguez. They all played at least 23 minutes, led by Hailee with just over 32 minutes.

Hailee also led the scoring with 18 points followed by Shay with 16 and Inéz with 12.

Two bright spots were the 17 assists and four blocks. On the other hand, both teams had 16 turnovers, including the seven steals that Stanford allowed. And the team made only eight of its 15 free throws and had 17 fouls.

It was hard to follow statistics in real time because the corner videoboards that show player stats and the team stats malfunctioned so badly that they were turned off during the third quarter.

Betty Ann Hagenau was back as announcer, but there were no cheerleaders, band or Tree.

The team has another exhibition game, 6 p.m. Oct. 28 against UC Santa Barbara, before flying to Las Vegas to begin the season against Arizona at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2.

 

Fans meet revamped team at reception

 

Alex Eschmeyer at practice. (Stanford photo)

About 165 donors had a chance to dine, meet and mingle with SWBB players, coaches and staff at a reception Oct. 14 in the Hall of Champions.

They also heard head coach Kate Paye’s views of the upcoming season.

She praised the team’s “energy, enthusiasm and positivity” despite having only 12 players, with one of them, freshman Jordyn Wheeler, out for the season while rehabbing from ACL surgery.

Between the graduation of three players and the transfer of seven more, the team has only five returning players. They have been augmented by four freshmen (including Jordyn) and three transfers, but there are no seniors.

Therefore, Stanford has “one of the youngest teams in the country,” Kate said. But “we are young; we are hungry.”

TV announcer Mary Murphy served as emcee as the program opened. She singled out retired head coach Tara VanDerveer and retired associate head coach Amy Tucker, who were there.

She also named some of the team’s great alums before being joined by the players, who introduced themselves, their hometowns and majors.

The team has an international flavor with Jordyn from Canada and the two junior  transfers -- Inés Sotelo Míguez from Spain and Ilse de Vries from The Netherlands. Sophomore Charlotte Tuhy is the other transfer.

“We hit the jackpot in the (transfer) portal,” Kate said, adding that these three would make an immediate impact.

“Our theme this year is Together,” Kate said.

Returning players have helped to develop that team togetherness. For the first time in team history, they organized a player-only retreat, spending a weekend in Muir Woods.

They also arranged themselves into four pods to encourage one another, junior Shay Ijiwoye said. Shay and sophomore Nora Ezike played for Nigeria team during international competition in the summer.

As each player talked about herself, sophomore Hailee Swain interrupted classmate Alex Eschmeyer to say that Alex can dunk.

Kate’s coaching staff includes a new assistant coach, Steven Key. Returning assistant coach Jeanette Pohlen got married in Italy during the summer, but she wasn’t at the reception.

The team was to have closed scrimmage against Sac State on Oct. 17 before its exhibition games against Pacific at 2 p.m. Oct. 24 and against UC Santa Barbara at 8 p.m. Oct. 28, both in Maples.

Season play begins at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2 against Arizona in Las Vegas. The home opener is at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 against Saint Mary’s.