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| Stanford-Valkyries fans enjoy the St. Mary's game. |
After a miscue-marred season-opening 84-69 loss to Arizona in Las Vegas on Nov. 2, the Stanford women’s basketball team rebounded to defeat St. Mary’s 87-54 at home on Nov. 4.
With half the number of turnovers, 15 vs. 30 in the
Arizona game, and more than double the number of assists, 22 vs. 8, the team
topped St. Mary’s from start to finish.
Four players were in double figures: sophomore guard
Hailee Swain with 22, sophomore forward Nora Ezike with a career-high 18,
sophomore forward Alex Eschmeyer with 16 and sophomore guard Shay Ijiwoye with
11.
The team’s six 3’s came from six players: Alex,
Hailee, Shay, Nora, sophomore forward Charlotte Tuhy and junior forward Ilse de
Vries. All 11 available players got into the game.
Anthony Scott Knox resumed his role as emcee during
breaks from the action, but announcer Betty Ann Hagenau was absent, replaced by
a rah-rah man.
More students helped to bring attendance to 1,900, and
the band and Dollies were there.
Overall, the team looked more together on both offense
and defense.
The mood was celebratory from the start with many fans
clad in violet to honor the WNBA champion Golden State Valkyries, who had their
victory parade that morning. One couple seated nearby said they had cheered the
team both from the parade’s start in Oakland and then across the bay in San
Francisco.
Undoubtedly many fans also were celebrating the blue
wave in local, state and national elections on Nov. 3.
Jayne Appel-Marinelli (left), Tara VanDerveer and Jennifer Azzi watch the Arizona game.
No
celebrating after the Arizona game
The mood was entirely different after the Arizona loss.
Hailee with 21 and Shay with 14 were the only Cardinal
players in double figures. Only nine Cardinal players got into the game.
Arizona made its first basket after Stanford’s third
turnover, and followed that up with another basket after Stanford lost the ball
for the fourth time.
The third quarter gave Stanford some hope after tying
the score at 42-42 and outscoring Arizona by 2 points in that period, but it
wasn’t enough to overcome the next Arizona onslaught as the quarter ended with
Arizona up by 9 points.
Watching the action from courtside were three Stanford
legends: Jayne Appel-Marinelli, ’10; Jennifer Azzi, ’90; and retired head coach
Tara VanDerveer.
Action will return to Maples when Stanford hosts UC
Davis at 2 p.m. Nov. 8.
Photos
by Stanford Athletics
