A look back at '17-'18, Part 1 of 2

It was a season that began with many questions but that ended with mostly satisfactory answers for the Stanford women’s basketball team in 2017-18.

How would the young team fare with only two seniors?

How would the team adapt to the new Princeton offense stressing constant motion, back-door cuts, passing, picks on and off the ball, and disciplined teamwork?

How would the team rebound from one of the most grueling early schedules in its history?

The answers: Amazingly well. The team finished with a 24-11 record, hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 in Lexington, Ky.

Amy retires from coaching

Before all that, though, in April 2017, just after the 2016-17 season had ended with the annual banquet, associate head coach Amy Tucker said she would leave the bench after 32 years at Stanford. Earlier in the season, Kate Paye had been promoted to associate head coach alongside Amy, but with the new season pending, Kate had the job alone.

Lindy did her share of scoring. (SWBB photo)

Lindy La Rocque, a 2012 SWBB alum, became an assistant coach. Tempie Brown, the other assistant coach, assumed Amy’s responsibility for coordinating recruiting. Amy stayed on as women’s basketball administrator.

Most of the 14-member squad reported to campus for the summer, when they could practice with the coaches for two hours a week for eight weeks.

Alyssa, Alanna and Britt play internationally

The exception was freshman forward Alyssa Jerome, who was captain of Canada’s U19 Women’s Basketball Team in July. After an exhibition tournament in France, her team won bronze in the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2017 in Italy.

Junior forward Alanna Smith left campus in mid-July to join her country’s Australian Opals, which won silver in FIBA Women’s Asia Cup games in India.

Shortly after that, senior guard Brittany McPhee went to the 2017 USA Basketball Women’s National Training Camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she made the 12-player squad. It won the championship in the U23 Women’s Basketball Four Nations Tournament in Japan.

Team travels to Italy

After summer school ended Aug. 17, everyone returned Sept. 4 for a trip to Italy Sept. 5-15. The team visited Rome, Florence and Venice and won one of five games against Italian college and professional teams. The fourth loss came in a 64-57 overtime game against a team with recently graduated Karlie Samuelson.

Despite the losses, the trip was a big win, allowing the players to form all-important bonds and get valuable playing experience. It gave the coaches a chance to see how the team was meshing and how various lineups worked.

After a short break, the well-traveled team returned to campus Sept. 21 for fall classes on Sept. 25.

Fans got their first look at the team on Nov.  4, when it defeated visiting UC San Diego 60-46 in an exhibition game.

With only two seniors, Britt and forward Kaylee Johnson, the young team shot only 39 percent overall and just 16 percent from beyond the arc while logging 16 turnovers.

All 14 players were available, and all saw action. The starters were Britt, Kaylee, Alanna and junior guards Marta Sniezek and Alexa Romano.

After that, the team got a taste of powerhouse competition at a tournament in Columbus, Ohio, where the 2018 Final Four would be played.  The Cardinal left with losses of 64-85 to Ohio State and 53-78 to UConn.

First win comes against UC Riverside

Returning home, the Cardinal notched its first victory, 53-43 over UC Riverside on Nov. 17. The team was short-handed with Britt in a boot and sophomore forward Nadia Fingall in street clothes. She missed only this game, but it was the first of nine that Britt missed.

Sophomore guard DiJonai Carrington, in her first career start, played a team-high 31 minutes, scored 13 points and snared 22 rebounds. Alanna, Kaylee, Alexa and Marta also started.

Alexa shoots against UC Riverside. (Bob Drebin/ISI Photos)

Two days later, the team hosted Cal State Bakersfield and won 57-34. Alexa was the top scorer with a career-high 13 points, including three three-pointers. Sophomore guard Anna Wilson also had three three’s, and freshman forward Estella Moschkau had one for her first collegiate points.

Back on the road for a tournament in Las Vegas, the team defeated Kent State 79-54 on Nov. 23 and Belmont 74-53 on Nov. 24. Wrapping up the tournament on Nov. 25, the team met Ohio State again and lost 82-94, this time in overtime.

Alanna, Anna honored

Alanna led the team in scoring for in two games in Las Vegas and was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. She and Anna were named to the all-tournament team.

A quick road trip resulted in an 86-66 win over the University of San Francisco on Nov. 29. The game started slowly for the Cardinal, who trailed after the half, but the team turned the tide to win.

The comeback was fueled by a fusillade of treys: 11 of 21, or 52.4 percent, after the half, a school record for a half. For the game, the team had 15 three’s, third-most in team history.

Freshman guard Kiana Williams led the trey parade with five. Alanna, Alexa and DiJonai had three each. Anna had one.

Still on the road, the team lost to another powerhouse, Baylor, 57-81, on Dec. 3. Junior center Shannon Coffee was the top scorer with 14, with four three’s. She was followed by Kiana with 13 points and Alanna with 11.

With finals in the rear-view mirror, the team enjoyed a 74-33 victory over visiting UNLV on Dec. 16. DiJonai joined Britt on the unavailable list.

Kiana is interviewed after her first start. (Stanford Athletics)

Kiana had the most points, 14. Alanna and freshman forward Maya Dodson had 11 each.

The revamped starting lineup featured regulars Kaylee and Alanna joined by three first-timers: Kiana, Shannon and Anna.

Season’s nadir: Loss to Western Illinois

In what was perhaps the most surprising loss of the season, the Cardinal fell 64-71 to unranked Western Illinois on Dec. 18 in Maples.  Poor free-throw shooting and turnovers contributed to the loss.

Completing the non-conference schedule, the team lost 71-83 to then-unbeaten Tennessee on Dec. 21 in Maples. This loss, along with the one to Western Illinois, dropped Stanford out of AP’s top 25 for the first time in 17 years.

Despite the loss, fans were cheered by Britt’s return after a nine-game absence. She proved to be a spark plug and poured in 27 points. DiJonai was still out.

Thus the nonconference season ended with an uncharacteristic 6-6 record, but five of the six losses were against teams that were in the top 10 at the time.

Returning from a brief holiday break, the team upset visiting UCLA 76-65 to start Pac-12 competition Dec. 29. This victory marked the season’s first over a ranked team.

Britt goes for a layup against USC. (Richard Erstad/ISI Photos)

Britt led the way with a game-high 26 points. Alanna had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Nadia added 10 points. DiJonai was back in action and added seven points in only 10 minutes.

The starting lineup featured Britt, Alanna, Marta, Maya and Kiana.

The team ended 2017 by defeating USC 72-65 on Dec. 31. This victory returned the Cardinal to AP’s top 25, with the Jan. 1 poll ranking Stanford No. 24.

Britt led the team with 21 points. Because she had scored at least 21 points in the three games since returning from her injury, ESPNW named her its National Player of the Week.

Next: Part 2, the new year

Final farewell to team

Players and coaches assemble for photos after the banquet. (Stanford Athletics)

Now that the season has ended, 160 people gathered for the annual Stanford women’s basketball team’s spring banquet April 8 at the Arrillaga Alumni Center.

Unlike past gatherings, which were dinners, this one was a brunch. Served buffet style, offered an array of food like fresh fruit, salads, entrees, side dishes and tempting desserts. According to a number of fans, it was a marked improvement over last year’s event at the Faculty Club.

Alanna chats with a young fan. (Dave Cortesi)

Like past gatherings, though, it gave the players a chance to wear outfits other than their uniforms. Hence, each one was nicely dressed, and many wore high heels, even some of the tallest forwards, like 6’4” junior Alanna Smith and 6’3” senior Kaylee Johnson.

Tara serves as emcee

“Today is a day of celebration and appreciation,” said head coach Tara VanDerveer, serving as the emcee.

Even though junior guard Marta Sniezek was the only returning player who had averaged more than 20 minutes a game in the 2016-17 season, even though the early schedule meant facing Top 10 teams and even though the team had to learn a new offense, “This team showed great determination and resilience,” Tara said.

“I’m really proud of how everyone stayed together. We kept improving and growing.”

Throughout the program, Tara touted both individual and team accomplishments. She didn’t mention that those accomplishments helped her earn the honor of Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

Among the team accomplishments she ticked off were that SWBB was the only undefeated Pac-12 team at home and that it averaged 81 points a game in its first two NCAA tournament games, shooting 50 percent overall and 51 percent from beyond the arc.

Freshmen earn praise

During the program, she thanked all of the people who had contributed to the team’s success. She then introduced each player, starting with the freshmen.

“What an outstanding freshman class,” she said.

Among them, forward Maya Dodson led the team in field goal percentage and was third in blocks. Forward Alyssa Jerome played for Canada last summer and proved to be a versatile player.  Even though she didn’t play much, forward Estella Moschkau was first in three-point percentage and was first in the gym every day.

As for guard Kiana Williams: “What a special freshman season” she had. A three-point sharp shooter, she also had the best assist to turnover ratio and displayed “consistent energy and enthusiasm.”

Tara admires sophomore’s boots

As the sophomores took to the stage, Tara joked, “I almost wore those boots, Di.” She was referring to guard DiJonai Carrington’s above-the-knee boots of beige suede. As for her playing, Tara noted how much she had improved from her freshman year. “Whenever there is a scrum, Di comes up with the ball.”

She praised guard Mikaela Brewer for her hard work in practice and cited her writing ability, as shown in her regular columns for the Stanford Daily.

She urged forward Nadia Fingall to “follow the Erica McCall (’17) path and break out your junior year.”

She said she can’t wait for oft-injured guard Anna Wilson “to play for a whole season. She did great when she wasn’t injured (and) was leading the cheers for others” when she was.

Shannon makes memorable three-pointer

When it came to the juniors, Tara recalled center Shannon Coffee’s three-point buzzer beater at the end of the first half in the home game against Cal and cited her 4.0 GPA in the winter quarter. Guard Alexa Romano “really improved” on defense.

Alanna garnered many honors and was the team’s second-leading scorer (behind senior guard Brittany McPhee) and rebounder (behind Kaylee). She might play for her home country of Australia this summer.

Marta, wearing white-rimmed glasses, “understands the strategy of basketball” and has “great court vision.” She also improved a lot, joining the likes of such past greats as Jennifer Azzi, ’90; Nneka Ogwumike, ’12; Jeanette Pohlen, ’11; Erica and Brittany.

Lindy with Kaylee and Britt. (Stanford Athletics)

Big chunk of scoring, rebounding to graduate

The two seniors then came up front. “What outstanding seniors they have been,” Tara said. Later she noted that 30 percent of the team’s scoring and rebounding will graduate with them.

Kaylee has made an impact on the team since she was a freshman, Tara said. She does the little things, is “a great defender and a vocal, no-nonsense leader.”

Kaylee responded, “A lot of people have helped on this journey,” she said, citing her mother, other relatives and her father, who died in May 2017. She thanked the coaches and her teammates, earning a standing ovation after she had finished.

Britt also earned a standing O for echoing Kaylee’s remarks and thanking her teammates and coaches. Tara said that “she improved in every single statistic” and earned numerous athletic and academic honors.

Each senior received her framed home jersey and a pasteboard cutout of herself.

Tara singled out her colleagues: assistant coaches Lindy La Rocque and Tempie Brown and associate head coach Kate Paye. She also mentioned former associate head coach Amy Tucker, who retired from coaching last season after 32 years at Stanford and now serves as basketball administrator. “Everyone misses Amy,” even the referees, she said.

Video brings back memories of season

As a final grace note to the gathering, a video showed season highlights starting with the 

team’s trip to Italy in September and continuing through its final game against Louisville in the Sweet 16. It brought back lots of great memories and showed just how good each player could be. As one fan remarked afterward, “It looked like they should have won every game.”

Noting that she has been a head coach for 40 years, Tara said, “This team is really special.”

She then looked ahead to the next day, when returning players would work on strength, conditioning and skills, and to the summer, when the three highly touted recruits officially become freshmen.

“We’re laying a foundation for next season,” she said. It will include a home game  against Baylor and away games at Tennessee and in Hawaii and Toronto (a salute to Canadians Mikaela and Alyssa).

With that, the crowd began to disperse, but many stuck around to take pictures of the team and players while the returning players awaited a team meeting to talk about what’s to come.

Greedy team is ready to spring ahead

Now that the 2017-18 women’s basketball season is over, the Stanford team is looking ahead to the 2018-19 season.

First, the players had some time off between the Sweet 16 and the start of spring classes on April 2.

Preparations for next season start immediately after the spring banquet on April 8, when returning players have their first team meeting with the coaches.

Organized workouts with strength and conditioning coach Brittany Keil start the next day, April 9, said associate head coach Kate Paye in a phone interview.

Besides working with Brittany six hours a week, the players will have two hours a week on the court with the coaches. They’ll also work out on their own and play pickup games.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer will meet with each player individually to review the past season and to set goals for the next one. The aim is to “develop a plan to help them be successful,” Kate said.

While the returning players look ahead to next year at Stanford, the two seniors -- forward Kaylee Johnson and guard Brittany McPhee -- will take the final classes needed for graduation in June. “Both are excellent students,” Kate said.

Britt hopes to continue playing on the professional level, while Kaylee is focused on getting into law school and becoming a lawyer.

When the team was in Lexington, Ky., for the Sweet Sixteen, Kaylee was studying for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). She also has a job with a local law firm next year, Kate said. During Senior Day, Kaylee had said she hoped to continue playing basketball, but knee issues have changed those hopes, Kate said.

June 6 is the last day of spring classes, and finals are June 8-16. Graduation is June 17.

Summer classes start June 25. That’s when the three incoming freshmen -- Jenna Brown and the Hull twins, Lexie and Lacie -- will join their new teammates for the coming season. “We’re very excited about our freshmen,” Kate said, adding that all three are healthy.

While the 2017-18 season brought some surprising successes, given the team’s relative youth with only two seniors, “We’re greedy to get more,” Kate said.

Time to savor the Sweet 16

Alanna leads the team's celebration after the victory.

Alanna Smith poured in nearly a third of the Cardinal’s points as the Stanford women’s basketball team beat Florida Gulf Coast University 90-70 on March 19 to advance to the 

NCAA’s Sweet 16 for the 11^th straight season.

The junior forward had 28 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes to make sure that the team’s two seniors would have happy memories of their final game at Maples.

Those two, guard Brittany McPhee and forward Kaylee Johnson, did their part. Britt contributed 17 points and nine rebounds while Kaylee had six points and 12 rebounds.

Kaylee and Britt, watched by Estella, in the locker room after their last game at Maples.

As they sat together on the bench late in the game, the TV broadcast (which I watched later) showed them seemingly treasuring the moment and each other as teammates and classmates.

In addition to Britt and Alanna’s contributions, double-digit scoring came from sophomore guard DiJonai Carrington with14 points and freshman guard Kiana Williams with 12.

Maya pulls in a rebound.

Eagles learn to Fear the Tree

The team showed why a Stanford sports motto is Fear the Tree. With no opposing player reaching 6 feet in height, the much-taller Cardinal crew took advantage in both scoring and rebounding. The home team’s advantage on the boards was a huge 52-18.

Height also helped with the 7-1 edge in blocks, with two each from Kaylee, Britt and freshman forward Maya Dodson and one from Alanna. Britt and DiJonai had three steals each, and Alanna had the other one of the team’s seven.

FGC showed why it’s known for its three-point prowess, making 17 to Stanford’s nine.  Thus the Eagles finished their season with an NCAA single season record of 431, according to FGC Athletics.

Percentage-wise, though, FGC’s three-point success rate in this game was 36.2 percent, while Stanford’s was 52.9 percent.

The shorter Eagles were called for 22 fouls versus Stanford’s 14. However, the Eagles hit five of six free throws, or 83.3 percent, while Stanford made 19 of 26, or 73.1 percent.

As has often been the case in previous games, turnovers were a problem. While FGC had 10, Stanford had 18, some of them caused by the opponent’s close-in defense. They led to 24 Eagles points. Stanford capitalized with 14 points off turnovers.

More stats favor Stanford

Some other notable numbers: Stanford had 40 points in the paint, FGC 12; 12 fast break points to FGC’s two and 19 second-chance points to FGC’s three.

As the game started, Stanford came out strong and was ahead 7-0 within the first two minutes before FGC called a time out. It did result in some three’s, but Stanford still came out ahead 33-17 after the first quarter. By then, Alanna had 13 points, and Stanford had collected 16 rebounds to the visitors’ two.

The second quarter wasn’t so great as the Eagles flew to within eight points for a score of 43-35 when the quarter ended.

The third quarter gave Stanford an 18-point edge, 66-48. Although the Eagles didn’t give up in the fourth quarter, head coach Tara VanDerveer felt comfortable taking out most of the starters with several minutes to go and clearing the bench for the final minute.

Unselfishness pleases fans

Mere numbers don’t tell the whole story. The game was filled with numerous highlights, giving the partisan crowd of 2,049 ample reasons to cheer. Many of the highlights involved unselfish assists by junior guard Marta Sniezek with four and Kiana with six of the team’s 17 total.

The Cardinal are 36-4 in NCAA home games at Maples. Now it’s on to Lexington, Ky., regional for the third year in a row. There the four seed Stanford Cardinal will face the one seed Louisville Cardinals at 6 p.m. PDT March 23 on ESPN.

Also making the Lexington regional are two seed Baylor and six seed Oregon State.

Photos by Bob Drebin/isiphotos.com

And on we go

The bench celebrates on of  Stanford's 11 three-pointers against Gonzaga.

Hosting the first and second rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament, the four seed Stanford took care of business and defeated 13 seed Gonzaga 82-68 on March 17.

After a quick three by Gonzaga, which stayed ahead for less than four minutes, the Cardinal took charge and never looked back. The first quarter ended with Stanford ahead 22-18. The lead widened to 47-36 at the half and 65-48 at the third quarter.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer stayed with the starting lineup that has been consistent for the last several games: Senior forward Kaylee Johnson, junior forward Alanna Smith, senior guard Brittany McPhee, junior guard Marta Sniezek and freshman guard Kiana Williams.

Starters lead the way

They shouldered most of the scoring load, led by Kiana with 21, Alanna with 20, Britt with 11, Marta with 7 and Kaylee with 6. The other major contribution came from sophomore guard DiJonai Carrington, who had 11. For the game, the Cardinal shot a torrid 50.8 percent. 

Alanna, who had half of the team's eight blocks, goes for one against a Gonzaga shooter.

Tough defense limited the Bulldogs to 41.1 percent.

Stanford was a sizzling 50 percent on threes, netting 11. Five were by Kiana, three by Alanna and one each by DiJonai, sophomore forward Nadia Fingall and freshman forward Alyssa Jerome.

As has been the case the last several games, sophomore guard Anna Wilson was in street clothes, but she was no longer wearing a boot.

Stanford leads in rebounding

Rebounding was a strong point with a 42-27 advantage. Britt led the team with 11 rebounds, while Kaylee had eight and Alanna six.

Fouls were a problem with a total of 21 to the Bulldogs’ 18. Kaylee fouled out with just over six minutes to go. The Bulldogs capitalized at the free-throw line, hitting 17 of 19, or 89.5 percent, while Stanford hit 11 of 20, or 55 percent.

Because it was an NCAA game, the band was relegated to an upper area, as were the other bands.

Florida Gulf Coast University prevails over Missouri

In the earlier game, 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast University upset five seed Missouri  80-70, setting up a meeting with Stanford at 6 p.m. March 19.

During the second half of that game, assistant coach Lindy La Rocque and associate head coach Kate Paye sat at table on the sidelines to scout their potential opponents. Most of the team sat in south bleachers until just over the last three minutes of the game before heading to the locker room. 

FGCU had a large, enthusiastic contingent of fans, but red-clad Stanford backers greatly  outnumbered them in the crowd totaling 2,686.

Stanford’s pre-game warmup was briefly constrained while the north basket was readjusted, but the team overall wasn’t constrained in this satisfying victory.

Photos by Al Chang and Don Feria (isiphoto.com)

Not what we had hoped for

With only five players scoring, the Stanford women's basketball team couldn't overcome Cal's more balanced attack and lost 66-78 at Cal in the second round of the Battle of the Bay on Feb. 17.

Three starters shouldered most of the scoring load, 87.8 percent. Senior guard Brittany McPhee contributed 24 points in 38 minutes followed by junior forward Alanna Smith with 20 in 35 minutes and freshman guard Kiana William with 14 in 31 minutes.

The fourth starter who scored was senior forward Kaylee Johnson, who had six points in 31 minutes. The only bench player to score was sophomore guard DiJonai Carrington: two points in 17 minutes. Four other bench players got into the game but were scoreless.

Starting junior guard Marta Sniezek reverted to her reluctance to go to the basket and missed her only attempt in 31 minutes. She also missed both free throw attempts.

All eight Cal players to see action scored, cheered by the loudly partisan crowed of 4,211. Because they were scattered throughout Haas Pavilion, it was hard to guesstimate how many fans wore Cardinal red, perhaps 200. Fans also included the band (tucked into a corner), Dollies and Tree, but no cheerleaders.

Cal celebrates seniors

Because it was Cal's senior day, Kaylee and Britt received flowers before the game. So  did Cal's senior manager and its two senior players, Penina Davidson and Mikayla Cowling, who were joined at center court by their families. They were honored after the game, too, but most Stanford fans didn't stay.

In one especially moving pre-game gesture, the crowd was asked to stand for the national anthem of New Zealand, Penina's home country. As they stood at attention, her teammates on either side placed their hands on her shoulders as she sang along with the anthem.

The U.S. national anthem followed, well played by the Westlake Middle School band.

Most rebounds go to Cal

Stanford's stat line wasn't pretty. Besides the final score, perhaps the most glaring disparity came in rebounds, 47 by Cal and 32 by Stanford. Kaylee had the most with nine.

The Cardinal made five of 27 three's, or 18.5 percent. Alanna had three. Kiana and Britt each had one. Cal had seven of 20, or 35 percent, some coming as daggers in the game's final minutes.

Cal made 13 of 18 free throws, or 72.2 percent -- several when Stanford was deliberately fouling to regain possession toward the end. Stanford had 11 of 18 free throws, or 61.1 percent.

Otherwise, Stanford had 14 turnovers, Cal 16. Stanford had seven blocks to Cal's four. A painful turnover came in the final seconds of the first quarter. Britt was holding the ball for a last shot when a Bear player took it right out of her hands.

Cal led nearly all the way, coming out on top 21-16 after the first quarter, 36-34 at the half and 59-48 after the third quarter. Stanford led briefly during the first quarter and tied the game or came close several times but couldn't muster enough offense to win.

Thirteen Cardinal players were available. Sophomore guard Anna Wilson was in street clothes and wearing a boot.

Lion dancers honor Chinese New Year

In honor of Chinese New Year, the Cal VSA Lion Dance Team provided halftime entertainment. Three colorful lions propelled by two people each challenged each other as two percussionists provided sound effects.

It's uncertain how this loss to an unranked team will eventually affect Stanford's seeding in the NCAA tournament, when the top 16 teams have a chance to host the first two rounds. It did drop Stanford to 16 from 14 in the weekly AP poll.

Pac-12 standings and seeding for the conference tournament will be affected by how the top four teams -- Stanford, UCLA and the Oregon schools -- fare in their final conference games.

Stanford will wrap up its conference schedule by visiting Washington at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 and Washington State at 1 p.m. Feb. 25. Both games will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.

Round one goes to Stanford

Players, coaches and fans have reason to celebrate during the game.. (Photos by Bob Drebin/ISIPhotos)

In the first round of its cross-bay rivalry, the Stanford women’s basketball team prevailed over Cal 74-69 on Feb. 15 at Maples.

The Cardinal were led by freshman guard Kiana Williams, who scored a career-high 26 points.

Although the teams were nearly identical in most statistical categories, one question stands out: How important are free throws?

Free throws still could clinch a victory

Well, even if Stanford hadn’t made two more two-point baskets than Cal, the home team still would have eked out a one-point win because it made one more free throw, 16 of 21,  than Cal, 15 of 21.

Stanford had no baskets during the final 8:04 minutes, so free throws were huge with eight of 10 made in the final four minutes.

Cal had 25 fouls, while Stanford had 18. Senior forward Kaylee Johnson fouled out during the fourth quarter. Two Cal players fouled out.

Otherwise, both teams had eight three-pointers, but Stanford was better percentage-wise, eight of 19, or 42.1 percent, while Cal made eight of 22, or 36.4 percent. Overall, Stanford shot 40.3 percent, and Cal shot slightly better at 41.1 percent.

Kiana looks to add to her point total.

Kiana pours in five three’s

Stanford’s three’s came from Kiana, who made of five of seven; along with one each from senior guard Brittany McPhee, junior center Shannon Coffee and sophomore forward Nadia Fingall.

The Cardinal had 15 assists to Cal’s 10 and eight steals to Cal’s five. Stanford had 11 turnovers, while Cal had 16.

Kaylee works hard under the basket.

Cal’s biggest advantage came in rebounds: 40 versus Stanford’s 30. Kaylee had nine rebounds, while junior forward Alanna Smith had seven and Nadia had six.

The starting lineup featured the usual Alanna, Kaylee, Britt, Kiana and junior guard Marta Sniezek. They opened strong with an 18-7 lead with 3:12 to go in the first quarter. Alanna was first to score and had accounted for eight points by then. However, she mustered no more points after that.

Shannon is first-half heroine

Stanford finished the first quarter with a 22-13 lead, but Cal rallied during the second and was ahead with one second to go when Shannon made her trey to give her team a 37-35 halftime edge in her only minute on the floor. 

Her teammates mobbed her with hugs as they headed to the locker room.

The Farm team led 57-49 at the end of the third quarter and surged to its biggest lead of the game, 66-51 at the 4:22 mark of the fourth.

Bears foul the wrong player (for them)

That’s when things got tight with Cal opting for a full-court press and finally fouling intentionally during the waning moments. Unfortunately for the Bears, the player they fouled the most was Kiana, who made seven of nine free-throw attempts during the game.

Britt and Nadia like what just happened.

Besides Kiana with 26 points, the only other Stanford players in double figures were Britt with 17 and Nadia with 10.

Because it was Breast Cancer Awareness Night, Stanford’s white uniforms had pink accents and the Cal players wore pink uniforms. Many in the crowd of 3,074 also wore pink, including the man who always wears a pink tutu for this occasion.

During various timeouts, the women’s softball and gymnastics teams tossed pink T-shirts into the stands.

Jimmy V honored

In another timeout, Jimmy V (Viglizzo) was honored. The creator and owner of Jimmy V’s sports café  in the Arrillaga Family Sports Center is retiring this year after serving the Farm since 1999. SWBB fans fondly recall events he catered for them.

This victory over Cal in the final home game of the regular season extended this season’s home winning streak to 9-0 and assured Stanford of a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament in Seattle in early March. Stanford hopes to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament with a top 16 seed.

The win also put the team alone at the top of the conference, at least temporarily, because the other top teams, Oregon and UCLA, didn’t play. They face each other Feb. 19.

In the meantime, Stanford will travel to Berkeley for the second round of the Battle of the Bay at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17.

Cheers, tears on Senior Day

Trainer Katelin Knox is always ready to help Stanford women’s basketball players whether it’s with a bandage, an ice pack or extra tape on the ankle.

She was ready again on Feb. 11 as the team and fans honored the two seniors on Senior Day, following the 62-53 victory over Colorado at Maples.

The waterworks started as junior forward Alanna Smith paid tribute to her senior counterpart, Kaylee Johnson. When Alanna, who hails from Australia, was a freshman, “Kayl was always the one I turned to,” she said. She praised Kaylee’s leadership and said, “You always put in 110 percent.”

Kaylee answers fans' questions during the Senior Day ceremony. (Dave Cortesi)

Kaylee remarked how fast four years go by, and she thanked the fans, her teammates, her family and the coaches. It was then that Katelin delivered a box of tissues for the emotional players.

Kaylee praised for determination

Head coach Tara VanDerveer said of Kaylee, “The first time I saw your picture, I said you’re going to Stanford … She doesn’t back down from anyone or anything.”

Kaylee’s mother, Sonjia, agreed. “She’s always been very determined,” noting that from the time she was 4 years old, Kaylee said she would play basketball.

When she was old enough, the two of them would leave their home in Casper, Wyo., at 2 p.m. and drive to Fort Collins, Colo., for her to practice and compete before returning at midnight.

Besides her mother, Kaylee was joined by her siblings and grandparents.

Alexa calls Britt “a game-changer”

Junior guard Alexa Romano saluted her roommate and senior counterpart, Brittany McPhee, calling her friendly with “so much to offer.” She’s the “hardest worker I know … She’s a game-changer,” Alexa said. “You are my best friend,” she added.

Britt gets a laugh from a fan's question after the game. (Dave Cortesi)

Britt said she chose Stanford for basketball and credited her twin sister, Jordan, for her fierceness on the court. Jordan plays at Seattle Pacific near their hometown of Normandy Park, Wash.

Their father, Bryce, added, “She really loves basketball.” He was among the family contingent that included their mother and two siblings.

Tara said she was impressed by how much Britt read.

Seniors have high hopes for future

Both seniors hope to play professionally after graduation. Kaylee, a political science major, is studying for the Law School Administration Test with the intent of going to law school. Britt majors in human biology and eventually will take the Medical College Admission Test, needed for med school.

During the victory over Colorado, Britt led the team with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Kaylee added five points and 10 rebounds.

They were part of the starting lineup that also included Alanna, junior guard Marta Sniezek and freshman guard Kiana Williams. Kiana was playing without the protective mask she had worn during the win over Utah on Feb. 8. It was needed because of the stitches she had after an on-court collision with Britt during the Oregon game the week before.

Britt and Nadia defend against a Colorado player. (Bob Drebin/isiphotos.com)

Tough defense was on display during the 70-49 victory over Utah, along with solid performances by Britt, Marta and sophomore forward Nadia Fingall. They had 18, 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Fouls mar Colorado game

On the other hand, the highly physical Colorado game was notable for the number of fouls -- 18 against Stanford and 28 against the Buffaloes, giving Stanford 35 chances at the free-throw line. Success there was less than stellar, only 19 shots made for 54.3 percent.

The crowd of 3,838 often booed the three officials for calls or non-calls. Some of those boos followed the two technical fouls assessed to Alanna, who fouled out during the fourth quarter. Three Colorado players fouled out.

Kaylee and Alanna  wait at the scorers table as they and their teammates celebrate a good move. (Bob Drebin/isiphotos.com)

The game also was marred by 21 turnovers for each team. After scoring nine times from beyond the arc in the Utah game, the Cardinal could muster only three against Colorado. They came from Alanna, Marta and freshman forward Alyssa Jerome.

The crowd had ample reason to cheer during the first quarter when a video board announcement said this game was announcer Betty Ann Hagenau’s 300^th behind the SWBB microphone.

Stanford rises in AP poll

This win brought the team’s winning streak to six and elevated it from 17^th to 14^th in the weekly AP poll. It remained tied for first with UCLA and Oregon in the Pac-12 Conference.

With only four conference games left, two against Cal and two at the Washington schools, the team is aiming to win them all. “That’s realistic with the way the team has been playing,” Tara said.

The wins, along with a strong showing at the Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle in early March, could go a long way toward a top 16 seed in the NCAA tourney and the chance to host its first two rounds.

Fans cheer freshmen at restaurant

After the game, Kiana, freshman forward Maya Dodson and Maya’s parents, Karen and Darryl, visiting from Alpharetta, Ga., went to the Fish Market in Palo Alto for dinner. As they walked to their table, they were cheered by a neighboring table of eight fans.

Several of those fans, as well as others at the restaurant, stopped at their table to congratulate the players for how well they’re doing. Afterward, many of them posed for a photo with the Dodsons and Kiana.

The Cardinal host Cal at 7 p.m. Feb. 15, then journey across the bay to play the Bears again at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17.