Grace, Lindy, Kayla – Stanford’s sharpest shooters

Freshman guards Grace Mashore and Lindy La Rocque along with sophomore forward Kayla Pedersen topped their teammates at the annual Cardinal Nation Shoot-a-thon at Maples on Feb. 23.

Grace won the general competition with a total of 269 points out of a possible 300. Lindy was the top 3-point shooter, knocking in 15 within 30 seconds. Kayla was the first to make a half-court shot.

It was an informal event with fans standing along the sidelines during the fund-raiser. Fans pledged monetary amounts for each point scored by their chosen player or players. Proceeds will go toward the team’s trip to Italy in September.

During the general competition, the players paired off at baskets around the court and took turns taking 100 outside shots (worth 2 points each) and 100 layups (worth 1 point each).

Don, Bob and Peter tally the scores

Next they split into two groups, with each player given 30 seconds to shoot 3-pointers. Then the top two players from that round, Lindy and sophomore guard Melanie Murphy, shot for top honors. Lindy’s 15 bested Mel’s 13.

To complete the evening, the entire team took turns at shooting from the half-court. It took several rounds, but Kayla finally sank her shot, earning cheers all around.

Grace tries a half-court shot

One pleasing surprise was that senior forward Morgan Clyburn participated. Still recovering from extensive foot surgery last year, Morgan is out for the season. However, she had just been cleared to jump, allowing her to join the team for this event. Paired with freshman forward Sarah Boothe during the general competition, Morgan showed she hadn’t lost her shooting touch. She tied for third with 262 points and made 10 3-pointers.

Sophomore guards JJ Hones, recovering from ACL surgery, and Hannah Donaghe, awaiting knee surgery, stayed on the sidelines. The barefoot JJ had fun scooting around in an office chair, and then pushed the crutch-using Hannah to center court for team pictures. Junior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude was absent because she was tending to family business, said assistant coach Bobbie Kelsey. She’ll shoot for her points later.

Here are the point totals from the general competition:
Grace, 269
Sarah, 266
Morgan, senior Jillian Harmon, sophomore Ashley Cimino, 262 each
Kayla, 260
Lindy, junior Michelle Harrison, 259 each
Freshman Nneka Ogwumike, 250
Sophomore Jeanette Pohlen, 246
Junior Jayne Appel, 234
Mel, 217

Altogether, they amassed 3,046 points. The total amount raised will be tallied later.

Harriet won the "Guess who'll sink the half-court shot" contest

FBC’s most spirited fan

Don Anderson, whose Photo Journal graces the FBC Web site, has been honored as the winner of the Fast Break Club’s Fan Spirit Award for 2008-09. He received the award Feb. 21 after the Oregon game.

According to the biographical information that accompanies his emotion-capturing photos of games, he is a retired health care consultant. Besides shooting for the FBC, he photographs for Bootleg, creates photo documentaries of theatrical presentations at Gunn High School in Palo Alto and does photographic projects for Momentum for Mental Health, a South Bay nonprofit.

The entire team attended the tent to help honor the FBC executive board, committee members and locker sponsors for Fan Appreciation Day. There even was a belated birthday gift for Scout, the older of coach Tara VanDerveer’s two golden retrievers.

FBC membership totals 584, said Eileen Roche, director of women’s basketball operations, adding that the FBC Web site is the envy of teams across the country. Besides cheering the team at games, FBC raises money for its activities. Proceeds from the wine tasting last fall, the auction earlier this winter and the shoot-a-thon on Feb. 23 will go toward the team’s trip to Italy, which starts Sept. 14, said associate head coach Amy Tucker.

Amy also gave an update on the condition of sophomore guard Hannah Donaghe, who tore not only her left ACL, as previously announced, but also her MCL. She sustained the injury during a practice when she caught the ball and landed wrong when trying to maneuver with it. There was no contact with anyone else. “It’s just one of those strange things,” Amy said. Hannah will have surgery after the swelling subsides. In the meantime, she’s getting lots of advice from teammates who also have had ACL injuries. “Hannah has a great attitude,” Amy said. Whether she’ll be able to travel to tournaments with the team will depend on what her doctors say, Tara said later.

After the fan appreciation festivities, Tara allowed the team to leave, then said to the audience, “You had to be a great fan to stay (for the game) today.” Even though Stanford won 68-49, “today was a challenge,” she said. When the Ducks pulled ahead to 12-6 about 7 minutes into the game, Tara pulled the entire starting five and sent in the top five bench players. Led by freshmen Nneka Ogwumike and Sarah Boothe, those players went on a 25-2 run, greatly pleasing the coach. She gradually returned the first five to the game and started the second half with them. “We started better in the second half,” she said.

“We didn’t have that kind of depth last year,” she said. Still, “we need all 12 healthy players. We don’t have a big margin for error,” she said, noting how young the team is with only one active senior – Jillian Harmon – on the roster. Still, “I have great confidence in our team,” she said. “They’re a great bunch of young women.”

Asked about the team’s struggles with 3-pointers, she said such shots are “almost like the cream. We’re a skim milk team.” The shot “will be there when we need it.”

Although the coach praised several players, she singled out junior center Jayne Appel, who had an uncharacteristically low 4 points. “I think Jayne is an All-American,” she said. Jayne has the stats to back that contention. Tara also praised freshman guard Lindy La Rocque, who will probably be remembered throughout her career for the dive she made to retrieve the ball and, still on her stomach, pass it to Jill for an easy layup in the Cal game Feb. 14. “Her ticket is being scrappy,” Tara said. “We call her Little General. She’s gaining confidence, and she’s a terrific team player.”

Fans have appreciated that everyone on the team is a team player. Sophomore forward Kayla Pedersen summed up that attitude in response to a question about her favorite part of the game of basketball. Her answer: “Playing with my teammates and spending every day with them.”

Fast Break Feud

In his first year as videographer for the women’s basketball team, Bud Anderson has become known for clever, creative videos. FBC saw another side of him Feb. 19 when he played game show host after the team’s 72-43 win over Oregon State.

After associate head coach Amy Tucker divided the room into cardinal and white halves, Bud explained the rules to the first two contestants.

One rule was that each contestant had to kiss Bud's cheek. The contestants responded with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

The contestants answered trivia questions about the Cardinal. The questions ranged from the easy – what’s the name of the group that dances at games (the Dollies) – to the more difficult – what two players are tied for most points in a game and how many points (Candice Wiggins and Kate Starbird, 44 points).

“Our team plays ‘Family Feud.’ too,” head coach Tara VanDerveer said. It gets very competitive before each game. Amy expanded on that in an e-mail: “The questions are based on the information in the scouting report, statistics and video from our opponent,” she wrote.

Besides showing his emcee skills, Bud talked about his work and praised his associate, intern Sarah Boruta, who films all practices and coordinates game films. “She works 60-70 hours a week,” he said.

Although Bud sometimes hires other people to help with filming, he challenged FBC members to count how many cameras were used in a video with five angles of Tara playing her grand piano at home while her two golden retrievers lounged on the hardwood floor next to her. The correct answer was one, thanks to his ingenuity and his editing program, Final Cut Pro, which he demonstrated.

Bud has musical talents, too. He’s a member of Hookslide, a men’s quartet that sings professionally and that has sung at Stanford events. (One of his videos on the Stanford You Tube site shows forward Michelle Harrison singing the National Anthem with the group at a men’s basketball game.)

He composes the music for the women’s videos and sings all six parts himself, mixing them at home in the morning. As for his ideas, “A lot of it comes off what the girls do,” he said. For example, guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude volunteered that she can say the “Peter Piper” tongue-twister at supersonic speeds, contributing to one of the popular “Totally Useless Talents” videos shown at games. He previewed two more, one showing guard Jeanette Pohlen juggling three balls and the other showing guard JJ Hones pretending to spray her hair.

Switching to somewhat more serious, but still fun, topic, Tara assessed the Cardinal’s 26th consecutive home victory: “This was a really important game for us,” she said, adding that Oregon State is “a very physical team,” but “we ran really well.”

“How about Jayne (Appel, center) running the floor, and Nneka (Ogwumike, forward)? Our kids love to play that way,” she said. She also credited Jeanette, who has taken over at the point after JJ suffered an ACL injury early in the season, for pushing the ball well. She added, “JJ’s doing very well.” She can start riding the exercise bike, and she made some good observations to the team during halftime.

Even though the team was coming off an impressive win over rival Cal last week, “We never try to get too high or too low,” the coach said. Instead, the team focused on its next game in this week’s practices. The one big downside was that sophomore guard Hannah Donaghe tore her left ACL in the Jan. 18 practice. She used crutches at the game or sat on the bench with her leg elevated, still cheering the team. She’ll have surgery in four to six weeks, Tara said.

Also on the health front, Tara was pleased that Jeanette could play so well despite sustaining a Mercedes logo-shaped cut on her forehead that required nine stitches near the end of the Cal game. Wearing a wide sweat band over her forehead, she started the Oregon State game and played a team-high 26 minutes. Tara also said that Nneka hopes to stop wearing her mask next week. It protects her broken nose, an injury sustained in practice.

As the Cardinal pulled ahead of Oregon State, Tara rested the starters and called on all of the bench players. They responded by increasing the lead, a good sign for the team. They have a good feel for where they’re supposed to be and where everyone else is, Tara said. Solid bench play means that the starters can play even harder knowing there are capable subs, she said.

Cardinal rain on Cal’s parade

The rains held off as hundred of fans lined up outside Maples Pavilion a half-hour before the gates opened on Valentine’s night. They continued to hold off as Fast Break Club members left the post-game tent in Kissick. But inside Maples, the Stanford women’s basketball team rained – and rained hard – on Cal’s parade to the Pac-10 season title.

The Cardinal used a second-half surge, along with gritty defense and some sparkplug plays, to knock off Cal 58-41 to share first place with six games to go before the Pac-10 tournament. “It was a great win for our team,” head coach Tara VanDerveer said. “Cal is an excellent team, much better than last year,” but “our conditioning paid off for us” in the second half when the Bears seemed to run out of gas while the Cardinal were rejuvenated.

Associate head coach Amy Tucker was the first to head over from the locker room. One of the first questions she fielded concerned the status of sophomore guard Jeanette Pohlen, who collided head-on with Cal’s Natasha Vital late in the second half. Jeanette suffered a cut on her forehead and had to be helped off the court. “She’s getting stitches right now,” Amy said, adding that Jeanette’s mother was with her.

The team’s emotional leaders, junior center Jayne Appel and senior forward Jillian Harmon, pitched in 22 and 18 points, respectively. “Jill’s a rock,” Amy said. “We count on her for her gritty, hard play.” Tara added, “Jayne really stepped it up.”

But what had the fans buzzing was the spark provided by freshman guard Lindy La Rocque, who “gave us a tremendous lift,” Amy said. “I’ve never seen a dive quite like that,” she said, referring to Lindy’s diving under a Cal player to go after a loose ball and then – still on her stomach – pitching it to Jillian, who went in for the layup. “It really turned the game around,” Tara said, noting that Lindy also made an important 3-pointer during her 18 minutes of play. To top it off, she led the team in steals with three.

Besides Lindy’s dive, fans were abuzz about junior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude’s defense against Alexis Gray-Lawson, limiting her to just 4 points. That’s the same Alexis Gray-Lawson who rattled off 37 points when the Bears beat Stanford 57-54 at Cal last month. “Ros really D’d it up on her,” Tara said. “I guess she doesn’t own us anymore.” Ros “was really fired up,” Amy said.

Another factor in the Cardinal victory was that assistant coach Kate Paye “scouted their plays really well,” Tara said. Consequently, Stanford was well prepared, she said, crediting the bench players for their invaluable role in the week’s practices. “This was a great win for our program,” she concluded.

Out of the spotlight, but still smiling

Junior center Jayne Appel has become a fixture at post-game press conferences, joining a teammate alongside head coach Tara VanDerveer. She’s almost always there because she’s the Stanford women’s basketball team’s leading scorer and rebounder.

That wasn’t the case Feb. 1, when UCLA’s hounding held her to 6 points, well below her average of 14.9 per game. Therefore, while forwards Jillian Harmon (17 points) and Kayla Pedersen (13 points) joined Tara in the media spotlight, associate head coach Amy Tucker brought Jayne to the FBC tent. “She was available today,” Amy said.

On the court, Jayne is as tough as they come, battling under the boards and intimidating opponents with her 6’4” height and her quickness. Off the court, she seems modest, almost shy, with a sweet smile. She saw limited playing time in the first half because she was tagged with two quick fouls. “You keep playing through them” and try to avoid them, she told an FBC fan.

Just like the teams, the referees have a half-time meeting with a referee coordinator to assess how they’re doing, Amy said. Sometimes they make adjustments as a result.

“It’s mentally more difficult” to be an upperclassman, Jayne said, because “there are more eyes on you.” She also knows she has a responsibility to help younger teammates improve their game. For example, when freshman guard Lindy La Rocque wasn’t exactly where she should have been during one play, Jayne spoke to her about it on the court. (During her freshman year, 2006-07, Jayne was tutored by Brooke Smith and Kristin Newlin, the team’s senior post duo.)

Although recent games have been physical, “these games aren’t as physical as the games in the pre-season” and in the NCAA tournament, she said, citing the team’s hard-fought victory over Pittsburgh last year.

Something else that was different about Jayne’s game against UCLA is that she was wearing a black sleeve on one knee. “It’s just a little sleeve to keep it warm,” she said.

Something that wasn’t different was her unselfish play. She and guard Jeanette Pohlen led the team in assists with six each. Jayne also hauled in five rebounds and recorded one block and one steal. “Jayne’s having an absolutely fabulous season for us,” Amy said.

After such a physical game, Tara said she was glad the team would have Monday off. She also was pleased that the team took such good care of the ball (only 13 turnovers to UCLA’s 19) and rebounded well (46 to UCLA’s 34). She credited good conditioning for the team’s fast pace. “Our pace is our offense and our defense,” she said.

It’s hard to imagine that Stanford could win when both Jayne and Jeanette (10 total points, but 0-7 on three-pointers) had off days, but other players stepped up, she said, citing Kayla and freshman forwards Nneka Ogwumike and Sarah Boothe. “Lindy had a big 3 for us,” she said. Nevertheless, “I hope some people shoot free throws tomorrow,” she said, after the team made only 10 of 22. The team’s goal is to make at least 75 percent of its free throws.

The nationally televised game was not “our best game of the season,” but NCAA officials responsible for tournament seeding “saw us win,” Tara said. “We missed open shots, but we did a lot of good things.”

Point guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude’s “shooting percentage is not what it needs to be, but her defense really helps us,” the coach said. “We need everyone to feel a sense of urgency like Jill. She’s being a great leader of our team. She’s all Pac-10 right now.” She added, “I’m enjoying how Jill’s playing her senior year. What a great kid she is. I expect her to keep doing what she’s doing.”

For the team overall, “I see big improvements since we played Cal” and lost, Tara said. Nevertheless, “we don’t have a big margin for error. There are no gimmes.”

So many applicants, so few slots

Some 30,348 high school seniors have applied for admission to Stanford next fall. That’s a 20 percent increase over last year and the largest applicant pool ever. However, fewer than 8 percent of them will be allowed to fill the 1,670 slots available for the class of 2013. And unlike the situation at many other universities, no slots are ever reserved for athletes. Therefore, the coaches of Stanford’s 35 varsity sports can only hope that the athletes they’d been recruiting and coveting successfully get through the admissions office’s rigorous review process.

That’s the bottom line, according to Kiyoe Hashimoto, assistant dean of admissions, who spoke to the Fast Break Club after the women’s basketball team’s victory over visiting USC. Kiyoe serves as the admissions office’s liaison to varsity sports. She and her 27 colleagues also divide applications geographically, so in addition to athletes, she reviews applicants from other countries and Massachusetts.

Kiyoe works closely with the coaches and emphasizes two major themes – communication and trust. Although some applicants are still awaiting acceptance, others, including most athletes, know their status because she reviews their transcripts fairly early in the process because of NCAA deadlines for letters of intent. In fact, assistant head coach Amy Tucker, who coordinates recruiting for the women’s basketball team, already had some high school juniors’ transcripts for Kiyoe to read.

Kiyoe and her colleagues want to make sure that the athletes can make an informed decision before committing to Stanford. They don’t want to lead them on if they won’t be a good fit for the university. Likewise, they don’t want the coaches to expend time and money recruiting these athletes. That’s where communication comes in.

Trust between her office and the coaches means that “we trust that they’re bringing us the best student athletes out there,” she said. The coaches have to trust that her office will select student athletes who are right for Stanford.

In reviewing applicants, admissions officers look at grades, the kinds of classes such as advanced placement or honors, and scores on standardized tests for the first cut. The common application used by Stanford and hundreds of other schools also requires the applicant to write an essay and receive recommendations from two academic teachers. On top of that, Stanford’s supplemental application asks questions about books read, favorite music and historical events that the student would have liked to witness. Then it calls for three more essays.

“It’s a holistic process. It’s not just about the numbers. We’re looking for intangible qualities” such as intellectual curiosity and humor, she said. They want to know if the student is a nice person and if he or she is a team player.

Each application is read by three people. The first might be someone who’s familiar with the student’s geographic area. Kiyoe is the second reader. The third reader is the dean of admissions and financial aid.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer noted that when she applied for her job at Stanford, her first meeting was with the dean of admissions. “We work very closely with the admissions office,” she said. “They know what they’re doing.”

She also confirmed Stanford’s unwavering policy that athletes must go through the admissions process just like anyone else. She recalled the time when the office rejected a prized recruit, but when she asked the admissions officer about the rejection, she was told, “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” End of discussion.

Turning her comments to that night’s 81-53 win over USC, Tara had nothing but praise for freshman forward Sarah Boothe, who had a career-high 16 points to go with six rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 19 minutes of playing time. “This was a breakout game for Sarah,” she said, noting that Sarah’s mother was at the game. It was the first time she had been at a game to see Sarah playing in a Stanford uniform. She also planned to use the weekend to go shopping with Sarah and decorate her room, which had been provided with only the necessities when Sarah’s father accompanied her to campus from their home in Gurnee, Ill., last fall.

Tara also complimented Sarah’s teammates, especially guard Jeanette Pohlen, who “did a really nice job for us.” The coach also was pleased that “we rebound, we run,” but there were too many turnovers – 22. “That gives us something to work on in practice,” she said. She attributed part of the reason for Sarah’s progress through the season to junior center Jayne Appel, Sarah’s fellow post player. “Jayne helps Sarah,” she said.

Besides the play of Sarah, Jeanette and Jayne, Tara cited solid contributions by forwards Kayla Pedersen, Jillian Harmon and Nneka Ogwumike, along with guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. She said she’s hoping at least one more player will step up consistently.

Lindy meets the Fast Break Club after win over Washington State

“My dad always says I was born in a gym.” Freshman guard Lindy La Rocque knows that’s not true, but she has loved basketball for all of her 19 years. “I’ve always liked to shoot,” she told the Fast Break Club after the Stanford women’s 102-53 victory over Washington State, the second consecutive game in which they recorded 100+ points.

Lindy’s father and sister, a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, were at the game, visiting from their Las Vegas hometown. Her mother, a teacher, couldn’t make the trip because of school. She also was taking care of the family dog, Astro, a Yorkshire terrier.

Lindy attended Durango High and played point guard until her senior year, when she shifted to the 2 spot. The coaches have recently been calling on her point-guard experience, playing her in that key spot when the bench players take over.

Now retired, Lindy’s father taught at Durango High and coached the boys basketball team, then helped with the girls team. One fan asked her how she managed to earn a seemingly impossible 4.7 grade point average on a 4-point system. She explained that she got straight A’s plus extra points for honors classes.

Fans and coaches have remarked on her high, arcing three-point shot, but she had never heard it called arcing until she got to Stanford. She just figures she was applying what she learned in physics class: “You need that high arc to get the ball in the basket.”

Lindy committed to Stanford as a junior. “I wanted an academic type of school,” she said. She then related how she learned she had been accepted. She was driving home after working out when head coach Tara VanDerveer called with the news. Lindy didn’t say yes right away. Instead, still driving (her dad doesn’t like her to use her phone when driving), she called and told him the news. He told her to call back and accept the offer, which she did – while driving.

Some other Lindy tidbits: Her nickname is Lulu. She likes to go fishing at Mammoth Lakes with her father and sister. She hasn’t declared a major, but she’s interested in STS – science, technology and society – and is taking an introductory class this term. Her short-term basketball goals are to get stronger so that she can be more than one-dimensional and to continue working on her shot.

Everyone got a big scare during the game when she fell hard and hit her head on the floor during the second half. Nevertheless, she stayed in the game and finished with four points (a three-pointer and a free throw), five assists, one steal and one offensive rebound. She said afterward that she had a headache, but “I’m OK.” “It was getting a little rough out there,” Tara said just after Lindy finished her Q&A.

Washington State “gave us a good game for a while,” Tara said, but the Cardinal soon surged ahead. “People were excited for each other. They really had fun this weekend,” she said.

A game like this one and the Washington game, which Stanford won by 77 points, are good for the team. The starters get a chance to rest, avoiding injury, while bench players gain game experience and self-confidence, as well as the coaches’ confidence in them. It’s good for morale, too. “This team is learning to love to play together,” she said.

Starting point guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude “had a great week. She figured out Jayne was on her team. You throw the ball in to Jayne, you get an automatic assist,” Tara said. Playing only 18 minutes, Jayne tallied 16 points on 8-for-9 shooting plus four rebounds, three assists and one block. Ros had seven points, two rebounds, six assists and five steals in 23 minutes.

“Ros has developed a lot in just two weeks,” Tara said. “She has always played great defense, but now her decisions have improved.”

Singling out some bench players, Tara said that forward Michelle Harrison “had a big weekend for us,” scoring 16 points against Washington State. Freshman forward Sarah Boothe, who had her first double-double against Washington and contributed 13 points against Washington State, “is going to give people nightmares for the next four years.”

Looking ahead to the Cal game on Jan. 18, Tara said the Bears don’t have great size on the bench, but they’re “a very experienced team.” Senior forward Ashley Walker is a key to Cal’s success. “I think she’s a first-round pick in the WNBA draft,” Tara said.

On the health front, she said she hopes that point guard Melanie Murphy, who has been out with sprained big toes, and forward Ashley Cimino can return to practice this week.

At the very beginning of the tent, Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, said that after the 112-35 rout of Washington on Jan. 8, she’s having trouble filling open dates on next season’s schedule. One assumes that some teams don’t want to risk such a huge loss. On the other hand, Duke and Tennessee have no such trepidations. They’re coming to Stanford in December.

In addition, Scott Schuhmann, associate athletic director, is looking for volunteers to help at the 2009 Senior Games in the San Francisco Bay Area from Aug. 1 to 15. More than 12,000 athletes ages 50 and over are expected to compete in 25 sports, with Stanford venues hosting 17 of the sports, including women’s basketball. Go here for more information about the Senior Games, including how to become a volunteer.

Fans relish record win and meet director of sports performance

Much has already been made of the Cardinal women’s 112-35 win over Washington, a 77-point margin of victory that set the record for both the Stanford women and Pac-10 women’s basketball. But there was much more to take from the Jan. 8 victory even though it was over a decidedly underwhelming opponent.

One was free-throw shooting – 18 of 21, or 85.7 percent – along with three-point shooting, 14 of 25, or 56 percent.

Another was the steadily improving play by starter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude at the point. She knocked down four of her five shots, all of them three-pointers, hauled in four rebounds, made four assists and stole the ball twice in just 21 minutes of playing time. She also displayed her usual bulldog defensive style. Head coach Tara VanDerveer, speaking to the Fast Break Club after the game, praised Ros for all the extra work she has put in to hone her game.

Then there were the six bench players, who also showed significant improvement and played more than half of the game, scoring a total of 47 points. Freshman forward Sarah Boothe had her first double-double. “She’s looking more fit. She loves to play, and she loves to work,” Tara said. “She’s very coachable.”

Freshman Lindy La Rocque played point for part of the game and tossed in three of her signature three-pointers. Freshman guard Grace Mashore, who had missed several games because of a groin injury, came in with 5:40 left on the clock and promptly poured in a three-pointer to push the Stanford tally to 100, setting off a crowd uproar. She also scored the game’s final points, another three-pointer, with 41 seconds left. In all, the bench accounted for six of the team’s 14 three-pointers.

“I’m excited for a lot of players on our team, but it’s kind of sad for the other team,” Tara said in her opening remarks after the game. She noted that center Jayne Appel was 10 for 12 in her shooting and that “Jill’s been on a roll,” referring to senior forward Jillian Harmon, who has been a spark plug in recent games. “It’s really great to have that senior leadership.” As for guard Jeanette Pohlen, “she’s special,” the coach said.

Assessing the team’s primary conference rival, Tara said, “It works in our favor when Cal plays well.” So far, Cal has matched Stanford win-for-win in the Pac-10. There’s no opportunity for the Cardinal women to take any game for granted because its cross-bay foe is always breathing down their necks.

Guard Melanie Murphy again sat out the game with sprained big toes. Forward Ashley Cimino didn’t play because of back spasms. Tara hopes to have them back at practice next week.

The one disappointing note on the injury front (aside from point guard JJ Hones, who’s out for the season while recuperating from ACL surgery) is that senior forward Morgan Clyburn probably won’t play at all this season. She underwent surgery on both feet at the end of last season, and the healing has been slower than expected. Nevertheless, “she’s a great mom for the team,” Tara said. She’ll graduate in June and will not red shirt. Instead, Tara expects the biomedical engineering major to go on to great things professionally.

One fan asked if the team will wear the black road uniforms that they sported all the way to the NCAA championship game last season. The coach said that will be her decision. She wants them to be more aggressive. “We haven’t been road warriors yet.”

On the other hand, the Cardinal played some of the best teams in the nation leading up to conference competition. “Our tough schedule really has helped us,” Tara said. “All we want to do is keep improving.”

Prior to Tara’s comments, Brandon Marcello, Stanford director of sports performance, talked about his role in helping all of the university’s athletes. He’s concerned about strength, conditioning, nutrition, recovery and rest – “every single aspect of performance.” All of his and his staff’s efforts are intended to prevent injuries and help the players throughout their college years and afterward.

Brandon’s colleagues include Devan McConnell, recently hired as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the women’s basketball team, along with the team’s trainer, Marcella Shorty. In addition to his staff’s work with players, Brandon is coordinating with other campus resources such as the sleep center, human performance lab and even the engineering department to find ways to help.

Women’s basketball players are undergoing 3-D screenings at the human performance lab to see how their knees function. The goal is to find ways to prevent the ACL injuries that have plagued female basketball players throughout the nation.

He and his colleagues have been counseling JJ, who had her second ACL surgery on Dec. 29, on how to speed her recovery. They have advised her to take 400 mg of fish oil every day to reduce inflammation, eat foods rich in anti-oxidants and eliminate processed foods.

They also have helped Jayne and Jeanette schedule when to eat. In general, he advises athletes to eat every three hours and after exercise. Because it’s important to maintain muscle mass, he advises them to drink a cup of milk before bedtime. Nonfat milk is usually preferred, but whole milk is better for players recovering from stress injuries.

He has three general nutritional rules for athletes:

1. Eat a rainbow of foods – the more color on the plate the better – meaning lots of colorful vegetables and fruits.
2. Get your protein from lean sources – the fewer legs they have, the better. That means that poultry is better than beef, pork or lamb, but fish is best of all.
3. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (fish, certain nuts, among others) to decrease inflammation, but stay away from foods with omega-6 fatty acids (some cooking oils, egg yolks, red meats and organ meats, among others).
   

He also advises athletes to stay hydrated. Along those lines, he’s planning to get a camera that will help detect when a player is becoming overheated.

Fans enjoy win over Davis, get caught up with Jeanette and Rocky

Fans of Stanford women’s basketball enjoyed a slightly belated Christmas present as the team overpowered UC Davis 84-49 on Dec. 28. It was the last game before the team was to open Pac-10 conference play, starting 2009 on the road at the two Arizona schools.

Before talking about the game and the grueling pre-Christmas road trip that preceded it, fans at the FBC’s tent had a chance to get reacquainted with sophomore guard Jeanette Pohlen. They were expecting freshman guard Lindy La Rocque, but associate head coach Amy Tucker was thinking that all of the freshmen had been introduced. One assumes Lindy will be the next guest.

In the meantime, “We are absolutely ecstatic about Jeanette’s improvement over the summer,” Amy said. Jeanette spent the summer training with her high school track coach, who worked with her on running and sprinting in what he calls his “speed burners” program. “It helped me so much,” Jeanette said. “I know now that I can play a full game without exhaustion.”

Her brothers and parents helped her work on shooting by rebounding for her. One brother works for the city, so she had access to a gym. And her mother walks 5 miles a day, so “that was an inspiration for me,” she said.

After starting point guard JJ Hones went down with a torn ACL in the Rutgers game, Jeanette was asked to help out at the point. That experience gave her a good perspective on the overall game, she said.

Amy noted that JJ was to have surgery on her knee the next morning. “Her spirits are excellent,” she said. She was with her teammates during the Davis game.

Although the players had an abbreviated holiday break after the 1-2 record on the Southeastern road trip, “we didn’t want to dwell on it” Jeanette said. Instead, they wanted to enjoy being home with their families. For Jeanette, that meant that even her pet turtle, Rocky, who’s hibernating, somehow had a chance to go shopping and buy her some gifts.

Reflecting on the Davis game, both Amy and head coach Tara VanDerveer agreed that point guards Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Melanie Murphy showed improvement but that their decision-making “is not exactly where it should be,” as Amy put it.

Tara said she was pleased that there were fewer turnovers, and she praised forward Michelle Harrison, who “came in and made some nice shots,” scoring three of the team’s nine three-pointers. Jeanette, Lindy and guard Hannah Donaghe each contributed two. In an apparent passing of the baton, freshman guard Grace Mashore rather than senior forward Morgan Clyburn did the honors in high-fiving the entire bench after each three-pointer.

One fan asked who this year’s team leader is. Jeanette and forward Kayla Pedersen lead by example, Tara said. Center Jayne Appel talks a lot to her teammates. Freshman forwards Nneka Ogwumike and Sarah Boothe have leadership potential, but they’re still learning. Forward Ashley Cimino has a good attitude. All the players “are leaders in their own way in how they handle themselves,” the coach said.

With a team like Davis, which had only eight healthy players (Hannah’s sister, Haylee, was one of the sidelined Aggies), Stanford players can make mistakes without affecting the final outcome, but that wasn’t the case on the road trip, Tara said. Teams back East are much more physical. “It hurt that Jill got hurt,” she said, referring to forward Jillian Harmon, who sprained her ankle in the Duke game. Jill, who makes things happen with her scrappy play and hustle, has since returned to action.

“We’ve seen as tough as it can be,” Tara said. Therefore, “we can get a lot of mileage out of those games and that road trip.” The experience was valuable. She was pleased that even though the players were disappointed, they didn’t let the losses get them down, and they didn’t play the blame game. Instead, each one looked inside to see how she could get better.

“We have a lot of improvement to make,” Tara said, but expressed optimism that the team would continue to make progress. “It’s gonna be fun.”

Fun for fans at Fresno game

One of this season’s goals for the folks who market Stanford women’s basketball is to increase attendance by making the games as much fun as possible.

Of course, the team does its share, too, as it did Dec. 13 when it defeated Fresno State 100-62. Such an easy win is fun, and it gives fans a chance to see the bench players in action – players who usually don’t get a lot of game time but who are always ready to step in. They played their part admirably, even creating some suspense as the score hit the 90s in the final minutes. Would it reach 100? It did, thanks to sophomore forward Ashley Cimino, who made three free throws in the final 30 seconds to reach the century mark. Also noteworthy – all 13 healthy players scored.

The marketing team fulfilled its part of the equation with an enormously entertaining halftime show by agility-trained dogs. Ranging from a tiny teacup poodle to a stately Great Dane, they swiveled their hips through a series of closely spaced uprights, leapt barriers and raced through cloth tunnels.

Their appearance was part of the day’s focus on the Humane Society of the Santa Clara Valley and its adoptable pets. Photos of the animals along with photos of owners and pet look-alikes were displayed on the scoreboard throughout the game.

Yet another reason for the crowd to cheer came during a timeout, when Jason Pondexter accomplished a seldom-seen feat: He made a half-court shot and won a framed, autographed John Elway jersey.

A group of kids from the East Palo Alto Charter School got to see all this fun during the game. After the game, they enjoyed a meal and met the players at Jimmy V’s.

While they were doing that, the Fast Break Club was in Kissick meeting freshman guard Grace Mashore and hearing from head coach Tara VanDerveer, along with associate head coach Amy Tucker, who introduced Grace.

Grace lives in Arlington, Va., just across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., and attended Sidwell Friends School and National Cathedral School, both in Washington. The daughters of president-elect Barack Obama will attend Sidwell. Many of Grace’s classmates at both schools were the children of politicians and other officials. Her parents will attend Obama’s inauguration, and she would, too, if it weren’t for classes and basketball.

Even though her father is a Duke graduate and her 21-year-old brother attends Wake Forest, “I always wanted to come to Stanford,” she said. He father shifted his loyalties when he visited Stanford during a business trip and “fell in love with it,” she said. After Tara was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, she cut it out and put it on her wall. She attended one of Tara’s hoops camps to get the coaches’ attention and committed to Stanford as soon as she was admitted.

Before starting this fall, she attended summer school and had a chance to become acquainted with fellow freshman Lindy La Rocque along with Melanie Murphy, Michelle Harrison and Morgan Clyburn. As she becomes more familiar with the campus and its people, “I’m surprised every day. Everyone here is great at what they do,” she said. Although she hasn’t yet declared a major, she’s leaning toward history and English.

On the basketball court, “I’m trying to learn a lot,” she said, adding that she wants to be aggressive and bring energy to the team.

She didn’t play against Fresno because of a sore groin muscle. She was hoping to start running the next day and to be back in action Tuesday or Wednesday during the road trip to Duke, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Tara then reported on the other sidelined players. Senior forward Jillian Harmon sat out after injuring her back during the tournament in Hawaii, where she was playing “the best she ever was playing,” the coach said. An MRI was negative, so Jill has been resting. She’s with the team on its road trip, but her return to play is on a day-to-day basis.

Junior point guard JJ Hones, who tore her left ACL in the Rutgers game, was to undergo surgery at Stanford before Christmas, but it was postponed until Dec. 29 so that she could go home to Oregon for the holiday.

Morgan, who had surgery on both feet after last season, “is coming along great. She’s working her way into basketball movements,” Tara said. “I’m really impressed with her dedication and loyalty to our team.”

As for the Fresno victory, the coach saw “too many turnovers today, and we need to be more aggressive.” On the other hand, Fresno “is tough to guard, so it was a good experience for us,” a preview of some of the tactics that can be expected on the road trip. “It’s (going to be) a great trip for us.”

She was pleased with many of the players. “People are gaining in confidence,” she said. Filling in for Jill and getting her first career start, freshman forward Nneka Ogwumike “did a great job,” she said. She praised Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Mel, who have replaced JJ at the point. Lindy, known for her high, arcing three-point shot, “gets the dust off the ceiling.” Ashley “had some good moments.” She also cited guard Jeanette Pohlen and forwards Kayla Pedersen and Michelle.

Although center Jayne Appel wasn’t the leading scorer, which she often is, she “gets her stats in the big games,” Tara said. She’s an unselfish player who’s willing to pass to an open teammate.

“This team has a great attitude and makes a great effort,” she concluded.