Storybook ending for Stanford

The Stanford women’s basketball team is on its way to the Final Four in San Antonio after pulling off a nearly improbable 55-53 win over Xavier on March 29 at Sacramento’s Arco Arena.

Unlike most of the other teams that Stanford has defeated in its 35-1 season, Xavier kept the score close most of the game, and its taller post players made life difficult for the Stanford threesome of center Jayne Appel and forwards Kayla Pedersen and Nneka Ogwumike.

Stanford led 26-24 at the half, which was far from stellar for the Cardinal. Just before the start of the second half, I told myself, “They can play better.”

It wasn’t a whole lot better in the second half, though, especially after Jayne fouled out. At that point, a fan sitting near me yelled, “Do it for Jayne.” It’s well known that the senior wants a national championship.

Then, with the scored tied 53-53 with only seconds to go, Kayla rebounded the second of two easy shots that Xavier missed and immediately called a timeout. That’s when the “schemers” (Georgia coach Andy Landers’ label for the Stanford coaches after his team’s 73-36 loss two nights earlier) called what turned out to be the perfect play.

Kayla inbounded the ball to guard Jeanette Pohlen under the Xavier basket. With only 4.4 seconds to go, Jeanette drove down the court and made the winning basket just in time. If she hadn’t made it, the game would have gone into overtime. Instead, jubilation broke out on Stanford’s half of the court, and Jeanette was swamped by her joyous teammates.


After the awards ceremony and the traditional net-cutting, the players rushed over to the band, cheerleaders, Dollies and Tree and grabbed the cheerleaders’ pompons to salute and celebrate with their most loyal student supporters.

As with the Georgia game, two booster buses traveled to Sacramento for this game. My seatmate this time was Jimmy Viglizzo, better known as Jimmy V, owner of the popular sports cafe where the Stanford women and other teams have their training table.

He said that he had made good on his promise to serve the players salmon filet and filet mignon if they went to the Sweet 16. After that meal, he promised them steak and lobster if they made it to the Final Four. They should be eating mighty well one day this week after he has the fresh lobster tails flown from Australia.

Along with wine, beer and water supplied by Stanford, people on our bus could enjoy wine that the generous Jimmy V shared.

On the way there, fans on our bus could watch a video about how the legendary basketball film “Hoosiers” was made. This was followed by a grainy black and white film of the true-life game that inspired the film. In 1954, the team from tiny Milan High School in Indiana scored a miraculous upset over longtime hoops powerhouse Muncie Central for the state championship. That game is regarded as one of the best ever in my native Hoosier State, where I like to say that basketball is the state religion.

Stanford’s defeat of Xavier is far from that kind of legend, but Jeanette’s final drive for the winning basket certainly will go down as one of the all-time great moments in Cardinal basketball history. As my bus was returning to Stanford, I heard one fan yell, “Pohlen for governor.” Now there’s a thought.

San Antonio, here we come.

Elite performance in Sacramento

Although the Stanford players insist it wasn’t easy, they made it look that way as the team marched into the Elite Eight via a 73-36 victory over 5-seeded Georgia in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball regional at Arco Arena in Sacramento on March 27.

The crowd was dominated by Stanford fans, more than 100 of whom had arrived on two booster buses. During the long drive, these fans could enjoy wine, beer or water provided by Stanford and – on my double-decker coach – served by Gayle Mulvey, athletic department receptionist. Some fans also brought snacks to sustain themselves before the buses arrived at the pre-game social.

There they found a large, red-clad crowd enjoying themselves at umbrella-shaded tables on the front patio of Bella Bru Cafe, which served a tasty buffet.

The informal event was capped off by a surprise appearance by the band, Dollies, cheerleaders and Tree. They entertained the fans for 10 minutes before playing “It’s All Right” and running back to their own bus. Their antics drew the attention of the mall’s patrons. Even firefighters in a fire engine slowly driving through the parking lot seemed fascinated.


Then it was back into the buses to head to the arena, pick up tickets and go inside for what turned out to be an entertaining game if your favorite color is cardinal red.

After a slow start, Stanford dominated on both sides of the ball. The score at the half was 37-15. By the time the score hit 66-30 with 6:16 left, the starters were on the bench. When the game was over, all 14 uniformed players had seen action.

The only scary moment came near the end when forward Michelle Harrison crumpled onto the floor under the Georgia basket. After a few minutes, she was able to walk to the bench. It was later reported that she had been accidentally elbowed in the face and that the injury wasn’t serious.

The Georgia band was mostly brass, and its favorite, oft-played song was “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” mostly the chorus part – “Glory, glory, hallelujah.” The final strains at the end of the game, however, sounded more like a dirge than a marching song.

Speaking of songs, news that Baylor had knocked off Tennessee earlier in the day meant not only that a No. 1 seed had been upset, but that we won’t have to hear endless repetitions of “Good Old Rocky Top” if Stanford makes it to the Final Four.

The only obstacle between Sacramento and San Antonio now is Xavier, which knocked off Gonzaga 74-56 in the second game. Most Stanford fans seemed to be rooting for the scrappy Zags, but Xavier’s size was just too much.

During the first half of that game, Stanford players joined family and friends, who gave them big hugs, in the section behind what had been the Stanford bench. Their arrival also was cheered by fans, as was their departure at the half. In the meantime, associate head coach Amy Tucker and assistant coaches Kate Paye and Bobbie Kelsey sat at tables on the opposite side of the court scouting the game. Head coach Tara VanDerveer was in the stands right behind them.

Fans applauded the Gonzaga cheerleaders’ intricate formations, but people sitting near me on the homeward bus pondered the significance of Xavier’s mascot, especially since the team’s nickname is the Musketeers. Some likened it to a blue blob, while others said it was a blue amoeba.


One fan turned to her Blackberry and unearthed amusing opinions about the mascot. The consensus name seemed to be the Blue Blob, but the Web search showed that the mascot sometimes appears as the Red Blob, and sometimes it’s a swashbuckling d’Artagnan from “The Three Musketeers.” Which one shows up for the Stanford-Xavier game March 29 may or may not be a moot point.

The buses got back to campus shortly before 1 a.m. – a long day for the sleepy but happy fans.

One other musical item of interest – It probably was pure coincidence, but as my bus crossed over the Carquinez Bridge on the way to the game, the sound system quietly played ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” the same tune heard during the Cardinal’s open practice preceding the first two rounds of the tournament in Maples Pavilion. Now we can hope that the team keeps dancing all the way to San Antonio.

Fantastic farewell to Maples

As the elder stateswoman of the Stanford women’s basketball team, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude has led her teammates all season as they made their initial entrance. On March 22, the fifth-year senior guard expanded that role to score a team-high and career-high 26 points in the Cardinal’s 96-67 defeat of Iowa in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Not only that, Ros opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, then went on to electrify the crowd by scoring five more in succession, leading the Cardinal to a 61-34 advantage at the half. She went on to record one more 3 plus two other baskets and a free throw as well as one rebound, five assists, one block and one steal in 33 minutes. When she went to the bench for the last time with about six minutes to go in the game, the near-capacity crowd gave her a roaring ovation to go with a hug from head coach Tara VanDerveer.

Senior center Jayne Appel also played her last Maples game and was loudly cheered after scoring 16 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. The other three starters also scored in double figures – forward Nneka Ogwumike with 23 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and one block; forward Kayla Pedersen with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists; and guard Jeanette Pohlen with 11 points, four rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

In addition to Ros’s seven 3’s, Jeanette contributed three and Kayla had one – a total of 11 3-pointers -- in an all-around dominating game that saw all 14 uniformed players in action.

Thus the team enjoyed its second straight season -- 46 home games – with nary a loss at Maples. That means that the four sophomores and two freshmen have never experienced a home loss in their college careers.

Stanford had advanced to this game by defeating UC Riverside 79-47 in the first-round game March 20. In that game, Nneka led Cardinal scoring with 19 points, followed by Jeanette with 16, Kayla with 15, Jayne with 7 and Ros with 5. The team’s 3-pointers came from Jeanette with four, Ros with one and guard Lindy La Rocque with one. Once again, everyone had a chance to play.

With its two wins at Maples, Stanford advances to the Sweet 16 in the Sacramento regional, playing No. 5 seed Georgia on Saturday, March 27, and – assuming a Cardinal victory – the winner of the game between No. 7 seed Gonzaga and No. 3 seed Xavier on Monday, March 29. Booster buses are scheduled for both games. See details elsewhere on this site.

Dancing queens

Maples Pavilion is ready to go, and so, apparently, is the Stanford women’s basketball team as the first round of the NCAA tournament begins today. Stanford, the second #1 seed overall, plays host to #16 seeded UC Riverside at about 7:30 p.m.

A handful of fans got to see the team prepare for its meeting during a one-hour open practice March 19. The overall impression was one of a relaxed yet energetic, enthusiastic, well disciplined team.

Clapping as they entered the gym, the players almost immediately launched into passing drills, encouraging each other the whole time. Even though everyone was focused and businesslike, there still was much smiling and laughing during the one-hour practice. This is a team that clearly enjoys playing together and cares about each other.

Anyone looking for offensive or defensive strategies would be disappointed. Head coach Tara VanDerveer wasn’t about to tip her hand. Instead she and her coaching colleagues had the players working on basic skills – free throws, layups, 3-pointers, shorter-range shots, rebounds, passing and fast breaks – no scrimmages.

Sometimes all 15 players practiced together. Other times, they split into groups with the 1’s, 2’s and 3’s at one end of the court and the 4’s and 5’s at the other.

It was good to see sophomore center Sarah Boothe in action. She hasn’t played since foot surgery last year, but she has been able to practice. She seemed to run the floor well and to hit her shots.

Besides the fans, observers included TV commentator Mary Murphy and other media types. Wayne Tinkle, father of freshman forward Joslyn Tinkle, watched for a while with some other men in Montana T-shirts. His University of Montana team had lost a close game in the first round of the men’s tournament at HP Pavilion in San Jose the night before.

The practice was accompanied by music chosen by Tara. The only song that was familiar to these ears came near the end -- ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” a fitting choice as the Cardinal get ready for the big dance.

Making history

The Stanford women’s basketball team powered its way through the Pac-10 tournament at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, defeating Arizona 72-52 on March 12 and Cal 64-44 on March 13 before toppling UCLA 70-46 on March 14 to take home the championship trophy. Thus the Cardinal became the first team to go undefeated during the Pac-10 season and then win the conference tournament.

Now the players have their eyes on an even bigger prize, the national championship. Just four more wins will send the team to the Final Four in San Antonio. The march starts at about 7:30 p.m. March 20 when No. 1-seeded Stanford faces UC Riverside at home in Maples Pavilion. Assuming a Stanford win, the next opponent would be either Rutgers or Iowa on March 22 at home Winning that game would mean the Sweet 16 and a bus ride to presumably two more games in the regional at Sacramento’s Arco Arena the following weekend, March 27 and 29.

Besides bringing home the Pac-10 trophy and net as a team, Stanford collected individual honors. Forward Nneka Ogwumike was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Center Jayne Appel and forward Kayla Pedersen were named to the all-tournament team. Just before the Cal game, Jayne was honored as the Toyo Tires Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Toyo Tires also donated $1,000 to the Stanford women’s basketball scholarship fund in Jayne’s name, according to a Pac-10 press release.

The tournament actually began March 11, when the four bottom seeds played. Between those two games, Jayne and Nneka joined two players from each of the other nine teams to sign autographs for young fans. In the meantime, Stanford videographer Sarah Boruta worked on her laptop as she sat on the floor behind the video cameras in the stands, presumably preparing a scouting video of Arizona’s 2-point victory over Washington State. Sarah spent most of the tournament in that spot.

Friday’s festivities began with a sendoff from the Marriott Hotel downtown, where all of the teams were staying. Only a few fans were there, including Nneka’s father, Peter, who took pictures with his camera phone as the band, cheerleaders, Dollies and Tree performed.

Because of a sprained ankle, Jayne didn’t start in the game against Arizona. Freshman Joslyn Tinkle got the nod instead. Jayne got into the game during the second half and played for about 10 minutes, contributing 7 points, three rebounds and a block.

Stanford was a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line during the first half even though some Arizona fans, presumably students, ran back and forth in the stands behind the basket while Stanford players were at the line. Obviously their strategy didn’t work. In response, a few Stanford band members made some distracting motions behind the Arizona basket.

There were a few more fans at Saturday’s sendoff, and several hotel employees used their camera phones. After about a 15-minute serenade by the band, guard JJ Hones led the team off to the bus.

As she had done at the Arizona game, Jayne spent part of the warm-up time riding an exercise bike next to the Stanford bench. The Tree showed that he can do more than dance by playing drums with the band for a short time before resuming his usual persona.

Joslyn again got the start for Jayne, who came in with about 14 minutes to go in the first half. She played a total of 19 minutes and scored another 7 points to go with two rebounds, two assists, a block and two steals.

All 14 dressed players (center Sarah Boothe hasn’t played all season after foot surgery) got into the game. They included freshman forward Mikaela Ruef, who recorded the first 3-pointer of her college career.

The Cal game was marred by a scary scene in the second half when Cal senior guard Alexis Gray-Lawson fell onto her back and head after trying to shoot near the basket. She lay motionless on the court for about 15 minutes before being wheeled off on a gurney, accompanied by her mother. Later, after she had been evaluated at a hospital, it was reported that she had suffered a sprained neck and would be OK.

The final sendoff on Sunday attracted a larger crowd. As the band played – as only the Stanford band can play – UCLA players and coaches had to thread their way through Stanford players and the band to reach their bus. It’s not certain what they were thinking.

The Stanford players’ reaction was readily apparent, though, as they smiled and pumped their arms during the fanfare that preceded a mini-dance to “It’s All Right” and the trek to the bus.

For all its goofy antics, the band has proven to be a loyal backer of the team, enthusiastically following it through tournament play. I marvel at these musicians’ stamina, for they seem to get almost as much exercise as the team during the course of a tournament game day, yet they’re just as energetic at the end of the game as they were at the sendoff several hours earlier. They’re also vocal rooters during the games.

Jayne started against UCLA and played 28 minutes, amassing 15 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal. The contributions of other players have been enumerated elsewhere on this FBC site, but guard Melanie Murphy deserves additional recognition for serving as a sparkplug off the bench. She has been hampered by various injuries throughout the season, but during this tournament she played a total of 52 minutes and seemed to get better with each game. She’s a playmaker who gets the ball to open teammates and doesn’t hesitate to shoot it herself if that’s the right thing to do.

At the end of the championship celebration, as players, coaches and staff members took turns cutting off a piece of the net, head coach Tara VanDerveer broke with tradition. Instead of making the final cut to remove the net, she gave that honor to fifth-year senior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, who triumphantly held the net aloft.

Now that the ticket has been punched, shall we dance?

Bus keeps going to victory in Berkeley

“Jayne drives the bus.” That’s what head coach Tara VanDerveer often says about the offensive strategy of the Stanford women’s basketball team.

Well, when a sprained right ankle kept senior center Jayne Appel from behind the wheel when Stanford visited Cal on March 6, forwards Kayla Pedersen and Nneka Ogwumike took over, driving the Cardinal to a 63-48 victory. They scored a combined 45 points – 23 from Kayla, 22 from Nneka – and led Stanford to its first unbeaten Pac-10 season since 2002. They also led the team in rebounds with 10 by Kayla and 14 by Nneka.

A bus figured into the day in another way because 50 fans took a chartered bus from Stanford to Berkeley, thus avoiding traffic and parking hassles and enjoying the camaraderie. The fun started when Marian Cortesi, who authors Stories of the Season on this Fast Break Club site, gave everyone homemade brownies as they got on the bus.

Then her husband, Dave Cortesi, who serves as the FBC’s travel chair, added to the fun by showing a video of Stanford’s memorable 98-87 victory over Maryland in the 2008 NCAA regional in Spokane, thus earning a trip to the Final Four in Tampa. That time the Stanford bus was driven by then-senior guard Candice Wiggins, who poured in 41 points, aided by 23 points from then-sophomore guard JJ Hones. Kayla, then a freshman, had three 3-pointers. Even though the sound wasn’t working, it was easy to see how well the team played.

(Not so trivial question: What team was the last to beat Connecticut and when? The answer: Stanford, 82-73, in the first game of the Final Four in Tampa.)

Another perk of taking the bus to the game was that those fans had comfortable reserved-seat tickets, a real luxury at Haas Pavilion, where most seats have no backs.

The fans’ seats were across from a section filled with people wearing red T-shirts handed out by Jayne’s parents and emblazoned with “House of Jayne.” They also received placards with a head shot of Jayne. Those people were her relatives and friends, there to honor her at her last regular-season game. We can hope to see them again in two weeks when Stanford hosts the first round of the NCAA tournament, presumably with the Cardinal as a top seed.

Since it was Cal’s Senior Day, Jayne and class of 2010 teammates JJ, guard Melanie Murphy and forward Michelle Harrison, along with fifth-year senior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, were given flowers. Then Cal’s three seniors – Lauren Greif, Natasha Vital and Alexis Gray-Lawson – were escorted in by their families for the crowd’s accolades. However, Haas’ sound system was so distorted that it was difficult to hear what was said.

With Jayne at the end of the bench next to sophomore center Sarah Boothe, who hasn’t played all season following foot surgery, freshman forward Joslyn Tinkle got the first start of her college career. The tip-off was loud, with Cal fans waving the rally towels placed on most seats (mine will be put to good use at home). Cal scored the first four points, but Kayla tied the score at 6-6 about five minutes into the game, and then put her team ahead for good with another basket two minutes later.

Stanford fans had another reason to cheer just a minute later when the Stanford band and the Tree put in their first lively appearance.

The score was 26-19 at the half. Uncharacteristically, Stanford had made no 3s during that half. Joslyn supplied both of Stanford’s only 3s in the second half and wound up with eight points and nine rebounds.

Returning to Stanford, the bus riders heard a recording of the band playing “It’s All Right,” before fan Deb Gumbley announced the stats, reading from her electronic device. The bus got back to Stanford about 3:40 p.m., giving fans plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the day.

Part of my enjoyment was watching a tape of the game. Jayne was shown talking and laughing with Sarah before the tipoff. After the game, Jayne, who had injured her ankle in practice four days earlier, told commentator Mary Murphy that she believes she could have played against Cal and that she expects to play at the Pac-10 tournament in LA next weekend.

In their post-game interviews, both Nneka and Ros stressed how important Jayne is to the team and how much they wanted to win the game for her and to wind up undefeated in Pac-10 season play. They and their teammates succeeded. Now it’s on LA, where we hope to see Jayne driving the bus again.

Stanford’s seniors – More than a touch of class (Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1)

After watching the Stanford women’s basketball team defeat Oregon State 82-48 and celebrating Senior Night at Maples Pavilion on Feb. 20, fans continued their homage to the seniors at a packed Dallmar Court.

It was another chance to savor the five seniors’ last regular season game at Maples (two more games are surely in the offing for the first round of the NCAA tournament at Maples in March) and to hear more from the players, their families, their coaches and teammates.

In the spotlight were center Jayne Appel, forward Michelle Harrison and guards JJ Hones and Melanie Murphy, along with fifth-year senior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude.

Joe Appel, Jayne’s father, talked about her process of choosing a college. “We traveled all around the country,” he said. At one time, both associate head coach Amy Tucker, who coordinates Cardinal recruiting, and another well-known head coach were in the stands as Jayne was playing. "Amy was watching Jayne, but the other coach was on the phone,” he said. That’s one reason why Jayne chose Stanford. Since then, “I’ve had the best fun watching you watching Jayne,” her mother, Pam, said to the fans. Two of Jayne’s three brothers also were at Senior Night.

Mel’s mother, Rochelle, thanked everyone who looked after Mel. “I really appreciated that you looked out for her when I couldn’t,” said the Brooklyn resident.

She also revealed the secret of motivating Mel. When Mel was in second grade, she didn’t want to work on multiplication tables until her teacher set up a multiplication competition in which the prize was a cookie. Mel won the cookie. “If you want Melanie to do anything, have her compete for a cookie,” Rochelle Murphy said.

Guard Jeanette Pohlen related a freshman-year experience with Mel, who was a sophomore. Because Mel had torn an ACL, she was driving a golf cart around campus and became a chauffeur for the freshmen, who can’t have cars. “We would go for an adventure every night,” Jeanette said, citing Cold Stone Creamery and Stanford Shopping Center as destinations.

One rainy night, Mel was trying to maneuver between the numerous posts along Stanford pathways as Jeanette held her bicycle on the side of the cart. With the tight fit between posts, the bike wound up very much the worse for wear, but “it was a great experience to start off my freshman year,” Jeanette said.

“I feel like I knew Ros before she was born,” head coach Tara VanDerveer said, noting that she and Ros’s mother, Pat Gold, were roommates for a while in college.

Pat Gold and Ros’s father, Austin Onwude, weren’t able to attend the game, but they were represented by Rich and Nancy Lobell, whom Ros considers her California parents. Ros credited her mother with introducing her to basketball when she was 4 years old. Over the years, she also made many personal sacrifices so that Ros could stay with basketball. It was she who brought Ros to the attention of Stanford coaches. “Basketball has been a blessing for me,” Ros said. As for her teammates, “They’re more than teammates. They’re my friends,” she said, adding that the coaches have been most helpful during her five years at Stanford.

During Michelle’s freshman year in high school, Stanford was the first school to send her a recruiting letter. Stanford wasn’t on the Utah resident’s radar screen at the time, but her mother, Judi Harrison, urged her to consider the possibility. “You guys make it worth it,” Michelle said to her teammates. “My family has been my strongest support,” she added. Michelle’s two older sisters also were at the event. One of them, Kara, was her AAU coach.

Like Mel and her classmates, JJ thanked the coaches for all they had done for her and the team. Her father, Dan, spoke of the “tremendous sense of pride” he felt to be sitting with the seniors and their families. “This sport has brought our family closer together,” he said. With him were JJ’s mother, Susan, JJ’s sister, Kelsey, who plays volleyball at the University of Oregon, and an aunt. The Hones family lives in Oregon.

Jayne credited her parents for helping her get through the recruiting process. She also credited her teammates for the hard work that has helped make the team so successful. She singled out sophomore center Sarah Boothe, who hasn’t played this season after undergoing foot surgery. Sarah has been practicing, however, and “has been working her tail off every day,” Jayne said.

Tara noted that Jayne had just joined exclusive 2,000/1,000 Stanford club after surpassing 2,000 career points in the game that night. Jayne had already snared more than 1,000 rebounds. With her in this club are Val Whiting, ’93, and Nicole Powell, ’04. “Jayne in her way makes everyone better. She is unstoppable. (And) as great a player as she is, she’s a better person,” Tara said.

She had similar praise for all of the honorees and thanked them for their dedication and hard work. It’s not easy to be both an athlete and a student, especially at Stanford, where academic standards are so high, she said.

Even though Ros and all four members of the class of 2010 were honored, Jayne and Ros are the only ones leaving the team for sure. The other three have another year of eligibility. No decisions about returning will be made until later this year, Tara said in a news conference after the Oregon State game.

In the meantime, Jayne, JJ, Mel and Michelle wanted to have this Senior Night together because they came to Stanford together. And together they and Ros have created many happy memories for themselves and everyone who follows Stanford women’s basketball.

Stanford’s seniors – More than a touch of class (Part 1)

Mixed emotions abounded Feb. 20 when the Stanford women’s basketball team celebrated Senior Night by defeating Oregon State 82-48, thereby clinching at least a share of the Pac-10 season title. With one more win, the Cardinal will stand alone in first place.

Nevertheless, Pac-10 standings took a back seat to the opportunity to honor the four members of the class of 2010 plus fifth-year senior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. Stanford recognized Oregon State’s seniors just before the game when head coach Tara VanDerveer presented each of them with a bouquet. Stanford’s five honorees received their bouquets after the game.



In the 40 minutes of playing time that separated those two presentations, the Cardinal women put on another display of offensive and defensive prowess. Fittingly, senior center Jayne Appel scored the game’s first points with a basket just 15 seconds into the game. About 11 minutes later, with 8:48 remaining in the first half, Jayne scored her 2,000th career point, vaulting herself into Stanford’s exclusive 2,000-point/1,000-rebound club. Its only other members are Val Whiting, ’93, and Nicole Powell, ’04. Jayne finished the game with 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and five blocks.

All of her classmates got on the scoreboard, too, with Ros scoring 8 points to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Guard Melanie Murphy added 3 points. Guard JJ Hones had 2 points and one assist, while forward Michelle Harrison posted 5 points and one steal. Near the end of the second half, all five seniors were on the court – much to the delight of their fans and teammates.

After the game, the crowd was treated to a moving video honoring the five seniors. Then they were honored in person, starting with Ros, who was escorted by Rich and Nancy Lobell, whom she considers her California parents. Her own parents, Austin Onwude and Pat Gold, were unable to make the trip from Queens, NY.

Next came her fellow New Yorker (Brooklyn), Mel, who was with her mother, Rochelle Murphy. JJ was with her parents, Susan and Dan Hones, along with her younger sister and aunt. Michelle’s mother, Judi Harrison, and two sisters accompanied her. Jayne’s entourage included her parents, Joe and Pam Appel, and two of her three brothers.

All five players thanked the fans for their support. “Thank you so much for being such encouraging fans,” Ros said. After playing in all of the conference venues, Jayne had no hesitation in saying, “We have the best crowd in the Pac-10.” Michelle talked about her feelings when she was being recruited for Stanford. “There was something bigger than me waiting for me here,” she said.

Associate head coach Amy Tucker enumerated some of that something bigger for the standing-room-only crowd that packed Dallmar Court for the Fast Break Club celebration after the game – four Pac-10 season championships, three Pac-10 tournament championships (and counting) two Elite Eights (and counting), and two Final Fours (and counting). The seniors’ win-loss record, starting with the 2006-07 season, is 122-15, or about 89 percent of their games – and still counting.

Fan Otis Watson later pointed out that this class also has one Final Two on its resume. “This has been a very, very special class for Stanford basketball,” Amy said.

(Continued in Part 2)

Tons of fun against Oregon

The award for understatement of the week goes to associate head coach Amy Tucker: “That was a fun game,” she told the Fast Break Club after the Stanford women’s basketball team had dismantled Oregon 104-60 on Feb. 18.

Yes, it was fun watching all five starters reach double figures. It was fun watching guard Jeanette Pohlen open the scoring barrage with a 3 and a 2 before going on to finish with a career-high 26 points, including six of the team’s 12 3-pointers. For good measure, she added three rebounds, seven assists, one block and two steals.

It was fun watching the highlights video on the FBC site the next day. It shows the hot shooting and crisp passing, evidence of a team that knows the true meaning of teamwork and unselfishness. In Stories of the Season on the FBC site, Marian Cortesi advises viewers to see what happens at the 0:53 point of the video. That’s where forward Kayla Pedersen makes the play of the game – inbounding the ball by deflecting it off a Duck’s back, then catching it and scoring.

Some more fun: Hearing Hookslide, a men’s quartet featuring team videographer Bud Anderson, sing the National Anthem to start the game. Seeing all the fans and players sporting some form of pink attire to promote breast cancer awareness. Center Jayne Appel’s dad showed up with a pink tutu over his trousers.

The list could go on. As head coach Tara VanDerveer pointed out, “It really started with Ros.” She was referring to guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, whose tenacious defense has consistently held opponents’ top scorers in check. Oregon’s Taylor Lilley was the latest to find that out, scoring only one 3-pointer and two free throws for a total of 5 points. “Ros is hands-down the best defensive player in the conference,” Amy said. “She’s a pit bull.”

“I liked our team’s energy,” Tara said. “I liked their focus ... I love how Jayne’s playing,” she said. Jayne, like Jeanette, scored 26 points to lead the team. Jayne’s 12 rebounds gave her another double-double to go with four assists and a steal. “It’s a really pretty stat sheet,” Amy said.

“The timing is really important for us,” Amy said. The team can clinch at least a tie for first place in the Pac-10 conference with a win against Oregon State on Feb. 20. The Pac-10 tournament is only three weeks away, and the NCAA tournament is only four weeks away.

The FBC’s guest speaker was Heather Owen, ’98, a former Stanford basketball player who has returned as director of annual giving and leadership gifts in the athletics department.

She gave an overview of some of the numbers involved in Stanford athletics, starting with the fact that the university’s fielding of 35 varsity sports teams is second only to Ohio State’s 36. The department serves about 850 student athletes with an approximately $80 million budget. Most of the budget goes to salaries and scholarships, followed by facilities, maintenance and travel.

Women’s basketball has its full allotment of 15 scholarships, but only 340 scholarships are offered campuswide, leaving some teams with fewer scholarships than players.

The revenue comes primarily from the endowment fund – “We’re still doing fairly well” despite the economic downturn, Heather said – along with ticket sales and annual giving. The department’s annual giving goal is $7.125 million, she said. All of it goes to the Buck/Cardinal Club and is doled out by the administration.

The five sports that bring in the most revenue are led by football, followed by men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and women’s volleyball.

In looking to increase endowments, her department is hoping to find people to back more scholarships and coaches’ positions. To endow an assistant coach, for example, would require a pledge of $1 million. Endowing a head coach would take a $3 million pledge, but any pledge could start at $250,000, she said.

She pointed out that women’s basketball “is fully budgeted and gets whatever it needs.” Its donors most recently gave about $800,000 earmarked for the team.

One fan asked Heather how she likes being back at Stanford. “I’m thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying it,” she said.

Her comment also could have applied to what the Cardinal players were feeling that night. As Tara put it, “They had fun.” So did the fans.

Super team saluted on Super Bowl Sunday

Members of the 1989-90 team that won the first of Stanford’s two NCAA championships returned to Maples Pavilion on Feb. 7 to be honored and to watch the present team defeat USC 77-39. The ceremony took place right after the 1 p.m. game to allow fans to watch the Super Bowl.

“This was our Super Sunday,” head coach Tara VanDerveer told the crowd during the ceremony. “I’m proud of this year’s team,” she said, but the 1990 team showed the way with its “commitment to excellence. …It set the standards for the school.”

“This is a tremendous reunion for me. …We had a wonderful dinner last night” with both the past and present teams, she said. In the post-game press conference center Jayne Apple and forwards Nneka Ogwumike and Kayla Pedersen all said that they were inspired by and learned from that 32-1 team during the dinner.

Shooting guard Jennifer Azzi, named NCAA player of the year and winner of numerous other honors, spoke for the 1990 team. “You guys are awesome,” she said to today’s players, who were seated on the bench. It’s great “to see the legacy continue,” she said. She also paid tribute to Tara, calling her “one of the greatest coaches who has ever coached the game of basketball.” Several other players praised Tara and associate head coach Amy Tucker, who was one of their coaches.

Joining Jennifer at the reunion were Andy Geiger, the athletic director who hired Tara; trainer Patty Wilson; graduate assistant Leslie Crandell; assistant coach Renee Brown; Molly Goodenbour; Dr. Chris MacMurdo; Stacy Parson; Katy Steding; Trisha Stevens; and Angela Taylor. Val Whiting was planning to attend but couldn’t get out of Washington, D.C., because of the megasnowstorm that struck the East Coast. Also unable to attend were Sonja Henning, Martha Richards, Julie Zeilstra and assistant coach Julie Plank.

Angela, who is vice president and general manager of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, spoke of Stanford as a “truly magical place. We learned how to dream and dream big,” she said to Tara. And to today’s team she said, “Great things are ahead.”

Others also spoke fondly of their Stanford experience and advised today’s team to “enjoy every minute that you have.”

Besides honoring that championship team, the game featured a major milestone when Jayne surpassed the rebounding record of 1,143 set by Nicole Powell, ’04. Jayne’s 1,144th rebound came with 7:34 to go in the first half. She finished the game with 13 rebounds for a career total of 1,153 – and counting. Jayne also chipped in 15 points, two assists and one block.

Fans were pleased to see guard Hannah Donaghe get her first playing time since tearing her ACL in practice more than a year ago. They also applauded USC’s Jacki Gemelos, an academic senior and red shirt junior who was playing in only the second game of her collegiate career (the first was three days earlier at Cal) after a series of four torn ACLs and five surgeries that started when she was in high school. She and Jayne were AAU teammates before going to college. She led USC’s scoring with 13.

Stanford’s scoring was led by Kayla with 18, Nneka with 16, Jayne with 15 and guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude with 11. Kayla also led the rebounding with 14, while Jayne and Nneka had 13 each.

The defense limited USC to 10 points – its lowest ever -- in the first half, when Stanford had 29. With 3:15 to go in the first half, USC had the same number of fouls as points – 10. USC finished the game with 18 fouls to Stanford’s 12.