Cardinal prevails against dogged defense

In a preview of the Stanford/Fresno State game, Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves said, "Fresno State's only chance is to dictate the pace, pounce on Stanford's one glaring weakness – 15.5-turnover average – and to stay hot from 3-point range.

The Bulldogs managed two out of three – not enough to keep the Cardinal from winning 68-46.

Fresno State coach Adrian Wiggins said, "Our challenge will be to get them out of their rhythm," and the Bulldogs did exactly that most of the game. They forced a very fast-paced game, defended with great energy, pressed relentlessly – and caused 14 turnovers. They closed the lead to one point early in the second half, but Stanford came back strong with a 30-2 run.

The first four minutes of the game looked more like a weird event in a track meet than a basketball game. The teams tore up and down the court, taking turns clanking the ball off the rim. Stanford missed six shots and Fresno State missed seven. Ros finally broke the impasse at 15:55 with a three-pointer, and the Stanford fans sat down. 32 seconds later Emma Andrews hit a layup, and the 3800 Fresno State fans sat down.

The Bulldogs were not able to stay hot from three-point range. Stanford's defense shut off the perimeter. The Bulldogs attempted 19 three-point shots and made just three of them – well below their 9.6-of-27.7 season average.

Fresno State double- and triple-teamed Jayne, especially in the first half. But she prevailed in the second half and ended with a 20-18 double-double. She also had three assists and three blocks.

Kayla played her usual strong game in spite of the tough defense. She too had a double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds – and four assists, three blocks and two steals.

Nneka had 11 rebounds and eight points (none of them 17-footers tonight).

Joslyn had her best game since returning from her injury. She made four of six field goals, including one three-pointer, in 14 minutes of play.

Here are the game reports:

• Bulldogs' women feel Cardinal crackdown by Jeff Davis, Fresno Bee
• Appel leads second half resurgence for Stanford women from Palo Alto Online.
• Cardinal Throttle Bulldogs, 68-46 from the Associated Press
• Appel busts out in Stanford win over Fresno State women by Jake Curtis

The box score and play-by-play,

And photos:

Kayla goes up for a layup Jayne grabs a rebound Kayla goes after a rebound Bulldogs impede Lindy's dive for the ball Jaleesa Ross tries to prevent Kayla's pass