The Cardinal took a big step last night towards their goal of hosting the first & second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
Their upset of OSU bettered their RPI (as reported by the NCAA) from 22 to 20. Although factors other than the RPI go into the NCAA final seeding, the Cardinal are at least closer to being awarded a coveted #4 seed.
In Charlie Creme's estimation, Stanford now stands at #13 and will be the #4 seed in the Greensboro region. Read more: Trio of upsets shake up Bracketology
Stanford applied stifling defense on OSU's shooters, holding them to 36% shooting from the field (their average is 46%) and 21% from beyond the arc (their average is 38%).
Bri harrassed point guard Sydney Wiese unmercifully every step of every trip down the court, as did Lili or Amber when Bri took a break. Their defensive efforts disrupted the Beavers' offense and held Wiese to one of ten attempts from beyond the arc and a total of seven points.
The Cardinal doubled center Ruth Hamblin whenever she had the ball, holding her to just six points and forcing four turnovers.
Jamie Weisner and Devan Hunter got past the Cardinal defense and scored 18 points apiece, but that wasn't enough.
Besides their defense, the Cardinal came out with a fast aggressive offense that never let up. Brittany, who got her first start of the season, began the attack with a jumper on the first possession. Lili immediately followed that with a steal and a layup, and the Cardinal had a lead that they relinquished for only nine seconds four minutes into the game.
The Beavers' defense shut down the Cardinal's perimeter game. Bonnie broke free only five times for shots from beyond the arc (but she made three of them!) Amber and Brittany each tried a couple, but Amber made the only other one.
Instead, the Cardinal scored with a balanced attack on the inside. Threre was little excessive dribbling or hesitation on taking shots tonight. Lili scored 13 points, Bird and Amber each scored 12, and Bri scored 11. Bonnie, who added two free throws to her three treys, was the Cardinal's fifth double-digit scorer.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The OSU press conference video, with head coach Scott Rueck,
A video interview of Bird by Ros,
A gallery of photos by Dave Cortesi,
And photos by Don Ryan (Associated Press):
OSU Welcomes Stanford in Pivotal Pac-12 Matchup from Oregon State Athletics
Battling the Beavs from Stanford Athletics
Beavers in position to receive passing of the torch by Gary Horowitz (Statesman Journal)
Beavers lookig to break through against Stanford by Steve Gress (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
Time for Orrange to take Cardinal reins by John Reid (Palo Alto Daily News)
... was electric off the bench for the Cardinal, averaging 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting .591 from the field.Called on to add energy and aggressiveness when Stanford faced a double-digit deficit at Cal on Wednesday, McPhee provided that and more, scoring nine and grabbing six rebounds in her most floor time since December, sparking her team to victory 59-47.
In Stanford’s loss to Cal on Sunday, McPhee scored a career-high 24 points to lead all scorers in a personal-best 36 minutes, becoming the sixth Stanford player to score 20-plus points this season and the eighth different Cardinal to lead her team in scoring.
Updated Feb 23: Added commentary from the Stanford Daily and the CARDBoard.
The Golden Bears brought their A++ game to Maples today and defeated the Cardinal 63-53.
The Cardinal held the aggressive Bears in check for the first half, holding the scoring margin to no more than nine points and taking a two-point lead into the break.
But the Bears' defense was even stronger and their offense more effective in the second half, and the Cardinal's tenuous grasp of the game slowly slipped away.
In other Pac-12 action this weekend, OSU won twice and so did ASU, who squeezed out a win over USC in double overtime. So it's OSU first, ASU second two games back, and Stanford and Cal tied for third.
Amy's postgame announcement of the website's closing was a tiny bit premature. The Cardinal hasn't finished its season and neither has the website. It will be here until the Cardinal has played its last game of the season, be that in Seattle, Tampa Bay or somewhere in between. So stick around for a few more weeks.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The press conference audio, with Tara, Brittany and Amber,
A gallery of photos by John Hefti (Icon Sportswire),
A gallery of photos from (Stanford Photo), including some of the Senior Day celebration:
The Bears surged back on a 28-6 run, during which the Cardinal was held scoreless for five minutes. With three minutes left in the half, the Bears led 30-17. It was beginning to look like a repeat of the Arizona games.
She broke the Cardinal's scoring draught with a layup. She sank another layup and two free throws by the end of the first half. The Bears were still ahead 32-23, but the momentum had changed.
Brittany was in the starting lineup for the second half. She played a total of 22 minutes, scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds (including three O-boards) and had a block and a steal.
The Cardinal ramped up their defense after the break. They tied the score at 44-44 with 11½ minutes left to play. They held the Bears scoreless for eight minutes, during which the Bears missed nine shots, followed by six Cardinal rebounds and two Bear turnovers.
The Cardinal defense held the Bears to 11% scoring in the second half – to 27% for the game. Reshanda Gray, their leading scorer and rebounder, made just one of four field goal attempts and grabbed only nine rebounds. The Cardinal out-rebounded the Bears 43-27 with a balanced effort from Kaylee (8), Lili (7), Bonnie, Bird and Brittany (6 apiece), Amber (5), and Taylor (2).
Amber ramped up her offense in the second half, during which she scored 15 points on 70% shooting. She led all scorers with a total of 19 for the game.
This was the only Pac-12 game today. The Cardinal is now in sole possession of second place in the conference standings, at least until Friday, when ASU plays UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The Stanford press conference audio, with Tara, Lili and Brittany,
The Cal press conference video, with Coach Gottlieb, Reshanda Gray and Brittany Boyd,
A video interview of Brittany,
A gallery of photos from the Mercury News – including many of Brittany,
A gallery of photos by Norbert von der Groeben (Golden Bear Sports).
The Golden Bear Sports photos are, of course, mostly of Cal players. Here are a few that show the Cardinal's fine defense:
Women's basketball eyes rivalry week, by Alexa Philippou (The Stanford Daily)
Cal seniors look to make noise against rival Stanford, by Mike Vernon (San Francisco Chronicle)
Cal, Stanford women have lot at stake in rivalry series, by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
Cal Meets Stanford in Battle of the Bay at Haas Pavilion from Cal Athletics
Battle of the Bay Part 1 from Stanford Athletics
The Pac-12, for the third time this season, selected Kaylee as the Freshman of the Week because she:
... was a force on the glass for the Cardinal last week, averaging 6.5 points and 8.0 rebounds as Stanford defeated USC, 79-60, and UCLA, 68-50. Her 11-rebound performance against the Bruins was her 14th double-digit rebounding effort of the season. On the year she’s averaging 10.3 rebounds per game and is the third-most prolific freshman rebounder in Stanford history with 268 total, trailing only Kayla Pedersen (329) and Chiney Ogwumike (281) among first-year players for the Cardinal.
Then the Cardinal went on a 9-0 run kicked off with a 3-pointer from Karlie. The Bruins answered back for a while until Bonnie hit three 3-pointers in a minute and a half.
The Bruins never recovered. The Cardinal led by 13 at the break, by double digits the rest of the game and 68-50 at the end.
Those three 3s were just the beginning for Bonnie. She sank five more in the second half and took her place in the Stanford record book as one of only three players to score eight 3-pointers in a single game — Lindsey Yamasaki did it in 1999 and Candice Wiggins did it in 2007. The Stanford record for 3-pointers in a single game is nine, held by Lindsey (2001) and Molly Goodenbour (1973).
Bonnie didn't set a record for 3-point percentage (that's held by Jennifer Azzi who hit 7-of-7 in 1989), but she scored at a sizzling rate of 75%. Bonnie did more than set scoring records today. She also grabbed six rebounds, as she had on Friday against USC, blocked three shots and dished two assists.
Karlie was a sharp-shooter today too. She made half of her eight shots from beyond the arc and a layup for a total of 14 points.
Lili shone today. She was the Cardinal's third double-digit scorer with 12 points. When she couldn't find her way to the basket, she dished the ball out to a Samuelson, often just a second or two before the buzzer. She assisted five of Bonnie's 3s and two of Karlie's. She also tallied five rebounds and a steal.
For the second time this weekend, the Cardinal were out-rebounded by a bit – 39-36. Kaylee had 11 of the Cardinal rebounds.
In other Pac-12 action today, USC upset Cal 65-54, and the other top teams won. Stanford, ASU and Cal are now in a three-way tie for second, with OSU still on top two games ahead.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The press conference audio with Tara, Bonnie and Karlie,
A video interview of Bonnie after draining 8 3-pointers against UCLA,
A gallery of photos from Icon Sportswire,
A gallery of photos by Bob Drebin (Stanford Photo).
New uniforms, new lineup, renewed energy & confidence — Cardinal wins 79-60.
Tara put in the seniors today and they remembered how to play a Good Stanford Game.
Jasmine and E Payne both started for the first time since early in their sophomore season. Erica scored the Cardinal's first basket; Jasmine scored the second one. Along with Amber, Bonnie and Kaylee, they began the game with confidence against the fast-moving, aggressive Trojans.
The Trojans held a slim lead for most of the first eight minutes, but the Cardinal never lost their focus and gradually took control of the game. They took the lead, stretched it to eleven points at the break, never let it drop below five, and were ahead by 19 at the end.
The Cardinal offense was excellent. They shot 55% (32-58) from the field and 35% (6-17) from beyond the arc. Six players scored at least eight points.
Lili came off the bench to lead the scoring with 14 points — all but two in the second half. She had four assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Amber scored 13 points on 60% shooting. She had five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Bri scored 13 points on 57% shooting. She had three assists, three rebounds and a steal.
Bonnie scored 12 points on four 3-pointers. She battled hard in the paint against bigger, stronger Trojans and grabbed the team-high six rebounds, one shy of her career high.
Kaylee and Bird came close to double-digit scoring. Kaylee had nine points and five rebounds. Bird had eight points. two rebounds and two blocks.
The Trojans won the battle of the boards, but not by a great deal – 38-34. Half of them were O-boards. Their average, the best in the Pac-12, is 14.7.
In other Pac-12 action, Cal beat UCLA 70-64 last night and OSU beat ASU 70-64 tonight. So, until Sunday at least, OSU leads the conference, Cal is second, Stanford and ASU are tied for third.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The press conference audio, with Tara, Lili and Bonnie
A video interview of Lili after her strong second half against USC
And photos by Marcio Jose Sanchez (Associated Press):
Women’s basketball looks to get back on track by Alexa Philippou (The Stanford Daily)
USC Women Are Off To More Pac-12 Play, Paying Visits to Stanford & Cal from USC Trojan Athletics
Back Home from Stanford Athletics
This is the one where your vote counts. Fan balloting counts for ⅓ of the total vote — the other ⅔ comes from Division I coaches and national media.
We helped Nneka win the CLASS award in 2012 by giving her 9.6% of the fan vote. Let's do as much for Amber! Show your gratitude for Amber's leadership by helping her win the national recognition she has earned.
You can vote once a day from each device with which you access the internet — your personal computer, your work computer, your IPad, your IPhone. Voting begins today and continues though March 23rd. That's 40 days. Do the math — you can cast at least 40 votes for Amber (or 80, or 120, or ...).
Vote now: Click here
More information:
There are still about four weeks and lots of games to be played before the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee announces the tournament bracket on Selection Monday (March 16).
Today, in order to allow potential hosts to begin preparations, the Committee announced who the top 20 seeds would be if the season ended today. The Committee identified the four #1 seeds; the remaining 16 were listed in alphabetical sequence.
Stanford, in spite of having a less than stellar 17-7 record and an RPI of 28, is one of the 20. So there's still hope for postseason action at Maples.
More information here:
Arizona Weekend
Battle for Pac-12
Bracketology
Charlie Creme (espnW) still has six Pac-12 teams in his bracket with these seedings and evaluation:
Bonnie sank a trey
Amber sank a trey
Amber stole the ball and scored a layup
Bri drew a foul on a reckless drive to the basket but missed both FTs
Taylor G sank a trey
Bonnie sank another trey
With a minute left to play, the Cardinal were ahead by seven, but it wasn't enough. The Wildcats had sensed victory and were not to be denied. Charise Holloway, their best 3-point shooter, sank one; Candice Warthen, their leading scorer, made two jumpers and three free throws; and the Wildcat defense allowed the Cardinal just one more shot, which missed.
In other Pac-12 action tonight, WSU held a lead over OSU (as much as 16 points) for 28 minutes. But OSU regained control and won by five points.
Cal stayed ahead of a tired-looking ASU from tipoff until Katie Hempen sank her only trey of the night and put ASU ahead by one with 14 seconds left to play. Cal got possession and took the ball down the court where Mikayla Cowling missed a layup with a second left on the game clock. Penina Davidson (the player from New Zealand that Tara referred to Cal) grabbed the rebound and put the ball back as the buzzer sounded.
So OSU regains sole possession of #1 in the conference; ASU and Cal are tied for second, one game back; and Stanford is #4, one game behind them.
Here are game reports and commentary:
A gallery of photos from the (University of Arizona).
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday that Amber was one of 31 women’s basketball players named to the 2015 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List.
Read more here:
The Cardinal's being outrebounded by the Sun Devils 44-22 three weeks ago was a major factor in ASU's first win ever at Maples. For tonight's game, Tara declared, "If you don't rebound, there's a seat for you on the bench."
The Cardinal got the message –all nine Cardinal who played tonight grabbed rebounds – and they won the battle of the boards by one rebound (37-36).
But they lost the game by one point (53-52).
The evening began well for the Cardinal. On their first possession, Lili got past Promise Amukamara, ASU's most devilish defender, and scored. The Cardinal held on to the lead for 25 minutes. They led 31-22 at the end of the first half and 42-30 five minutes into the second half.
It was looking like a not-too-difficult win for the Cardinal, but then the Sun Devils seriously ramped up their defense. In the next 7:48 minutes, the Cardinal took eight shots and made none, while the Sun Devils scored 16 points and took the lead 46-42.
With seven minutes left to play, Bonnie broke the Cardinal's scoring drought with her first 3-pointer of the evening. Then Amber made two free throws, Kaylee hit a jumper, and Lili hit from beyond the arc. The Sun Devils countered with two mid-range jumpers and a 3-pointer.
With four minutes left to play, the score was 53-52, and there it stayed until the final buzzer.
In this strongly defensive, low-scoring game, scoring from the field was almost the same – Cardinal 48, Sun Devils 45. But the Sun Devils were fouled 14 times and made 8 of 17 free throws. The Cardinal were fouled ten times and made 4 of 7 free throws – two of the misses came in those final scoreless four minutes of the game.
Only two Cardinal scored in double digits – Amber with 15, Lili with 11.
The Pac-12's best 3-point defense held the best 3-point offense to just 4 of 14 – two by Lili and one each by Bonnie and Bri.
Kaylee led the Cardinal rebounders with 11, and Bird was close behind with nine.
In other Pac-12 action tonight, Oregon State finally lost (to Washington) and is now in a tie for first place in the conference with Arizona State. Cal (who defeated Arizona) and Stanford are tied for third.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The press conference audio, with Tara.
And photos by Rick Scuteri (Associated Press):
Read more here:
Here are previews of this evening's game in Tempe:
The organizers need some funding. Tara, who committed long ago to Hoops Coaching as the Clinic’s champion, asks for your help. If you would like to help, click here to donate.
This brochure describes the clinic (click the image to enlarge it to readable size):
Updated Feb 3: Added game reports from The Stanford Daily and UW's The Daily and a gallery of photos from Icon Sportswire.
The Cardinal began their scoring a bit late with a three-pointer by Bri three minutes into the game. Then they proceeded to put together a beautiful first half of solid defense (holding the Dawgs to 38% shooting), splendid shooting (50% from the field (15-30), 44% from beyond the arc (7-16) and 100% from the line (8-8)) and grand larceny (five steals, cashed in for nine points). They led by as much as 21 points and ended the half with a seemingly comfortable 16-point lead.But the Dawgs weren't finished. They gnawed at the lead after the break and reduced it to six points. With eight minutes left in the game, the Cardinal regained control and coasted to an 82-69 victory.
For the second time this weekend, five Cardinal players scored in double-digits.
Bonnie led the way with 17 points on a jumper from inside the arc, two of four from beyond the arc and nine of nine at the line. (The free throws all came during the course of the game, not from deliberate fouling at the end.) Bonnie's second trey tonight was the 200th of her Stanford career, which places her seventh in the all-time list. Ten more will take her past Nicole Powell, Sebnem Kimyacioglu, Kelley Suminski and Vanessa Nygaard into third place behind Jeanette Pohlen and Candice Wiggins.
Bri's offense was equally impressive. She sank three of six from beyond the arc and six of seven from the line for a total of 15 points. She also grabbed four rebounds and stole the ball twice.
Karlie was the fifth double-digit scorer with ten points (including two treys) on 57% shooting. Her two three-pointers and a layup came early in the game and sparked the Cardinal's run to a commanding lead.
After this weekend's game, the top tier of the Pac-12 standings is unchanged. Oregon State is still undefeated, Arizona State and Stanford are one game back with a single loss, and Cal is in fourth place with two losses.
The Cardinal travel to Arizona next to play ASU in Tempe on Friday night and Arizona in Tucson on Sunday.
Although OSU has seemed invincible this season, the top four slots are still up for grabs. Cal also plays ASU next weekend; OSU has one game left against each of the other three; and Cal and Stanford will play each other twice.
Here are game reports and commentary:
The press conference audio, with Tara, Bonnie and Kaylee,
A video interview of Bonnie reflecting on her 200 career 3-pointers,
A gallery of photos by Nhat V. Meyer (Bay Area News Group),
A gallery of photos from Icon Sportswire.
Here are previews of the game this evening at Maples:
