Cardinal takes Bulldogs for a romp, 102-44

This final non-conference game of the year was a delight for the fans from the start when, less than a minute in, Bri stole the ball and handed it to Karlie for a layup. By the first media time-out the score was 15-4 and the Yale players were visibly flustered on offense. From there it only got better for Stanford and worse for Yale. The final stats tell the tale: Rebounds were 49-33. Stanford had thirteen steals and five blocks, while Yale had one of each.

The big news was Anna Wilson's debut. During the pre-game talk, Kate Paye announced that Anna had at long last been cleared to play. She had been held out from full-contact practice since suffering a concussion in the McDonald's High School All-American game last April. Now Kate not only said she had cleared the concussion protocol but would probably see action in this game. This was good news, although nobody had high expectations for a player who can have had only limited practice time.

Anna entered the game as the point guard around the 6:00 minute mark in the second quarter. She moved smoothly and confidently and seemed to know what she was doing and where she ought to be. Then, a minute in, she was guarding the Yale point guard as Yale inbounded the ball. Anna simply reached around the girl, took the ball from her hands, coolly ducked under the startled Yale center leaping at her, and laid the ball in the basket. Let the record show: Anna Wilson's first college points were on a steal of an inbound.

A minute later she passed to Karlie for a three, and before the end of the quarter she sank a three of her own. In the fourth quarter she hit two more threes, for a total of eleven points on 4-7 shooting -- a most impressive start for her first game.

Everyone who was available (Kaylee and Mikaela were not) played and scored.

Karlie led the scoring with 21 points, including four of five three-point attempts, and was a complete defensive pest, frustrating the Bulldogs' every move.

Bird had 19 points on seven of nine shots, including hitting her only three-point try.

Brittany had 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Nadia, who started for the first time, had eight points on four of four shots, six rebounds and four assists.

Alanna had seven points, thirteen rebounds (a career high), and two blocks. The second was a memorable block of a three-point attempt. The shooter was just in front of the Yale bench and Alanna sprang at her and swatted the ball out with a slap that could be heard across the court.

Alexa had six points, hitting two three-point attempts. Dijonai had six; Bri and Shannon had four; and Marta had two (and four assists and three steals).

All in all, a fine romp at Maples, sending the team off to Arizona on a high note.

Here are game reports and commentary:

• No. 13 Stanford women score 100-plus for 1st time since 2011, the Associated Press game recap
• No. 13 Stanford Tops Yale in First Game of California Trip, the Yale Athletics game recap
• Century Mark, the Stanford Athletics game recap
• Stanford women surpass century mark in hoops win over Yale from Palo Alto Online
• WBB: Stanford 102 Yale 44, Nadia starts and Anna plays from the CARDboard

The game statistics,

The press conference audio with Tara, Anna, and Karlie,

The game highlights video,

And a gallery of photos by Bob Drebin (isiphotos.com).