Hated Symbiotic Rival: Cal Sweeps Two Different Stanford Teams

 

Warren Grimes

On December 13 of last year, the Cal Bears defeated Stanford decisively at Haas (83-63).  A bit more than a month later, playing at Maples, Cal completed the two-game sweep, this time by a narrower 75-72 margin.

A Cal sweep in this rivalry game has happened before – to be precise, in January of 1986.  Almost 40 years had passed between these events.  Sandwiched between these 40 year markers were Tara VanDerveer years in which Stanford won most of the games, often  sweeping the two conference games.  Stanford had won the last 12 straight.

Not this season.   Cal has the strongest team that Charmin Smith has fielded during her 5 seasons as the head coach.  Using the transfer portal, Smith has put together a team that is outperforming the preseason rankings.  The team is now 18-3 and 6-2 in the very competitive ACC conference.  Cal will have a challenge against Notre Dame and Louisville on the road and North Carolina at home, but the team should have a comfortable path to the NCAA tournament.  They are getting it done with focus and balanced scoring by an experienced lineup, with five players averaging in double digits.

As a Stanford student, I quickly bought into the rivalry hype – hate Cal, prank Cal, and most of all BEAT CAL.  Over the years, the rivalry games have brought out the best in players from both teams.  So yes, players and fans are passionate about winning the rivalry games. 

The athletic departments of the two schools likely have more nuanced views.  Rivalry games bring in the fans with more ticket revenues.  There is a kind of a mutual dependence in the Stanford vs. Cal rivalry.  Consider the following.

During their time together in the Pac-12, Stanford and Cal joined in fighting for event scheduling that protected student athletes’ classroom performance.

When the Pac-12 disintegrated, the two schools stood together and bargained for admission to the ACC.

Both the Cal men’s and women’s basketball teams are coached by former Stanford greats (Mark Madson and Charmin Smith).  The Stanford football team is coached by a California alum (Troy Taylor).

Charmin Smith and Kate Paye played together under VanDerveer and later were assistant coaches on VanDerveer’s staff.  Both Paye and VanDerveer openly state that they cheer for Cal whenever the two teams aren’t playing each other.  VanDerveer has referred recruits to Cal when there is no place for them on Stanford’s roster. 

Stanford’s loss to Cal at Maples was painful.  It increases the long odds that Stanford will make the NCAA tournament.  And it was a winnable, one possession game with an inspiring comeback by Stanford.  There was a late-game controversial intentional foul call against Shay Ijiwoye that removed her from the game and gave Cal a four point turn around.

Stanford, however, showed moxie at Maples that wasn’t displayed in the December game.  Stanford was NOT the same team in January that Cal had comfortably taken down a month earlier.

Consider these points.

In the December game, only one starter (Nunu Agara) was an underclassman.  Agara, along with Chloe Clardy and Kennedy Umeh from the bench,  scored 25 points, or 40% of the team’s total 63.

In January, two more underclassmen (Chloe Clardy and Shay Ijiwoye) had joined the starting lineup.  Together with Agara and three more underclassmen from the bench (Courtney Ogden, Mary Ashley Stevenson and Kennedy Umeh), they scored 61, or 85% of the team’s total 72 points. 

During the late third quarter and most of the fourth quarter, the team overcame all but two points of a 19 point deficit.  They did so by generating Cal turnovers.  Ogden and Stevenson joined the three starting underclassmen for most of the inspirational rally.   

In January, Clardy started and played over 39 minutes.   For good reason -- she scored a team and career high 22 points.  Her drives to the basket drew fouls, and she converted 8 of 11 free-throw attempts.

In the January game, Ijiwoye’s statistics were solid (8 points, 2 boards, 3 steals, and 3 assists) but probably understate the spark she provides to her teammates.  Ijiwoye is very strong, very quick, and very aggressive on defense.

Kennedy Umeh played over 5 mintues in the January game (she had only 44 seconds in the December encounter).  Umeh picked up 3 fouls, one free throw, one defensive board, and 2 turnovers.  Unimpressive statistics – but the coaching staff had the confidence and wisdom to give her playing time in a hotly contested game.  She fills a need and will get better.

Nothing is easy for this Stanford team, but I love watching them evolve and compete.  I hope the team will be inspired by Stanford women’s soccer.  In the fall, that injury-ridden team didn’t play well enough to make the ACC tournament.  Never mind.  In the NCAA tournament, they made it all the way to the final four (College Cup).