Notes from Corvallis

It is so frustrating either listening to the Stanford games on the radio, or trying to follow the action on the internet with stats and or game pieces running around. It is hard to get a real flavor for the game. This lackluster game against Oregon State was no exception.

Here to help us out is C and R’s home away from home correspondent, TG, who was there at the game in Corvallis last night and here are his observations, with C and R’s in parentheses.

- Our kids look a lot bigger in person than on TV. (We know, don't our players seem tall when you stand next to them or see them up close and personal or stalk them?)

- Sarah Boothe looked lonely in black passing the ball in warmp-ups. 14 players suiting up is probably a record for the year. (We asked Sarah if she has officially red-shirted this year and she said it’s not official yet, but since she has not suited up for a game this season, it’s a foregone conclusion. We wish her a speedy recovery and hope she is in the line up for next year. We noticed how hard she worked in the off-season this year to lose weight and get in “basketball shape”. We know she is dedicated.)

- Jeanette and JJ are definitely a step slow with their respective injuries. Good to see them in action, though. (okay, we need them to heal, and heal NOW!)

- We score on the first six possessions, looks like the start of a rout, then no field goals for the next 10 minutes. (Yes, this inconsistency is driving us crazy. Our top two guards being hurt haven’t helped, but we should not be this schizophrenic! Nneka is the only consistent one, and then coach Tara VanDerveer took her out for most of the first half!)

- Really needed a tinkle bell for tonight. Joslyn was all over the court - blocking shots, crashing the offensive glass, even draining a three. Easily her best game of the year - she is really starting to mature. (Six blocks, nine points, and it sounds like you had to be there to really appreciate her performance)

- Talisa Rhea is the best pure shooter in the Pac-10. Also does a great job of creating off the dribble. Ros was in her face for most of the game and she still scored something like 26. OSU a bit one-dimensional, though. (We did hear Talisa Rhea's name a lot and she shot the lights out. We didn't know that Ros Gold-Onwude was in her face and contesting her, making her performance all the more spectacular. Interesting to hear you say OSU is one-dimensional. That can separate okay teams from great teams by having a consistent supporting cast, and Stanford used to have that in the first half of the year. I am begin to think that little "mini-NCAA" tournament, with games at Duke, Tenn. and UConn wore us out. It was our focus, and we did it well, and now we have let up emotionally and psychically.)

- Free-throw shooting down the stretch was sensational - I think 12 in a row from Kayla, Jayne and Nekka. Kayla hit both ends of three straight 1-and-1's. (Right, this ain’t high school! And every point counts!)

- Crowd was disappointing for a good Pac-10 team playing the #2 team in the country. Had to be less than 1,000. They\'re offering a "fill the seats" day for Cal on Saturday - general admission for $1. 2,000, maybe? (yes, disappointing turn-out. OSU, did you promote this game?)

- Overall, a good game to watch though definitely not our best. Will see the Cardinal again in Eugene on Saturday. (Yes, what a game that will be. At least we get to see it on TV. Send us your personal observations, TG!)