Stanford’s Elite Eight Win

Zero Seconds After the Game Ended:
Are you kidding me?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!!

Ten Seconds After the Game Ended:
Jeanette Pohlen just wrote herself into the Stanford History Books!

Four Seconds Before the Game Ended:
C pulls out her automatic external defibrillator and shocks R’s heart back to working. Apparently it stopped when there were about 12 seconds left and C and R watched in horror as not one but two, two wide-open Xavier shots right under the basket missed their mark. Two shots, two lay up shots with the game tied 53-53 with about 12 seconds left missed by Stanford’s Sweet Sixteen’s opponent Xavier. Two shots missed by the same Xavier player, Dee Dee Jernigan, who was on the block wide open, for goodness sakes. The basketball gods were with Stanford and the medical gods were with R as she recovered to watch Jeanette Pohlen race the floor and make that incredible shot.

Twenty Seven Seconds Before the Game Ended:
Kayla Pedersen, with ice in her veins, hits a jumper at the top of the free throw line to TIE it at 53 each. Stanford was actually losing at that time. In fact, C and R can’t remember Stanford being down in the second half all season long, except for our one loss at UConn. All the stats about that game don’t apply. Stanford hadn’t played in a close game all season long. Stanford hadn’t lost by more than 8, the announcer said, all season long.

Time Out with Four Seconds Before the Game Ended:
After Xavier missed those two shots, Kayla Pedersen grabbed the rebound and called timeout. Kayla had been our stalwart all night. She scored 18 points, including the shot to tie it at 53, and grabbed 10 boards. None bigger than the one after TWO misses by Xavier that would have won the game. She was a huge presence on defense and made smart plays all game long. Kudos to JJ Hones for her help on defense against their big trees.

Four Seconds Before the Game Ended:
Kayla Pedersen inbounds the ball to Jeanette Pohlen. All other Stanford players stay in the backcourt so the Xavier defenders stay back there, too. No one is guarding the basket. The Xavier player on Jeanette is their small guard so there is a mismatch. Jeanette streaks up the sidelines and C and R are worried they can trap here there but the second Xavier defender plays off in case she passes. Jeannette keeps going for broke, C and R think she is going to pull up for a jumper and the Xavier player must have thought so too, so is not on her tightly. The Xavier defenders are starting to catch on she is not going to pass and are frantically trying to react to Pohlen now, but she is out in front of them. Jeannette keeps going all the way to the basket and is only one-on-one, her against the smaller guard, and scoops it with 0.1 seconds left. The ball kisses the glass and bounces around the rim before falling in to win the game with no time left! Stanford wins 55-53.

Are you kidding me?!

So in that time out, did head coach Tara VanDerveer draw up that incredible play or was it all Jeanette Pohlen’s idea? Inquiring minds want to know.

Fifteen Seconds After the Game Ended:
C and R tivo and re-tivo, to review the play. At first C was not sure Pohlen got it off in time, but upon further review, yes indeed she got it off. Incredible! That basket was her only one in the second half. She had one basket in the first half around the 16 and a half minute mark in the FIRST HALF! (C and R feel like screaming so we are typing all caps a lot! Sorry.)

Twenty Minutes Before the Game Ended:
(We know, the jerking around of time is making us a little nauseous, too. Bear with us.) Stanford just shot 25% in the first half, a season low. Stanford also made 24 points in the first half, which tied a season low (Stanford also had 24 against Utah and Fresno State). The reason? We think playing against two players 6’6 and 6’5 had a lot to do with it. They made us miss and even alter our shots, ala Britteny Griner (although they played better than Griner at 6’8-- the Baylor game was ugly to watch and Brittney is inconsistent.) They especially gave Nneka Ogwumike fits on her shot down low, although she would still finish with 16 points. Also, Xavier played a one-three-one half court defense against us, and C and R don’t remember that defense on us all year. It put their big, athletic center at the free throw line to stop things forward and back and really matched up well against our triangle offense.

Thirty-Seven Minutes Before the Game Ended:
ESPN finally tunes into the Stanford game with 3 minutes already gone because they had to stay with the other game and show Kim Mulky crying because her Baylor team knocked off Duke even though they played poorly and did not deserve to win that game. By the time we get to Stanford, the score is tied 4-4 and Nneka Ogwumike has all of Stanford’s points. Then she makes a free throw to have all 5 of Stanford’s points.

Seven and A Half Minutes Before the Game Ended:
Tara finally adjusts to the one-three-one half court defense and puts two trees down low instead of one, and Nneka and Kayla could work against their one player guarding the basket for a score. Tara is the best at making second half adjustments.

Six Minutes Before the Game Ended:
C refills the pretzel and salt and vinegar potato chip bowls. C and R in their anxiety have eaten every salty snack in the house.

Five minutes and 32 seconds Before the Game Ended:
Xavier center Ta’Shia Phillips fouls out. Good Call refs!

Five minutes Before the Game Ended:
How ‘bout that block by Ros Gold-Onwude?

Four Minutes Before the Game Ended:
Stanford center Jayne Appel fouls out. Bad Call ref! Well, at least the refs called the game consistently tight the whole 40 minutes. It was only Jayne’s second time fouling out all season. She would finish with eight points and for four excruciating minutes had to wonder if this was her last game in a Stanford uniform. And seriously, wasn’t that fifth call a bad call? She laid her hands on the other player’s back. Strange call.

One Minute and Ten Seconds Before the Game Ended:
Our Big Freshman, Joslyn Tinkle, makes the basket of her young life to tie it at 51. It would be the only points of the game for her. We shook the tinkle bells.

One Minute Before the Game Ended:
C pauses live TV to make a potty break. At first C and R were bummed they couldn’t be there live in Sacramento to see the game, but then they were able to show their own replays and dissect and discuss the game at great length by pausing and rewinding the game. Kinda cool. Plus both of us said a few swear words and the fans at Arco might not have liked to been around us, and maybe would have stuck their fingers in their ears and that of their children.

Four Seconds Before the Game Ended:
Jeannette Pohlen drives the length of the floor and lays the ball in to win the game… oh yeah, we already told you that. C and R’s adrenaline level is just now coming down. Stanford plays the winner of, oh we don’t know or care, we made it to the Final Four. See ya Easter Sunday!

More Stanford Final Four Madness at the original C and R's Stanford Women's Basketball Blog