Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Stanford Opens Season with a win over UC Davis

Hidey ho Stanford Women’s Basketball sports fans! Long time no blog. Does anyone even blog anymore? Well, I have been doing this for upteen years, so why stop now.

First games are always fun because you get to ask all of your friends and seat mates, how do you think they will do this year? And everyone says it’s hard to tell. Same for this game against UC Davis. Oh, Stanford won, handily by a score of 71-43. However the offense looked stagnant at times. Why does the post have to catch the ball at the free throw line with her back to the basket? Speaking of free throws, Stanford was worst in the Pac-12 last year. This game they started out weak, but finished the game at 72%. Let’s hope they keep improving.

Stanford Women's Basketball
Photo courtesy of Bob Drebin/ISIPhotos.com

So Stanford the last few years has always been a sisterhood. Then the Ogwumike sisters came (Nneka and Chiney) and it really WAS a sisterhood. Two of the three Samuelson sisters (Bonnie and Karlie) kept up the tradition (although Stanford fans lament the one that got away…. Katie Lou…. To UConn!). However Stanford always has to take things up a notch, so this year we have freshmen identical twins Lexie and Lacie Hull. And boy, these freshmen are already making an impact. Lexie started the game, and Lacie played significant minutes, with Lexie finishing with 11 points and 11 boards. So the freshie got herself a double-double her first game out. C and R expect big things out of you, young lady!

Although there was a strange session where three Stanford players jumped as a UC Davis player was in the air shooting, and it did look like Lexie flew in hard. They at first gave the foul to Shannon Coffee (shout out to Dayton Ohio) and then they reviewed the play. For a long time. And then the refs (Missy!) said the foul was on Lexie Hull and gave UC Davis two technical shots for unsportsmanlike conduct. And now I am not allowed to use the word “and” anymore. I guess Lexie hit her in the head. I don’t know, wish they would televise these games. *Editor’s note, ESPN reported that the technical foul was for “making contact with the opponent under the basket.”

Good to see that four Stanford players were in double figures, the afore mentioned Lexie, Alanna Smith, off of her silver medal in the FIBA World Cup for team Australia, Kiana Williams, and Maya Dodson. Maya was especially good to see as she (and Coach Tara VanDerveer) stuck to her strength, which is around the basket. She has great post moves from the low blocks and every time she scored, you could see her confidence grow. She also led the team with three blocks, and you can tell those are just as fun as a basket.

Next up is Idaho at home. See you at Maples!

PS
UC Davis has twins, too, senior sisters Karley and Kourtney Eaton. Hey NCAA, has that even happened where two teams played each other with two sets of identical twins?

PPS
Did you know Tara coached at Idaho two season (well, it was 40 years ago, so you are excused if you forgot)? And also coached at Ohio State, which Stanford plays Nov 18?

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