Stanford Wins Second Exhibition Game

The Stanford Women’s Basketball Team won their second and final exhibition game against UC San Diego 74-51. This game was most memorable because it is the first time the VanderVeer sisters are coaching against each other as head coaches.

Tara VanDerveer in the Hall of Fame coach for Stanford’s squad who used to drag little sister Heidi around to basketball camps in a beat up ol VW bus when she was just starting her basketball journey. Little sister Heidi VanDerveer, head of UC San Diego just wants big sis’s approval (and is very, very familiar with the Cardinal). Mom Rita was in attendance wearing a UC San Diego T-shirt and a Stanford sweatshirt. Guess which logo was on the outside? Smart of Tara to send the sweatshirt then…always thinking.

The VanDerveer sisters, Tara and Heidi (Photo Courtesy: Heidi VanDerveer)

The Stanford players, admittedly by coach as a team without a superstar that will get things done by committee, had four players in double figures. Erica McCall had 18 points. Taylor Greenfield added 16, 14 in the second half. Guard Lili Thompson had 10. Senior guard Amber Orrange had a double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, something guards don’t normally do. Freshie Kaylee Johnson had 12 rebounds as well. And it was a block party with 12 blocks from six different Stanford players. (One each by guards Lili and Amber. Now that is stepping up!)

Stanford fans also got to see freshie guard Brittany McPhee for the first time. She is battling some injuries. She scored 4 points in 9 minutes. During her high school career, she had more points than Stanford great Kate Starbird. We learned from the post-game talk that she has a twin sister named Jordan who plays for Seattle Pacific and runs the mile faster than she does. Here’s more on these amazing Freshmen women.

Still it was hard to get a feel for the team as they start the season against Boston College and then play their second game against a very stacked UConn team here at Maples.

See ya when the season starts.

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