Belibi Me, it's March Madness for College Woman's Basketball

March Madness is officially here for Women's Collage Basketball. And by officially here, I don't just mean on the calendar. This year, for the first time, the Women's game can use the words "March Madness!" For those of you that remember last year at this time (I know, it's been a long year), that the men got a full weight room and the women got a few yoga mats and a pyramid of dumbbells your granny would use. BTW, it was Stanford athletic trainer Ali Kershner who first brought the issue to light. I love looking back at this and seeing how the NCAA tourney officials responded the next day saying there was a lack of space and Oregon's Sedona Prince filmed ALL THE SPACE that was there. Ah, the power of social media to still keep fighting for something that should have happened in 1972 with the passing of Title IX.

But I digress.

For C and R are here to talk about the first round of the Stanford Women's Basketball team's win in the first round of 64 (now 68, with 4 play in in games, just like the men's) over Montana State. As you can expect, when a number 1 seed plays a number 16 seed, there will be a blow out (except for that one time...). Heck, South Carolina earlier in the day beat Howard by almost 60 points. Stanford doesn't typically blow out teams like that, with the final score in their game being 78-37, but they did do something historic. In the first quarter, they held Montana State scoreless. In fact, their first points didn't come until 9 minutes in the second. That was the first time Stanford has ever held an opponent scoreless in any time period, and you know Stanford has a lot of history. That was impressive.

But that wasn't even the most impressive thing that happened that night. The most impressive thing that happened that night was Fran Belibi's dunk! Well, a dunk is always amazing in the women's game, but she BLOCKED a three point shot first, corralled the ball, ran down court and then took two long, long strides and dunked, above the rim! Here see for yourself:

FRAN BELIBI WITH THE BLOCK AND DUNK 🔥 @HighlightHER

(via @StanfordWBB)pic.twitter.com/IhtEp8BdR0

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 19, 2022

Check out the bench reaction at the end of the video!

Did we mention it was above the rim?

She got a 30 second standing ovation from the home crowd!

And yes, we all wanted to faint!

The bench reaction to Fran Belibi's dunk 😂

🎥 @StanfordWBBpic.twitter.com/fjaXUgaS72

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 19, 2022

We love this quote from an ESPN article: "Thinking back on plays people don't remember, 'Oh, it was a really cool 3-point shot' or 'It was a great shot.' People remember the dunks," added  Lexie Hull. "I remember every single one of Fran's. To be right there was super cool and definitely a memory I'll have forever."

It's not the first dunk in women's NCAA tournament history. The first belongs to the peerless Candace Parker, followed up by Brittney Griner in 2013. It is the third but no less thrilling. Fran said later in an interview she was getting grief from her teammates because she had not dunked in a game this year so she was itching to do it. Fran dunked twice last year, but that being the Covid year, no one was in the stands to see it, let alone cheer for it.

"I went for it"

Fran Belibi on her dunk against Montana State 😤@MarchMadnessWBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/iOZe8NdzDh

— FanSided (@FanSided) March 19, 2022

This time she got her standing ovation and love from her home town crowd. Plus trending on Twitter. Something special to remember for a first round game! 

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Stanford Women's Basketball is Your National Champions!

For the first time, since 1992, Tara VanDerveer and the Stanford Women's Basketball won the National Championship!

 You can almost call it the COVID bowl, as Stanford wasn't necessarily the best time, but they were the most resilient, and had a deeper bench then familiar foe and fellow Pac-12 school, Arizona in the finals. Much was made about their "nomad" season as they couldn't practice or play in Santa Clara County due to the restrictions and had to become road warriors living out of suitcases. So much so, that the Stanford faithful loving joked they should take a drink every time the networks mentioned they plight. And really, they almost gave the semi final game away to South Carolina, up by one, yet coughing up the ball in the final seconds and letting SC get not one, but two shots at the basket. Both missed and the Cardinal moved on the final.

See the SC highlights here:

Apparently, you can see the whole South Carolina- Stanford game here:

The finals were against Arizona, a team they had beaten twice previously this year, and if there is any team you don't want to play, it is a team you have already beaten twice previously. Odds are just not in your favor to beat them three times in one season. And Arizona also had one final shot, trailing by one, and although THREE Stanford defends went after Ari MacDonald of Arizona, she still got a shot off. It hit the left side of the rim and bounced up... and bounced away. Stanford pulled of an improbable win.

Check out the highlights, it still gives me chills!

I know this blog is way late, but I wanted to get the videos in here so I have something to look back on in the years to come! Just amazing!

Congrats to the road Warriors of the Stanford Women's Basketball team!

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Stanford’s Sweet, Sweet Sixteen

So the Stanford Women’s Basketball Team was playing Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen. No one, and I mean no one, thought they could win. In fact, for ESPN to fill the pre-game show they had to ask the analysts what Stanford could do to win the game and, well, the commentators, let’s just say, were all firmly in Notre Dame’s camp.

So, C and R asked each other what does Stanford need to do to win??

Stanford would have to take control early in the game and play lock down D and outscore ND. If we do that, we gonna win.

Have to hold ND’s Brianna Turner to zero points in the first half, then we gonna win.

Get high flying ND guard Lindsey Allan in foul trouble and send her to the bench and limit her to six points in the first half, then we gonna win.

Have Erica McCall get going early and score 19 by the half, we gonna win.

Be up by 11 at the half, we gonna win.

If Kaylee Johnson is scoring, we gonna win.

Get Kaylee Johnson involved in the offense, score early and have a double double, then we gonna win.

Have Erica McCall keep the scoring up and score a career-high 27 points and drain at least one 3-pointer and go 12-18 from the field…we gonna win.


Erica McCall, whom coach Tara VanDerveer calls the most improved player in the nation, led all players with 27 points. Photo: Mark Zerof/USA TODAY Sports
Cut off ND’s screen to the elbow play. Do that, and we gonna win.
Shoot 59% from the floor, we gonna win.

Shoot 55% from the three point line, including one from Marta Sniezek, only her second made three of her young career… we gonna win.

Score 11 3-pointers, we gonna win.

Have Karlie Samuelson go 5-6 from behind the line, gonna win

Have freshie guard Marta Sniezek drive in for lay ups and get in double figures for a career high..gonna win.

Heck, if Stanford gets four players in double figures, we gonna win.

Keep a double digit lead for most of the game, we gonna win.

Hold off ND when they make a run, not once, not twice, but THRICE…then we gonna win.

Have Lili Thompson give out a career high in assists, we gonna win.

Have Kaylee Johnson score 17 and gran , say 12 boards, then we gonna win.

Score 90 points… we gonna win.

And if Karlie can score 20 points and make some key baskets just when Stanford needs them…we gonna win!

Have Karlie Samuelson heave, and I mean heave a throw WELL beyond the three point line with time expiring on the shot clock, with a minute and a half to play, and have it bank off the glass for three to make it 84-78 Stanford lead and stop a ND run……WE GONNA WIN!!

WE GONNA WIN!

So that, Ladies and Gentlemen, are all Stanford needs to do to win…..and they did. They beat Notre Dame 90-84, with four players in double figures, career highs in points for Erica and Marta and assists for Lili, a double double for Kaylee, 11 threes and whatever else we said above. Next up is a familiar Pac-12 foe, Washington, on Sunday (yes Easter Sunday) at 10 AM Stanford time. This will be the rubber match, and I don’t think Tara has been beaten by Washington twice in one season since the 80s. We gonna win!

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Stanford Sends South Dakota State Packing

March 22 Stanford Sends South Dakota State Packing

For a #12 seed playing an #4 seed, this was not a slam dunk. First of all, even though the #4 seed Stanford Women’s Basketball Team was playing on their home court, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits brought the loudest people in All the Dakotas. SDSU beat #5 seed Miami two days prior, feeding off of their crowd’s energy, and they nearly knocked off Stanford, too, with that same energy.
Stanford enjoyed a slight lead at the half, 33-27 yet their offense stalled when Erica McCall went to the bench with three fouls in the third. SDSU rode their standing, cheering crowd to a lead mid-way thought the third quarter. It also didn’t help that Stanford was 10-22 from the free throw line. Then, Stanford fans, who tend to be quiet observers instead of rabid cheerers, came to life, with about four minutes left. Stanford fed off that energy, stealing and flying bodies and all, and went on a 12-3 run in the final minutes.

(apologies, embed code for videos not working, please follow the links)
Then, with the clock running down, and Stanford needing a score….wait, why listen to us prattle on when you can see for yourself. Lili with the lay up and one with 8 seconds left! Nothing but net!

The Jackrabbits, who were well coached, advanced the ball to half court and dribbled to the key where they met…wait, just looky here: Yes, Erica McCall and looks like Kailee Johnson blocked that ball and all of SDSU’s hopes and dreams.

Stanford survives 66-65!  Sweet Sixteen Bound!

Hear the Tara VanDerveer interview, and what Lili Thompson: had to say about the close game:

C and R will float on this game until March 25th, when Stanford meets #1 seed Notre Dame.

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Stanford Going to the Sweet Sixteen

So C and R like to get prepare for Stanford games kinda like how Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer does. Study, study, study. We read anything we can get our hands on about The Stanford Women’s Basketball Team and then about the opponent (Tara does the hard job of watching tape after tape of teams).

Going into round 2 of the NCAA tourney, Stanford was playing Oklahoma University. What C and R read about them is they like to foul. Well, not so much they like to foul, but they do foul, over 20 a game. That could mean two things for Stanford. It could mean that if Stanford could draw fouls, they would get lots of free throws and free points and OU players to sit. Or if the refs did not call fouls, big trouble for Stanford.

In the first half, it looked like the latter, as the refs were not calling hard fouls. And I don’t think I have ever seen anyone tear off Erica “Bird” McCall’s super goggles, but it happened not once, but twice (Bonus drinking game, replacing when an Ogwumike lost a contact). Lots of bodies flying, and then a whistle when there was hardly any contact.

Oklahoma came out in a zone, and with their athleticism and long reach, the Stanford guards could not penetrate very well, and the three point line was well guarded. Three point specialist Bonnie Samuelson scored zero points in the first. Hats off to OU, they had quick hands and knocked the ball out of Stanford’s hands a lot. Stanford was lucky to only be down 36-32 at the half, thanks to a Lili Thompson three to make it respectable.

However the master preparer, Tara VanDerveer is also a master adjuster at the half. She found a way to get her guards some penetration and maybe OU was a little bit tired as they couldn’t get out to the three point line as quickly. Result: Stanford went six for nine on 3-pointers in the second half, eight for the game. Bonnie hit three of them, and scored all 19 of her points in the second half, including going 8-8 from the free point line when OU finally got into foul trouble. BTW, Stanford attempted 38 free throws, making 30 of them.

Speaking of the second half, Stanford played better defense and only allowed OU six points in the first ten minutes. By comparison, Stanford went on a 12-2 run to open the second half. Lili Thompson helped fire Stanford up by hitting some key threes of her own. And Stanford senior Amber Orrange will surely be missed next year, because she is clutch. Whenever Stanford needed a basket, whenever the offense stalled (as it did a lot in the first) she would hit a timely shot to keep Stanford in it (Even if most of it was drive left!).


Amber Orrange driving left!
(Photo By: StanfordPhoto.com) And what about Stanford lock down “D?” In the first half, Oklahoma's Gioya Carter opened the game with 12 points and four steals. VanDerveer put Orrange on her at the defensive end. She finished with 16 points at the half and scored just two baskets in the second half. Wow.

Couple OU’s poor shooting, especially for the 3-point line (2-14 in the second) with the toughened Stanford D, and the refs finally calling fouls for the second half resurrection. Several OU players had to sit in the second while Stanford shot. Final score 86-76.

Stanford had four players in double figures, which is great as Stanford has struggled to get everyone involved in the offense. It was so great, Stanford did not need “Tournament Taylor to help out, as Greenfield finished with only four points. Amber finished with 24. Lili Thompson and Bonnie each scored 19 points. Erica McCall added 10 and 11 boards, for a double-double. Briana Roberson provided a spark with 13 points and some tough defense. In fact, once Tara put in Bri and went to a three guard set, Roberson didn’t come out.

Next, Stanford has a date with #1 seed Notre Dame Friday. Funny, Stanford and Notre Dame have met only twice, with Stanford enjoying a 2-0 lead. And they have never played each other in the NCAA tournament.

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Stanford Survives First Round of NCAA Tourney

They say this time of the year survive and advance. They say a win is a win is a win. They say it is okay to win ugly.

C and R say we are very worried for round two.

The Stanford Women’s Basketball team, a number 4 seed played Cal State Northridge (CSUN), number 13 seed, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Stanford won 73-60, but not before squandering a 20-7 first-half lead. It will be hard to survive and advance when your team goes eight minutes without scoring, as Stanford did in the first, and be behind at the half 29-28 at the half. Stanford offense stalled big time, looking disjointed and jerky. The usually smooth guards kept picking up their dribble, severely disrupting the flow of offense.

Granted, Stanford went on a 24-4 run early in the second, handing CSUN their own seven minute draught, but again Stanford let CSUN come back within six with two minutes left. The next game, two days away is with an Oklahoma team that scored 111 points in their first round victory. No, C’s cat did not sit on her keyboard, Oklahoma scored 111 in a regulation game, no over time needed. (Fun fact, Stanford BBall alum Lindy LaRoque, is a graduate assistant coach for OU). Some defense will have to be played and some shots made by Stanford if they want to survive and win this one. But as R said, if anyone can study the opponent and come up with a good game plan, it is Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer.


Lili Thompson has her game face on!
(Photo By: StanfordPhoto.com) Hats off to “Tournament Taylor,” that being Taylor Greenfield, the one person who could create her own offense and score. Taylor scored 19 points and was joined in double figures by Lili Thompson with 17, Bonnie Samuelson with14 points (she made three out of four 3-pointers) and Erica McCall added 10. And believe C and R, they will need more points against OU.

More fun facts, this victory gave Tara VanDerveer her 800th victory at Stanford. She became the 10th college basketball coach -- men's or women's -- with at least 800 victories at a single Division I school ... And, Stanford won their 500th game at Maples Pavilion (with just 87 losses).
See ya Monday at Maples.

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Stanford Gets the Same Results Against UConn

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. With Stanford going to the Final Four six times in seven years and coming up empty handed, you could call head coach Tara Vanderveer Insane… or insane like a fox. (I don’t know, I am mixing my metaphors.) So when Stanford played #1 UConn in November and “only” lost by 19, Tara also expected a different result when she met them again in the Final Four in April. It was the same 19-point margin of victory. Just insane.

Not very many people thought Stanford would even make it to the Final Four this year. They lost in the Sweet Sixteen last year with much of the same cast, and didn’t even get the number one seed in their region. Just getting to the Final Four this year, with the parties, the red carpets, the autograph signing sessions and the line dancing, was a huge victory for Stanford. Too bad they had to meet #1 UConn in the Final Four.

Yes, yes Tara was playing to win. She is the master of scouting other teams and finding an exploiting their weaknesses, and figuring out who is the worst shooter and then not guard her. Turns out, UConn doesn’t have many weaknesses to exploit.

Chiney Ogwumike dives for a loose ball over Stephaine Dolson. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

And hats off to UConn. Their defense won this game for them. They started out cold, offensively. Stanford had the lead for 12 and a half minutes in the first half, the longest time any opponent had the lead all year against UConn. But UConn’s defense took away All-Everything Chiney Ogwumike. Stanford thought they had an answer for that, in their outside shooting. Turns out UConn knows how to scout, too. UConn took away Stanford’s three ball. They guarded the perimeter so Stanford three-point specialist Bonnie Samuelson, with the quick release, could not get a good shot off. Coupled with the fact Stanford cold not penetrate on the drive and it was game over.

Right around the last few minutes if the first half, UConn went on a 12-0 run and took the lead back for good. At the half it was 24-28. The good news was UConn’s shooter, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had zero points at the half. The bad news is Chiney Ogwumike only had four.

UConn would go on a 20-5 run spanning both halves. UConn came out in the second and before you could blink it Huskies led 44-27. The lone three points in that period was inside player Chiney Ogwumike hitting a outside three. And that is not a good game plan. UConn took away what Chiney does best, inside points and rebounds. And Stanford’s outside shooters went 6-25 from three-point territory. Add 13 Stanford turnovers and it was not a pretty game for Stanford.

Chiney did not try much inside in the first half, and consequently, Stanford did not shoot any free throws in the first. Stanford drove more in the second half and did pick up some fouls, but it was too little, too late. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored all of her 15 points in the second half. The truth of the matter was Stanford could not get stops and did not trade baskets.

Although Chiney would score 15 points and 10 rebounds for her 27th double-double of the year, eight of those 15 points came after UConn had already established a solid double-digit lead. POY Breanna Stewart helped hold Stanford's All-American to just 5-of-12 shooting.

More Box Score:
-Amber Orrange had16 points to lead three Stanford players in double figures.
-Lili Thompson chipped in with 12 points for Stanford, although ten were in the first half.

Still, congratulations to Stanford on a great, great season. So much effort and intensity and emotion. And no, C and R don’t think Tara VanDerveer is insane. We think she is genius. To go to six Final Fours in seven years means you are consistently doing something right.

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Stanford Beats South Dakota, Advances

Well round one is done and in the books. The Stanford Women’s Basketball team with the #2 seed, beat #15 seed South Dakota 81-62 to advance to the round of 32 (which needs a cute nickname). One more win puts them back in the familiar territory of Maples for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

Stanford’s all everything Chiney Ogwumike scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds. For Stanford to do well, she needs her supporting cast to help her. She did get some help from her starting guards. Amber Orrrrange had 10 points and nine assists and freshman Lili Thompson, playing in her first NCAA tournament game, added 11 points. Bench player and three-point specialist Bonnie Samuelson scored 18 points, all of them threes.

Chiney Ogwumike helps Stanford to a first round victory (Photo: Associated Press )

Things you won’t see in the box score:

• With her first basket of the game, Chiney set the Pac-12 record for scoring. Then she fought for an offensive rebound and put it back up in traffic. She also holds the Pac-12 record for rebounding, too. In case you are wondering who she passed for the scoring record, it was former Stanford great Candice Wiggins (Still a Sentimental fave). Chiney now has 2,652 points and counting. 

• Fifth year senior Mikaela Ruef went to the floor hard and hit her head on the court with five minutes left in the first half. She did not return. She was shown on the bench looking lucid and cheering. Hope there is not a concussion and she can play on Monday. 

• Sara James, in a rare display of emotion, got a technical foul. Refs were not calling much contact during this game and when she was whistled for a foul that she thought should have been on South Dakota, she slammed the ball in frustration. She got T’ed up. 

• Stanford did a good job defensively on South Dakota except for Australian guard Nicole Seekamp. She scored 22 points. Can't let the other team's star score.

• Lili had to play with three fouls from early on in the second half. The freshie will need to play smarter and avoid foul trouble in the coming games. 

• Amber Orrange’s great pass to an open Chiney all alone under the basket on a fast break. Awesome. 

• Bonnie's threes…well you can get that in a box score but still...Bonnie matched her career high with six 3-pointers. All her points came off of threes. 

Next up is Florida State, which knocked off Iowa State. Could be a blessing in disguise, as Stanford would have had to play Iowa on their home floor. But then again, FSU might be pretty physical for Stanford.

The really bad news is that the game is set for Monday and might be on during work hours here on the Pacific Coast. Might have to BYOD. Bring your own device to work to watch Stanford.

Only five more games to go…

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Stanford Loses to Georgia 59-61

It was a game of runs. A game of one team scoring 7 or 8 points and the other team scoring 0. And it was a game that saw the Stanford Women’s Basketball team end their run of five straight Final Fours, trying to make a historic 6th.

Taylor Greenfield leaves the court with a hand injury (AP Photo/Jed Conklin)

Stanford opened their Sweet Sixteen game against Georgia with a 9-0 run, and all was right with the world. Then a 10-4 run by Georgia. Granted, it didn’t help matters that role player Taylor Greenfield left the game early when a kicked ball jammed her left thumb. (She looked like she was in a lot of pain, hope it is not broken). And after that Joslyn Tinkle went to the bench with two fouls early on in the first. Stanford is not known for their deep bench. But Stanford’s Chiney Ogwumike saved the day again, at least for the first half. 

Chiney couldn’t be stopped in the first, she would have 18, most in the second part of the first half with Tinkle and Greenfield out. Georgia’s scorer Hassell went to the bench with an early foul, then comes back help Georgia on a run.  Georgia’s Griffin who made five three pointers all year hits two of them. There was no flow for either team. The half ended with Stanford holding a comfortable 7-point lead, 34-25.

Chiney Ogwumike scored 26 and 12 boards (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Chiney got her usual double-double (26 points and 12 rebounds) for the game and when Georgia would try to go ahead (five lead changes) Amber Orrrrange would calmly hit a shot to keep Stanford right in it. She scored 17 for the game. Except for the final quarter. That final quarter everyone missed. Amber, Chiney…or wait no one else from Stanford was scoring. The closest was Mikaela Ruef, who had six points but missed crucial free throws at the end. 

And that in a nutshell is what has hurt Stanford all season, no one dependable in scoring besides Chiney. Chiney is amazing and Amber has stepped up but nobody else. When Chiney was double and tripled teamed, especially in the second half, no one from Stanford puts themselves in position for her to kick it out to them. And Georgia had players that stepped, up notable Hassell who scored six points in the final three minutes.

The final 1:20 seconds also was uncharacteristic for Stanford, in that they did not play smart. The score was tied and Chiney could not connect with Tinkle under the basket, a rare pass out of bounds. Then Georgia hit the backboard and the shot clock mistakenly reset, so Amber fouled to stop the clock (Okay, that part was smart). After the Georgia player made both shots to take a four point lead with 59 seconds left, Amber took forever to bring the ball up court, dribbling away from the basket, so much that Stanford Head Coach Tara VanDerveer called a time out.

Then when Stanford inbounded, the ball with 23 seconds left Amber again dribbled away from the basket. The ball finally made its way to Tinkle’s hand, who made her first three of the game. However, there was just five seconds left on the game clock and Stanford was still down by one, 59-60. Georgia threw a leading football pass from their own end zone and a Georgia player ran under it. She was finally tackled by Stanford’s Sara James with .8 seconds left. (And all the games in the tourney have been football-like in the lack of non-calls).

The Georgia player missed the first shot but hit the second, when she should have done it the other way around. The made basket gave Stanford time to inbound and shoot. Ruef threw a baseball pass three quarters the length of the court but no one was there to corral it and Georgia was the one hugging themselves in victory, wining 59-61.

Well, hats off to Stanford for a great season. Tara VanDerveer made the most with what she had. The overachievers were 33-3, knocked off Baylor and beat Tennessee. With new talent coming in and redshirt players coming back, already looking forward to next year.

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Stanford in the Sweet Sixteen

Stanford in the Sweet Sixteen in Spokane! Check out the match-up between Stanford and Georgia, from Stanford Official Site. 

Can’t get to Spokane? The game will be on ESPN2 at 6:04 PM Stanford Time. Not 6 PM mind you, 6:04. After Stanford wins, stick around for the Cal game. Let’s Go Stanford!

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Stanford Mashes Michigan, Advances to Sweet 16

When The Stanford Women’s Basketball Team played Tulsa in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it was a tale of two halves. In that game, Stanford was tied at 24 at the half against a number 16 seed, and then Chiney Ogwumike and Amber Orrrrange poured it on to win by 16. Tonight in round two against number eight seed Michigan, Stanford was a whole different team.

No one does scouting reports like Stanford Head Coach Tara VanDerveer, and this one said Michigan likes to hit threes. And little known to any one else, Stanford likes to take your game plan and hand it right back to you. Time and time again C and R will read a team likes to fast break and push the tempo, and then Stanford is the one that is fast breaking Laker’s style. So what does Stanford do tonight? You guessed it, they hit the threes. And shut down Michigan’s three point shooters in the process. Maybe because the team has to replicate the other teams game plan so much in practice, they subconsciously end up playing it?

Whatever, the reason, it worked. Stanford looked like a team that plays together instead of going through one person. Granted, that one person is All-Everything Chiney Ogwumike, and she has carried this team so far all season, and carried them well. Tonight, she made a conscious effort to pass up her drives to the basket to find others. And it worked, mostly The game tone was set early when Chiney took a rebound out of the air and volleyball spiked it to a wide open Joslyn Tinkle under the basket for the easy lay up.

Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike, right, and Joslyn Tinkle embrace as coach Tara VanDerveer looks on (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Speaking of Tinkle, the Stanford senior was playing her last home game on Maples and she too made a conscious effort to get after it. She noticeably hustled, and shot early and often. She had eight points in the first five minutes. She made five out of five three-point attempts, a career high, and scored 21 points for the night. She has not looked so good in about half a season. Mostly due to Tinkle, Stanford was up 21-7 with twelve minutes left to play in the first and leading 41-16 at the half. It was total domination.

Stanford made a season best 12 three pointers. Guard Amber Orrrrange , who is really mastering the pull up jumper, hit a three when left open. She would have 11 points for the night. Starter Sara James made three of five from three-point land and bench player Bonnie Samuelson also made three from behind the line. Stanford would beat Michigan 73-40. Now that is some good ball.

Speaking of Sara James, she contributed nine points while limiting Michigan’s best three point shooter Kate Thompson, who air balled her first three and went 1-11 from the field for seven total points. Usually you get great defense from Sara, or maybe a double-digit game, but tonight she gave Stanford both. Well, nine total points is close enough. If Stanford can get everyone’s best defensive efforts and get four players in or near double figures, like tonight, then they have a legitimate shot at making a record sixth final four.

And speaking of Stanford’s defense, they shut down Michigan, threes or not. Michigan shot just 29% from the field and 18% from the three point line (so much for that three point shooting prowess). And Stanford played man-to-man defense all night, no zone or double-teaming, not even on Michigan’s Thompson. Sara James was left alone all night to shut her down, and she sure did. Sara’s coach and team trusted her and she delivered. Compare that to Michigan, and other teams that have to double and even triple team Chiney Ogwumike and she still scores.

Speaking of Chiney, she got a double-double, 12 points and 15 boards, and it is cool she got more boards than points. As we mentioned somewhere in this story, Chiney was consciously looking for her teammates. But at times it was detrimental to the flow of the game. The passes were telegraphed and picked off, and the player was not that open. Chiney usually takes one or two defends on near the basket and scores. She needs to find a better balance of passing to open players when doubled, and players need to move into position and be open when she is doubled. Why is Stanford figuring this out now in the tourney instead of throughout the year?

Nice moment after the game when Senior Tinkle was grabbed for the post-game interview. The Stanford team always huddles at midcourt then waves to their fans and heads to the locker room. As Tinkle was talking (and we think shedding a tear or two over her last game here), the team ran off the court. When the interview concluded, the team ran back on to the court and right at Jos. Chiney, her self-proclaimed twin, was the first to meet her and gave her a big ol’ embrace. Then the team, now complete, took a final lap around Maples, with Jos in the center, as it fittingly should be.
Next round is against Georgia, and Stanford has a couple of days to prepare. And no one prepares like a Tara VanDerveer. Best of luck in Spokane.

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Stanford, Shakes off Bad First Half, Takes Down Tulsa

It was a Tale of Two Halves. The Stanford Women’s Basketball Team opened the first round of the NCAA tournament (otherwise known as “The Big Dance,” or in Stanford’s case, “Quest for Six” – Final Fours, that is) against Tulsa and almost had their run end before they started.

Chiney Ogwumike knows she needs to get her teammates invloved if Stanford is to advance (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Tulsa gave all the right pre-game quotes, “we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we could win,” just like any other 16 seed, then visited the Golden Gate Bridge. And then the 16th seed is supposed to get crushed and all they get is a lousy T-Shirt they bought from the illegal vendors at the parking lot to the Golden Gate Bridge. Except this time the number 16 seed didn’t realize it was supposed to be smoke and mirrors and they actually believed the hype. So much so they came out swinging, and made four steals in three minutes and went up by six points in the first five minutes.

The Tulsa coaching staff must have been figuring the refs were not going to call as much in these games and so were very, very physical. They pushed around Bonnie Samuelson as if she were a paperweight and were holding, holding holding Stanford’s best player Chiney Ogwumike to try and stop her scoring.

But you can’t keep an Ogwumike down. Chiney scored two quick baskets to open the game and to say to herself and the basketball world at large that see, I just scored four points, one more than the three points I scored in the whole game in the Pac-12 finals against UCLA.

Tulsa drove a fast-paced game and attacked the basket early on. They also were very good shooters and since they were undersized, would pull up for jumpers. Most of them went in. Chieny could score almost at will to keep Stanford in it, and bench player Taylor Greenfield added six first-half points to help out. But not much else happened scoring-wise in the first for the Cardinal, and if they want to advance even more in the Big Dance, they will have to have others step up.

Tulsa couldn’t keep such a frenetic pace and was tiring in the first half when Stanford took a small lead. But with three and a half minutes left in the first, Chiney Ogwumike got her second foul and joined Joslyn Tinkle on the bench. If you saw the UCLA game, then you know Stanford does not do well with Chiney on the bench. Stanford’s Amber Orrrrange scored the last four points of the half for Stanford and the game was tied at 24 going into the locker room.

The  Twiterverse went a little gleeful at Stanford’s struggles, and of course brought up the only number one seed, men’s or women’s to be beat by a number 16 seed was of course the Stanford Women’s Basketball Team on their home court. They were hoping history would repeat itself. But although those that don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer lived through it and has not forgotten. And she is the mastermind of half time adjustments.

Tara VanDerveer at the half told her team that their season could be over in 20 minutes. Message received. Both teams came out for the second and Tulsa took a one-point lead at the 18 minute mark. Then Chiney, with a little help from Amber Orrrrange, got a 12 point Stanford lead just like that and now the number one seed started to look like their ranking. Also, Tulsa, who had success with mid range jumpers, started to drive on the much taller cardinal and Stanford’s wall o’ defense took away shots or made them air-ball their shots. Around the same time, the refs finally started calling fouls on Tulsa, even stuff they got away with in the first half.

Chiney, perhaps instinctually knowing she needs her teammates to step up, forgo drives to the basket, her bread and butter, to feed Joslyn Tinkle several times for easy lay ins. Chiney lead the team in assists with four, and Tinkle would finish with nine points, although she had just one point in the first half. Taylor Greenfield also had nine, and Amber’s drives and pull ups netted her 14 points.

Tulsa, to their credit, did not fold like a number 16 seed. They got it back to within 10 with four minutes left. Then three minutes later, Stanford held them scoreless and suddenly had a 20 point lead. Chiney went to the bench with one minute left having scored 29 points and grabbed eight boards. Stanford's back up center Tess Picknell got a basket and a block, and frankly, the block made her more excited than the basket.

Tara VanDerveer gave all the right quotes after the game, saying she would rather have a game like this (bad first half, terrific second half) then “play a great first half and stink it up the second half.” Yes, and it would be even better to play two great halves. The next rounds won’t let them get away with a bad half, or even a bad quarter. Stanford will play Michigan Tuesday at 6:30 in the second round.

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Stanford Women's Basketball, Round 1, Tulsa

Stanford Women’s Basketball Team takes on the Tulsa Hurricanes in round 1 action at Maples. Game time starts at 2:20. Be there and be square as nerd nation starts their quest for a record sixth straight final four, and to finally bring home that trophy. More insights of the match up at the Stanford Official Site. 

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Stanford Falls in Final Four Semi Game

Making it to the Final Four is one big party, a parade of awards, a chance to play dress up, and get sized for rings. Pretty heady stuff. Too bad they still have to play the games. Stanford came up short in the semi-final game, losing to Baylor 59-47. Let’s face it, Stanford had the game plan, they just couldn’t execute on offense.

After much secrecy, ESPN reportors reported just before the tip off that Stanford would play a 54 defense against 6’8 Brittney Griner, who had won the Player of the Year Award the day before. To Stanford fans, this defense was not new, having seen it done to Cal and a couple other teams this year. It has five Stanford players surrounding the paint and the four better scorers and leave one Baylor player open. It worked for a half. Jordan Madden was the first victim to find herself surprisingly open. She missed a lot, going 2-8 for the half. Brittney Griner only had 7 points and went many minutes without touching the ball.

But Stanford could not hit on offense. They could not hit a three. Stanford’s standout player Nneka Ogwumike played away from the basket to pull Brittney Griner away from helping. When Stanford got some back door passes, it worked. When Nneka tried to shoot from out there, she missed. She also would have 7 points at the half. Freshmen three-point specialist Bonnie Samuelson was brought in off the bench and instantly hit a three. That would be her only one, although she popped a second one and the ref said she stepped out of bounds.

The half time score was 25-23 Baylor, and that was because Lindy LaRocque did not take care of the ball and it got stolen for a lay up. Stanford only had 4 turnovers against Baylor’s quick defense, but they lead to 8 points. That won’t win you games. When Stanford came out of the locker room at the half, they put Nneka back inside where she is most comfortable, which means she had to go right at Brittney Griner, and she did.

Nneka drove in and as she jumped, and Brittney jumped to block, Nneka flew in the air to the other side of the basket for a reverse lay up. Nneka went inside again and was fouled by Griner. Then the third time she attacked the basket and made a high bank shot. And like that she has 13 points. The fourth time she was blocked.

And then the wheels came off. No one else from Stanford was scoring. They stopped going back door. Stanford got it to 34-21 Baylor. Then Chiney got called for an illegal screen and her third foul. Nneka did a screen and SHE got called for an offensive foul.

Then Chiney got her fourth and then a short time later, her fifth at the 7:48 mark. Although, it wasn’t that big of a loss as she was ineffectual against Griner inside. She could hardly rebound, and she certainly didn’t get any put-back points. She would leave the game with just 4 points. But at that point, the game was not lost, if someone else could step up and make threes. Jos Tinkle, who has a steady hand the latter part of the season, only scored 2 points and missed all three of her three-point attempts.

Stanford was limiting Brittney Griner, but now Jordan Madden and a bench player by the name of Terran Condrey were making their shots. If you would have said to Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer that Brittney Griner would get one field goal in the second, half, and Nneka would lead all scores with 22, AND Stanford would win the block-battle with 5 team blocks to Brittney Griner's 2, she would have thought the game was in the bag.

But no one, not even Baylor counted on Madden scoring 9 and Condrey scoring 13. Baylor point guard Odessey Simms had a better second half, scoring 11 for the game. And Tara would not have liked Stanford going 2-17 from three-point land. And the fact everyone else not named Ogwumike combined for 21 points.

Like we said, the game plan was there, but the other players did not step up and score.  The second half ended 59-47, and like that, Stanford’s stellar season was done.

Yes, it was stellar season. That was only their second loss, going 39-2 for the year. They made it to the Final Four. Nneka was in the running for Player of the Year. She got to share this amazing journey with her sister Chiney. She sometimes single-handly put Stanford on her back and won games by herself. It was as much fun to watch as it must have been for Nneka and Chiney to share, and the other Stanford team members to experience.

Although they did not win a championship, we will always remember this season with joy. Congratulations to the coaching staff, players and support system of Stanford on a great year!

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Stanford Gets Sweet Sixteen Win over South Carolina

Stanford prevailed in the Sweet Sixteen over South Carolina 76-60, but it was a hard fought contest. South Carolina was undersized, yet they wanted to minimize Stanford’s second chance points, so they won the rebounding game 38-36. They planned on being physical with Stanford sisters Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike, and they were, twice knocking Chiney to the ground in obvious pain on her already wobbly knee. They keyed on the inside players wanting to make the outside (read other players not named Ogwumiek) try to beat them. Two out of three ain’t bad.

South Carolina was physical and they keyed on the sisters, but they still could not stop Nneka. Nneka scored 39 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and stayed in the game with 3 fouls. Chiney, not her usual self on rebounds and put-backs due to her knee, had four blocked shots and contributed 11 points, and still managed to get 10 boards. In fact, the sisters scored Stanford’s first 14 points, and 50 of Stanford's 76.

A the start of the game, Chiney came out of the locker room wearing a huge knee brace, which had C and R speculate there might be a tear in there somewhere. After the game Chiney called the brace more cautionary then necessary, and Tara VanDerveer is paranoid to a fault about knee injuries to players, so we will see. Still, Chiney went down twice. The first time she was undercut as she went up for a rebound and fell hard. The second time she was knocked to the ground and hit the knee full on, which caused obvious pain on her face.

Luckily, the refs called a foul on that play, which was always in question as they let obvious brutal contact go and then would call strange non-fouls. In a word they were horrible. Bonnie Samuelson came in to take Chiney’s shots as she went to the bench with ice on her knee, and made both. Nneka had three fouls, and South Carolina was licking their chops thinking she was going to go to the bench for a long stretch but if there is anyone Tara can trust to not foul, it’s Nneka. She would make her coach look good.

C and R got to see a lot of the contact up close. We did make the pilgrimage to Fresno, and our original seats were up high and off to the side of the basket, behind all the action, so we went down behind the basket where apparently they didn’t sell any seats and had the section to ourselves (we did share with the Stanford band). Unfortunate for us, Tinkle’s wild throw for a three to end the half and make Stanford go into the locker room 36-30 was at the opposite end. BTW, that was Stanford’s only three of the night. We did see Chiney’s second fall and grimaces of pain and Nneka’s concerned handholding. Also saw Chiney get bandaged up twice and blood removed from her jersey as she had  actually claw marks on her arm. Guess what, no foul was called.

Then C got food poisoning (thanks Fresno) and barely survived the night.

Monday’s Elite Eight is against Duke, the team the East Coast media at one point said should be seeded higher than Stanford. Duke’s outstanding guard Chelsea Gray is a sorta hometown girl and had 50 of her fans there Saturday. The announced crowd was 3,754, but it seemed like more, still off the type of crowds we see on the East Coast. We can’t go back to Fresno for Monday’s game, what with life and work getting in the way, however the game is televised, and starts at 6:00 PM Stanford time. Go Card, fifth final four and Nneka last are on the line!

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Jayne Appel Back in Shape and Ready to Play

Well, first day of WNBA training camp happened, so let’s check in with former Stanford Women’s Basketball Player Jayne Appel

Jayne, playing for the San Antonio Silver Stars is just happy to be able to participate in training camp. Last year coming off the NCAA title game loss, she revealed she had a broken foot and severely sprained ankle, and needed to take a month off. During the WNBA summer season, she really wasn’t herself all season long. Now, a year later and after a month’s rest and some super-Stanford-NASA-workout, she is healthy and just able to play basketball, a blessing. Check out how healthy and trimmed down she looks.

Preseason Basketball Favorites

Okay, so C and R are in a bit of a lull, a daze, if you will. Still partway shell shocked from Stanford’s final four loss, and half-way dreaming of November yet hoping for warm weather soon so we can plant our tomatoes.

So imagine our surprise and, well, excitement, when we saw a preseason women’s college basketball ranking! Bold and brave move by Charlie Creme, ESPN specialist. He predicts the top 25 teams for next season.

C and R get down to business. We instantly scan for the Stanford “S”. There we are, number five. He mentions the “new order” trio of Nneka, Chiney and Toni (Ogwumikes and Kokenis). Yes, C and R agree, but what about the other two spots? He gives us a glimpse by flashing a freshmen’s name, Amber Orrange. (And no, that is not another one of our  infamous typos, it is really how her last name is spelled, thank you very much, which is a cruel trick to play on us typing challenged, and oh, my spell check is going to hate me for the next four years).

So, anyhoo, fifth. Now that’s out of the way, lets take a peekie-weekie at who or whom he has in first. Baylor!? Didn’t Texas A & M prove them to be defeatable? And speaking of the reigning champs Texas A & M, he has them fourth, one above Stanford, and UConn, hee hee sixth, one below Stanford. Hee hee again, proving UConn was very Maya-Moore-heavy last year. Okay, okay, we’re feelin’ ya dog, to quote the young people, but who is second and third? Tennessee and Notre Dame. Okay, we’ll give you Notre Dame who made it to the championship game and still has Skylar Diggins coming back, but Tennessee!? Tennessee, the same team that lost in the elite eight? Tennessee, the team that just lost Kelly Cain and freshmen Lauren Avant? Second?

Wait, what was that about two players leaving Pat Summit’s program? Mechelle Voepel reports red-shirted Kelley Cain will forego her final season of eligibility at UT. She is set to get her degree this spring and her knee is just not up to going another year. MV always says the freshman is leaving because “things didn't click this season in Knoxville.” Hmmm, seems like it will be hard for Tennessee to stay in the top three. (Incidentally, Mechelle also agrees with Baylor as the early number one team for next year, darn it).

Well, it was fun to daydream about women’s basketball, even if only fleetingly. Who’s in you preseason top ten?

Congratulations Are in Order

Congratulations Stanford Head Basketball Coach Tara VanDerveer for being named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2011. (Note, this is not the “Women’s” hall of fame, which Tara was elected to in 2002, but the “basketball” hall of fame, so read “men’s.”  To tell you how rare this is, she is the ninth women’s coach inducted). She is joined by former Warriors star Chris Mullin, Bad Boy Dennis Rodman, Artis Gilmore, Arvydas Sabonis, Herb Magee, Tom "Satch" Sanders, Teresa Edwards, Tex Winter and Harlem Globetrotter Reece "Goose" Tatum. Tara coached Teresa Edwards to one of her four Olympic Gold Medals in 1996.

Congratulations again to Stanford Head Basketball Coach Tara VanDerveer for being named the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year. It is her third National Coach of the year award this season and second Naismith honor in her career (C and R don’t understand the distinction, can’t we just have one award?). Tara also won WBCA and Associated Press National Coach of the Year Awards this season, although she had to share the AP award with Geno Auriemma and Miami's Katie Meier.

Congratulations to Kayla Pedersen for being named to the Pac-10 women's five-player all-academic team for basketball, and for being  named Pac-10 scholar athlete of the year for women's basketball.

Congratulations to Stanford's Sarah Boothe, Lindy La Rocque, Melanie Murphy, Nneka Ogwumike, Jeanette Pohlen and Mikaela Ruef for being named honorable mentions to the Pac-10 all-academic team for basketball.

Congratulations to Nneka Ogwumike for being named to the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team for the second consecutive season.

Congratulations to Kayla and Jeanette for all the records they set this season and we wish them more basketball luck and success as they try their hand at the WNBA.

Congratulations to the Women’s NCAA tournament and to ESPN who broadcasted it, for increasing their average viewership for the entire tournament to almost 1.9 million people from more than 1.6 million.

Congratulations to the Women’s National Championship game for increasing their viewership from 3.5 million last year to 3.8 million this year. Wait, last year was the Stanford-UConn final. C and R guess the rumors we read out on the internet are true that people get tired of “traditional” power houses always playing out in the final game.

Congratulations to TG for winning the Women’s Talk Sports Bracket!

Congratulations to Joanne Boyle being named Virginia Women’s Basketball Coach and condolences to Cal.

Congratulations Stanford….
For a wonderful season.

It's Root Root For…

C and R asked who Stanford fans were going to root for in the Women’s Championship game. Let’s go to the ol mail bag to see what people said, shall we?
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Hi C and R:
The only way I have been able to feel better is to declare the two upsets a victory for women's basketball and celebrate the fresh faces coming in to the final game.
Let's face it, Notre Dame owes a debt of gratitude to Stanford for showing them that UConn could be beat and how to do it.  How many times did Muffet McGraw watch that game film for ideas and inspiration?  She seems like a good coach and a good person.  If she wins, let's hope she calls Tara to tell her thanks.
I guess, if pushed, I am rooting for Notre Dame, only because I am becoming more gender biased in my old age and I know that over 50% of Div. I women's teams are now coached by men and it would be nice to see a woman take home the prize.  That being said, the Texas A&M kids seem really neat and they played wonderful defense against our beloved team (trust me-- it pains me to say it), so if they win, it would be well deserved.  You have to credit them with coming out so strong in the regionals against Baylor, their home town oppressor.
Sigh.
TH
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After much consideration and deliberation, I'm rooting for Notre Dame  tonight. Too much chest bumping from the Aggies for my liking.  I know it's better to lose to the eventual winner but I'm still mad at them for beating Stanford.
ML
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I’ll be rooting for the Aggies
It’s little consolation to be able to say you lost to the national champions, but A&M’s run is a good story, Gary Blair seems like a good guy, and I generally root against Notre Dame no matter the sport (Sunday night against UConn excluded). Skylar Diggins is one heck of a player. The men’s championship game certainly isn’t a tough act to follow.
SA, From Rule of Tree
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I left Indy on Monday am. Don't care about final so much, but will cheer for ND because Diggins/Wiggins are friends, and I'm not a fan of A&M's 'style" of bball.
 M
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Getting over it
The nice thing about losses like this are that in 15 or 20 years, the pain will subside and we'll hardly even think about it anymore.  Like that awful overtime loss to Old Dominion in 1997, Nicole Powell hitting the front iron on a three that would have beat Tennessee in 2004, Candice Wiggins getting called for charging into Seimone Augustus in 2006 as Krista Rappahahn swished what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer, Tennessee breaking us with pressure in 2008 when in looked like it was our year, Jayne's ankle in 2010.... 

Almost never bothers me anymore!

I guess it's the nature of the sport - even with 4 straight years in the Final Four, unless you win it all, the whole season - 33-3, the win over UConn, undefeated Pac-10 season, Regional championship - somehow feels like a colossal failure! (It isn't).

And, you know, I'm already starting to think that next year is looking very bright...
TG
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who am I rooting for?
I'm rooting for A&M. They were staying at my hotel in Indianapolis and could not have been more pleasant. They made it a point to say "hello" as they passed in the hall. When I wished them good luck (maybe I shouldn't have now that I think about it), they were so gracious. At their pep rally, you could really see the excitement about their first Final Four. They shook hands with fans and their coach spoke about what a class act he wanted everyone to be…"no booing in the stands," he said. I attended the Stanford pep rally also. I was surprised by how bored they seemed about it all. The committee was there cheering Stanford on as they arrived. The only time the team smiled was for the team picture. I was so excited to see them and called out to Chiney. She looked up and practically glared at me. I was so surprised by this. I left very disappointed in my team, but still rooting for them on Sunday. Perhaps they were just giving off their "focused" vibe. Still, it came off wrong and I felt sorry for the committee for all the work they put into the event. I will say that Melanie Murphy seemed to be the most pleasant of the bunch. She posed for pictures and took several herself.
MR
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Ouch that last part of the final letter hurt, but maybe it needs to be pointed out, it’s not an automatic to go to the final four every year…

Well, congrats to Texas A & M. Now we can say Stanford lost to the champs. C and R still rooted for Notre Dame and Skylar Diggins. Every time they said, “Diggins makes a play,” we kept hearing “Wiggins”, as in Candice Wiggins. Brought but a flood of memories, so we know what TG means when he says, facetiously, the pain goes away and no one remembers the errors.

Looking forward to next year.
C and R

Now What?

Sometimes I think the sole reason for the existence of sports is to break one's heart.

This was written by our friend, LM, who is also a Cal fan but we don’t hold it against her.

C and R were so bummed last night we couldn’t even enjoy Skylar Diggins tearing up UConn. Incidentally, did you see our girl Candice Wiggins rooting for Skylar? She got to know her on a recruiting trip to Stanford. And could you have imagined if Diggins came to Stanford. She’s only a sophomore. At least UConn also losing eases the sting and erases some of the stigma the media was set to heap on Stanford.

So, the question has arisen for C and R; whom do we root for in the final final four game? Do we root for Texas A & M so we can say at least Stanford lost to the eventual champions? Or do we root for Notre Dame to “exact our revenge” on Texas A & M and say, see they didn’t belong there. What are your thoughts Stanford nation? And let us know if you are a Cardinal fan stuck with plane tickets to come home Wednesday and have to stay until the bitter end.