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Stanford Pummels Bulldogs On The Road

Published on December 28, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal returned to action after their holiday break on Saturday with a successful trip to Fresno. The number four-ranked Cardinal were victorious by the score of 86-54.

Fresno State came into the matchup with a record of 6-4, with three wins in the last four. Saturday marks the second straight loss for the Bulldogs, as they were defeated last weekend by the Dons of San Francisco 76-47.

Fresno State kept it close in the first half and actually held the lead at two different points in the game. The Bulldogs kept within two baskets with the score being 22-18 until around the nine-minute mark, and that’s when the Cardinal were able to take over. Stanford started a two-minute 11-0 run with eight to go. Fresno State would eventually stop it with 5:42 to go in the first half, but not before the Stanford lead would be stretched to 33-20. Baskets were then being traded back and forth before the half would end with the Cardinal leading 43-31.

The second half would see the Cardinal scoring 43 points as well. This time, however, they were able to hold the Bulldogs to only 23 points. Stanford had an incredible start to the second half, as they were able to outscore the Bulldogs 16-2 to give them the big 69-33 lead. The Cardinal would not look back as they would coast for the win.

Chiney Ogwumike had yet another outstanding performance as she led the Cardinal in scoring, with 20 points. The All-American Senior added ten rebounds to record the double-double. Taylor Greenfield was right behind Ogwumike, scoring 18, a season high and tying her career high. Amber Orrange had 15 for the Cardinal and added six assists. Mikaela Ruef had an outstanding game, as she contributed in everyway, recording eight assists, seven rebounds, five points and adding a block and a steal.

Alex Sheedy, who recorded the double-double, with 15 points and 11 rebounds, led the Bulldogs. Guard, Taylor Thompson also saw double digits in scoring with 14 of her own.

Fresno State ends their non-conference play with loss, as their record drops to 6-5. The Bulldogs are scheduled to start up Mountain West action on New Year’s Day, where they will travel to Las Vegas to take on the 3-9 Rebels.

With the win the Stanford Cardinal up their record to 11-1, as they end non-conference play. They will return to action after the New Year to start conference play, as they will host the Oregon Ducks on January 3.

Stanford Upsets Tennessee in a Tight One

Published on December 22, 2013December 22, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

Saturday marked the second time that two top ten teams matched up against each other this week, as number one Connecticut defeated number two Duke earlier in the week. On Saturday it would be number six Stanford defeating number three Tennessee 76-70.

“It was a great environment” losing coach, Holly Warlick stated, as 6,044 were on to see two great rivals match-up once again.

Tennessee started the game on a 4-0 run with buckets from Isabelle Harrison and Bashaaara Graves. Stanford would answer back with a run of their own, scoring 13 straight, eight of which came from Chiney Ogwumike. The other five points from freshman, Lili Thompson.

“We dug ourselves a big hole early, and it was tough to get out of” said a Warlick after the game.

Stanford would hold the lead for the rest of the game, with their biggest lead getting to 12 points multiple times. The game would tighten up towards the end as Tennessee made a really strong push, cutting the lead to two with only a minute to go. However, Junior Guard, Amber Orrange would come up huge for the Cardinal getting a lay-up and a foul shot to extend the lead to five and really put the game away.

Stanford was led by Ogwumike who registered 32 points for the second straight contest, this time however she did it while playing all 40 minutes. Ogwumike also had 20 rebounds, with 11 of them coming on the offensive side of the glass.

“She doesn’t take a possession off, we had trouble with her all night” said Warlick on the play of Ogwumike.

Stanford had a strong performance as well from Freshman Guard, Thompson, who scored 14 points, while bringing down two rebounds in the 35 minutes that she played.

Stanford head coach, Tara VanDerveer had nothing but praise for Thompson’s play “Lili isn’t a freshman for us, and this isn’t the type of game for freshman, you can’t make freshman mistakes.”

Mikaela Ruef had eight points and eight rebounds for the Cardinal. Coming off of the bench huge for Stanford was Taylor Greenfield scoring 11 points, with nine of them coming from beyond the arc. The junior also brought down a single rebound.

“Taylor’s threes were huge for us today, it seemed like they were always falling at the right time” VanDerveer commented on Greenfield ‘s play.

On the other side of the ball, Tennessee was led by Ariel Massengale with 17 points. Meighan Simmons was right behind her with 15 points, and Graves scored 14. Harrison was on the only Lady Vol to record a double-double as she scored ten points, and added 13 rebounds.

The biggest stat of the night would have to be that of the rebound, as Stanford out-rebounded Tennessee 43-40. VanDerveer praised the teams rebounding performance as she said to the team before the game, “If you win the battle on the boards, you will win this game.” Though Stanford did give up 21 offensive rebounds to the Lady Vols that led to 24 second chance points, the head coach was still thrilled about the performance. She also said that rebounding and boxing out needs to be constantly worked on throughout the season, as Cal will be a very similar team to Tennessee.

With the win, Stanford has beaten the Lady Volunteers in three consecutive contests for the first time in series history. Stanford also defends Maples Pavilion, as Tennessee has been unsuccessful there since the 2005-06 season.

Tennessee is handed their first loss of the season and moves to 10-1. They will go on a holiday break and return to the floor on December 29^th for the last time of 2013, as they host Lipscomb. After the New Year, they will then start SEC conference play with their first game against LSU.

Stanford keeps their winning streak alive and moves it up to nine games, and ups their record to 10-1. The Cardinal will also go on holiday break and return to action December 28^th against the Fresno St. Bulldogs in Fresno. After the New Year, Stanford will also start their conference play with their next home game against the Oregon Ducks on January 3^rd.

A Night of Records as Stanford Stomps Lobos

Published on December 17, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal hosted the New Mexico Lobos on Monday in their final tune-up before the big matchup this Saturday, where the number six-ranked team hosts the third ranked Lady Vols. They defeated the Lobos by the final score of 75-41, to move their record to 9-1. The team has also won the last 8 in a row. For the Lobos, they saw their two-game winning streak snapped and their record falls to 4-5 in the process.

The night for Stanford started great for Chiney Ogwumike, who recorded her 2,000^th career point just minutes into a first half that she will never forget. The Stanford All-American Senior recorded 24 of the team’s 40 first half points.

“She’s such an anchor for us” raved VanDerveer on Ogwumike’s performance.

Ogwumike eventually would slow down the production as she finished off her night with eight in the second half ending with 32 points, only four shy of tying her career high, which is set earlier this season against Cal Poly.

The team production was something to be impressed about, as eight different players got on the scoreboard. The bench scored 32 points of their own. Bonnie Samuelson and Taylor Greenfield led the bench with eight each. Alex Green and Erica McCall were right behind them with six. McCall also added eight rebounds, tying her career high, which she set against Purdue in November. Though Mikaela Ruef only scored two points, she was outstanding on the boards, leading the team with ten.

“Mikaela got it done on the boards”praised VanDerveer on Ruef on her performance.

New Mexico was led by Guard, Bryce Owens, who scored 12 points. She was the only Lobo to get into double-digits. Brooke Allemand came off of the bench to add eight points. She was also great on the defensive side of the ball, with her only steal being a memorable one as she anticipated a pass, jumped in front of it and it led to a lay-up.

Lobos coach Yvonne Sanchez stated “it was an opportunity for us to go and play a great team” in her chance to go up against the sixth-ranked team.

The only down side for the Cardinal was that they once again gave up way too many offensive rebounds, with 20. “We have to do a lot better job of keeping teams off of the glass offensively, but that will give us something to work on between now and when we play Tennessee” said VanDerveer. The Lobos, who are ranked second in the Mountain West in rebound differential, did a great job against the Cardinal as they were out-rebounded by only two. The Cardinal won the rebound battle 43-41, however lost the offensive rebound battle 20-12.

The win for the Cardinal also marks the 750^th win for VanDerveer as Stanford’s head coach.

The Stanford Cardinal have the rest of the week to prepare for what will be their toughest challenge at home yet, in number three ranked Tennessee. New Mexico will take a break for Christmas holiday and will return to the court on December 28^th.

Cardinal Keeps Bulldogs on Leash

Published on December 14, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal returned to the court on Saturday, after a two-week long hiatus for finals. They took on the number 23 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, and defeated them by the score 73-45.

The Bulldogs came into the game with a record of 8-1, with their only loss coming to the 11 ranked Oklahoma Sooners by the final score of 82-78. The Zags were also riding a six-game winning streak coming into Maples Pavilion.

The first couple of minutes were going back and forth with a score of 9-8 in favor of Stanford, until around the 15-minute mark Stanford started to pull away from the Bulldogs. Stanford had gone on a 24-8 run to end the half to make the lead 33-19.

Stanford continued the dominance in the second as well, outscoring their opponent 40-26, to give them the 73-45 win.

Stanford was lead by Senior, Chiney Ogwumike who scored 19 points, just one point shy of recording her seventh 20-point game. However, she was held to only seven rebounds, a season low at home. Amber Orrange had anther strong outing for the Cardinal scoring ten points and three assists. Freshman, Kailee Johnson came off of the bench to score 11 points, a new career high. Johnson also led the Cardinal in rebounding with eight, another career high for her young career.

Sonja Greinacher led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18, all of them coming from the field. Greinacher also had six rebounds, with five of them coming on the offensive side. Elle Tinkle, younger sister of former Stanford player Joslyn, was held scoreless, but still had two rebounds.

With the win, Stanford ups their record to 8-1, seven of them have been consecutive. The Cardinal return to Maples on Monday, where they will host the New Mexico Lobos. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be heard live in the Bay Area on Stanford radio, 90.1 FM KZSU, or online at kzsuive.stanford.edu.

Stanford Has the Perfect Mexican Road Trip

Published on November 28, 2013November 28, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal wrapped up their three game road trip with a victory over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Thursday. The Cardinal were victorious in all three of their games as part of the Hardwood Tournament of Hope, with victories over Purdue, Florida Gulf Coast and South Dakota State. The number six-ranked team moves onto a record of 7-1, and improves their winning streak to 6 games.

Stanford beat the Jackrabbits by the final score of 80-60. Their first half was quite impressive as they held the Jackrabbits to only 19 points. The Cardinal were leading 20-14 with about ten minutes left in the first half when they completely took over the game; Stanford then went on a 20-5 run to end the half.

Stanford came out of half time leading by the score of 40-19. The game was completely in their hands. The second half went back and forth and was really tight, but the 21-point lead going into the half would be more than enough for Stanford to earn the victory.

Chiney Ogwumike led the squad with 29 points in 29 minutes. The pre-season All-American also added 12 rebounds to record her sixth double-double of the year. Guard Amber Orrange also contributed 13 points, four assists and five steals. Freshman Kaliee Johnson came off of the bench and had her second straight game where she found double digits in scoring with ten points. Redshirt Senior, Mikaela Ruef helped out a lot as well, though she only recorded one point, she had 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block.

Ogwumike was also given the tournament MVP, as she averaged 26 points, 11 rebounds and shot nearly 78 percent over the three days.

Megan Waytashek led the Jackrabbits with 13 points, including nine from beyond the arc. Forward Megan Stuart was the only other player to hit double digits in scoring, as she came off of the bench to add 11.

The Cardinal return back to the farm with a record of 7-1 and get a couple of weeks off for finals. They then return back to Maples Pavilion on December 14 to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

VanDerveer Records Win Number 900

Published on November 28, 2013November 29, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal took on the Florida Gulf Eagles on Wednesday afternoon, as part of the Hardwood Tournament for Hope. It was the second game in as many days for Stanford in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and for the second straight day, the Cardinal came away victorious.

Stanford beat the Eagles by the final score of 83-59, with a strong first half showing by the Cardinal outscoring their opponent 45-28. Three different players got into double digits in scoring; including Mikaela Ruef with 14, Freshman Lili Thompson with her career high of 12 and Chiney Ogwumike with 27. Ogwumike and Ruef also got double-double as Ruef picks up her second of the year with 12 rebounds and Ogwumike her fifth of the year with 13 rebounds.

Three players for Florida Gulf Coast also got into double digits in scoring as Kaneisha Atwater led the way with 15, right behind her was Stephanie Haas with 14 and Sara Hansen had 11.

Though the win gives Stanford their sixth of the season and makes it five straight for the Cardinal, there was a much more important number, and that is 900. As in the 900^th career win for hall of fame coach Tara VanDerveer. With achieving the milestone, she just becomes the fifth coach in women’s basketball history to reach the historic number, joining the ranks of Pat Summitt, Sylvia Hatchell, C. Vivian Stringer and Jody Conradt.

VanDerveer has an outstanding record of 748-153 with her tenure at the farm. She was also presented the game ball, with the inscription of “900” on it. Two players are still on the team when the coach hit her 800^th win in 2010, with Ogwumike and Reuf.

VanDerveer looks to make it win number 901 when her Cardinal take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits to finish off their historic week in Mexico on Thursday.

Stanford Makes It Four Straight with win Over Purdue

Published on November 26, 2013November 26, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

Stanford started their week in Mexico with a win against Purdue on Tuesday. The Cardinal took on the Boil Makers as part of the Hardwood Tournament of Hope. This is the first time that Stanford has played a regular season matchup outside of the United States, they have played tournaments in Alaska, Hawaii and even the Virgin Islands, but never outside the United States. Purdue was coming into the contest with a perfect record of 4-0 and the rank of the 16^th best team in the country.

Stanford beat Purdue by the final score of 86-69. With the win, Stanford is now 1-1 against ranked opponents, with the only loss of the season coming to number one ranked Connecticut. The Cardinal had the five-point lead going into the half, and were able to extend the lead to 17 by the end of the game.

Chiney Ogwumike lead the team once again with 22 points. For the second straight game she was unable to record a double-double. This was after she started the season with four straight. The Boil Makers held Ogwumike to eight rebounds.

Guard, KK Houser had a great game for Purdue, she led the Boil Makers with 20 points in the 31 minutes she played. Courtney Moss had 12 points herself and was the only other player for Purdue to get to double-digits in scoring.

The win for Stanford gives head coach, Tara VanDerveer, win number 899 in her career. “I know that everyone keeps reminding me of it (win #900), but I look at it as Florida Gulf Coast is our next opponent and we are going to watch video on them tonight and prepare for them like any other game” said VanDerveer on not looking to far ahead towards win 900.

Stanford will try to get VanDerveer win number 900 on Wednesday, as they continue their play in Puerto Vallarta where they take on Florida Gulf Coast.

Strong Second Half Leads Cardinal to Victory

Published on November 23, 2013November 24, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

The number six-ranked Stanford Cardinal traveled to Austin, Texas where they played the unranked Longhorns on Saturday. Stanford defeated Texas by the final score of 63-54. The Cardinal extend their record to 4-1 with the nine-point victory.

It was a very impressive win for the Cardinal, as they were able to come back from the seven-point deficit they faced going into halftime. Texas was able to get on the board first with Nneka Enemkpali’s bucket and the foul to put the Longhorns up 3-0. Mikaela Ruef then knocked down her first of many on the night. Texas answered when Imani McGee-Stafford hit her only three-pointer of the night. Scoring changes would go back and forth until there was 4:23 to go in the first half, where Texas would hold the lead going into the half. The halftime score was 37-30.

Coming out of the half, Texas would get the two points off of free throws. Stanford would then go on a 22-5 run to take over the game, giving them a 52-44 lead with 7:25 to go in the game. The Cardinal would not loose the lead, as they carried it out for the victory.

It was a strong performance from the redshirt senior, Ruef, who picked up her first double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and picking up ten rebounds. Chiney Ogwumike led the Cardinal in scoring with 18 points, however she was held to only six rebounds. Saturday was Ogwumike’s first game this season without recording a double-double. Amber Orrange had yet another fantastic game scoring 13 points. Though the bench for Stanford had some trouble only notching 8 points total, Sara James was impressive as she led the team in assists with four.

Texas was led by Guard Chassidy Fussell scoring 15 points, with six of them coming from the charity strike, from which she was perfect. McGee-Stafford was right behind Fussell with 12 points of her own on the way to a double-double with the 14 rebounds that she brought down.

Stanford next travels to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they will take on Purdue, Florida Gulf Coast and South Dakota State on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In Mexico, head coach, Tara VanDerveer expects to pick up win number 900, which she is now only two-wins away from the historic feat.

Ogwumike Records Fourth Double-Double of the Season in Win Over UC Davis

Published on November 17, 2013November 17, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal came into Sunday’s contest against the UC Davis Aggies riding a win from Friday night, where they defeated the Cal Poly Mustangs 86-51. The Aggies came into Maples Pavilion with a record of 0-2, with losses to USC and Pacific.

Davis was the first team to get on the board after four missed baskets by the Cardinal to start the game. The 2-0 lead for the Aggies would be the only one they would see all day, as Stanford would get two baskets in a row from Lili Thompson and Mikaela Ruef. The Cardinal would not look back as they extended their lead to 14 going into halftime.

Coming out of the first half Stanford would knock down four baskets before the Aggies would find the hoop again, this time a three-pointer coming from Sydnee Fipps. Stanford would struggle a bit to extend their lead further in the second half, only outscoring the Aggies by four, but it was a strong enough performance to net their third victory of the year.

Chiney Ogwumike lead the way for the Cardinal scoring 28 points, she also recorded 15 rebounds on her way to achieving her fourth double-double on the young season. Freshman Karlie Samuelson led the bench in scoring for Stanford with eight points in 33 minutes played. Stanford out rebounded the Aggies 49-37, but was still in double digits in turnovers with 11.

Fipps was the only Aggie to get into double figures for UC Davis as she recorded 14, Kelsey Harris had nine and Briana Salvatore had eight.

With the win, head coach Tara VanDerveer, records her 897^th win in her prestigious career and Stanford also moves onto a record of 3-1. The Aggies fall to 0-3, and are still looking for their first win of the season. UC Davis hosts San Jose State on November 26.

Stanford has almost a week off until they tip-off once again. They travel to Austin, Texas to take on the Longhorns next Saturday.

Stanford Ladies Return Home and to Their Winning Ways

Published on November 15, 2013November 18, 2013 by joelamiLeave a comment

By: Joe Lami

The number three Stanford Cardinal returned to Maples Pavilion for the first time this season on Friday night, where they beat the Cal Poly Mustangs by the final score of 86-51. It was the first time that the Cardinal have played on their home floor since March 26^th, where they hosted Michigan in a second round NCAA tournament matchup.

The Cardinal are coming off a two game east coast road trip which started the season with a record of 1-1. After a win against Boston College, the Cardinal went to take on number one Connecticut, a game where they would fall 76-57.

Friday night’s game was back and forth between Stanford and Cal Poly for the first ten minutes, seeing six different lead changes. It was a close game up until Stanford broke free and went on a 27-10 run to end the half. The halftime score was 41-27. Stanford continued to dominate the second half of play as well, outscoring Cal Poly 45-24.

Stanford was led by Chiney Ogwumike, who scored 36, a new career high. She also brought down 11 rebounds in Friday nights’ win. For Ogumike, its’ her third double-double in as many games and also the 61^st in her career on the farm. Ogwumike was also the only Stanford player to get into double figures, as the next closest player was Mikaela Ruef with nine. Though Stanford only had one player in double digits, it was a complete team game for the Cardinal as ten different players got onto the scoring sheet. All of Stanford’s starters got on the scoring sheet as well, as Ruef scored nine, Ogwumike had 36, Kailee Johnson scored seven and Lili Thompson and Amber Orrange each had six.

Stanford continues to struggle with turnovers however, where Cal Poly forced another 15, totaling 46 in only three games. Luckily for the Cardinal, they were able to dominate the boards once again, outrebounding the Mustangs 47-37.The Cardinal up their record to 2-1 in the win, and they will cap off their short two game home stand on Sunday against the UC Davis Aggies with a scheduled tip for 2 p.m. before they go back on the road to take on Texas.