An Overtime Classic

            The #1 team in the country took on the #2 team in the county on network television and the outcome was all that anybody -- except Stanford fans -- could want. As a showcase for women's basketball and the exciting, competitive viewing opportunity it provides, this game had everything.  The atmosphere was electric, and the packed crowd cheered loudly in support of their team.

            It was a battle.  Stanford won the first and third quarters, South Carolina won the second, fourth, and overtime.  Stanford was ahead at halftime 35 to 31.  The game was tied at the end of regulation on Aliyah Boston's shot in the last seconds.  South Carolina came back from a 4-point deficit early in OT, eventually turning a 2-point lead with 6 seconds to go into a 5 point, 76 - 71 victory. 

            This game was a classic. Nobody was turning this game off or channel surfing out of boredom -- ABC must have been thrilled. Even Stanford fans have a great deal to feel good about - albeit not as good as we would have felt if we had scored 6 more points or South Carolina had scored 6 less.

 

            The Good

 

            High on the list of things to feel good about: We have a POINT GUARD!  Talano Lepolo's six-assist with three-turnover, three of six shooting (including 1 of 1 from 3-point range), six rebounds, and one steal performance was not her best statistical game.  But for a freshman point guard against the #1 team in the country on national tv -- it was beyond impressive.  It is hard to remember that this was only Lepolo's SIXTH collegiate game. 

            We can also celebrate the continued development and display of Cameron Brink's awesome talent.  She was the best player in the game.Her 25 points led all scorers.  Cam's four blocks were second only to Ashten Prechtal's game high five. 

            Prechtal's performance was impressive.  Ash has a strong body and can really "bang with the big girls" down in the paint.  She can also hit the 3.  We expect to see more of her.

            The brief view of Lauren Betts was also encouraging.  Her development as a college player appears to be following Tara's standard method of bringing along young players -- remember Haley didn't start until well into her freshman year (and then quickly went out with an ACL). But we can expect that if we meet South Carolina again in March or April, Lauren will play more than four minutes.  

            Stanford's blowout wins against relatively weak teams had some fans wondering if this team was "for real" or would they fold against "real" competition.  Going toe-to-toe with the number one team in the country all the way through the last seconds of overtime is not folding.  This team can obviously play with anybody, and the good news is that many of the critical pieces are still young and learning.  

            

            The Not-So-Good

 

            The CARD out rebounded South Carolina, 47-41.  That doesn't happen often.  The Cardinal also shot a higher percentage from the floor, from the 3-pt line, and even from the free throw line.  They also had almost twice as many assists (15-9) and more blocks (10-7). Unfortunately, Stanford also had TWICE as many turnovers (22-11) - that contributed to South Carolina taking seven more shots than the Cardinal.  If Stanford wants another National Championship, they need to value the ball more.

            Stanford shot 40.9% from the floor for the game, but only 8% in the 4th Quarter.  Some of that reflects the stepped-up intensity of South Carolina's defense.  That step up is evidenced by the fact that almost half of Stanford's free throw attempts (7 out of 15) were in the 4th quarter. But some of the drop-off was due to Stanford's failure to execute.  There were mistakes - sloppy passes, five-second calls, questionable shot selection.... The question is, why?  The Stanford team is good enough to beat anybody.  How much of the problem was fatigue?  Three of our perimeter players, Haley, Hannah, and Talana, played OVER 40 minutes.  How much was the pressure to win?  Especially for a young team, the fear of losing can get in the way of winning.  All-American Haley Jones clearly wanted to carry her team to a win, maybe too badly. Several times Haley appeared to force shots when passing might have been a better decision -- or taking a pull-up or step-back jumper.  She has those shots in her arsenal, so why not use them? 

                        

            Questions for the Week

 

1.  How will the CARD respond to losing?

            This was a tough loss.  It's true that this is only November but losing a close game after leading for most of it can get into a player's or a team's head.  Will the CARD be able to learn the lessons from this game without staying stuck in it?  Hopefully a trip to Hawaii will help.

 

2. Can we get Brittney Griner home?

       In addition to the regular moment of silence in honor of Brittney, Tara, Dawn Staley, and several members of the ABC/ESPN broadcast crew were wearing sweatshirts honoring Brittney.  The goal is to keep her in the public eye to build pressure for officials to bring her home, a worthy goal.