For their final game of the non-conference schedule, Stanford defeated #21 Creighton 72 - 59. It was a game where the final score makes the game look closer than it was. After Creighton scored to make the game 3 - 3 in the opening minute, the Cardinal led the rest of the way. With 2:41 left in the first quarter, Haley Jones hit a 3 pointer on a pass from Cameron Brink to put the Cardinal up 20-10. After that, Creighton never trailed by less than double digits, going down by as much as 22 points late in the 3rd quarter. By the second quarter it is hard to believe that anybody not sitting on the Creighton bench (and probably not even the folks on that bench) thought the Blue Jays were going to win.
While the outcome never really felt in doubt, Creighton kept the game from being a total blowout and outscored Stanford in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Part of that was because the Blue Jays never gave up and their frenetic unscripted style of play allowed them to get some open looks, especially late in the shot clock. Part of it was that, with the probable outcome clear, Tara used a variety of players often in unusual combinations. Thirteen players got minutes, even though the starters got most of the minutes and scored most of the points. Four of the five starters scored in double digits -- led by Talana Lepolo's 17 points. Lepolo responded to a Creighton defensive plan that dared her to shoot by sagging off her to double team other players by knocking down 5 triples! On a night when Stanford shot 26.9% from three and Hannah Jump came up empty, Lepolo hit over 45% from three.
It is encouraging to note that although Stanford had a total of 16 turnovers, the two primary ball handlers, Jones and Leoplo only had one. In fact, the starters had fifteen assists and six turnovers, a respectable ratio. As the season goes on and the younger players get more experience, those turnovers will almost certainly come down.
Conference Play Starts Friday
For Stanford the toughest part of the schedule is coming up with Conference play. Five Pac-12 schools are ranked in the top 20, including undefeated Utah and UCLA whose only loss was a close game with South Carolina. Utah, with the addition of Alissa Pili, is going to be a tough team to beat. Alissa gave the Card fits before she got injured when she played for USC, and she is having a great season. In fact, it will be hard to find a Pac-12 game that could be taken for granted. Getting through the Pac-12 undefeated would be remarkable.
The good news is that although considerable East Coast bias still exists, at least Pac-12 teams have gained respect. That matters because respect determines seeding in the NCAA tournament and success in the tournament -- which depends to a considerable extent on seeding -- is based on respect for the quality of the teams played. There is a degree of circularity to the calculus. For years, when good teams in the Pac-12 suffered from that East Coast bias, any Pac-12 losses cost Stanford dearly in the seeding equation.
What we've learned so far
The first thing that stands out about this season is that the current iteration of the Cardinal is just plain fun to watch. Led by All-American Haley Jones' infectious joy and All-American Cameron Brink's fierce intensity, this team is both exciting and delightful. In addition to her individual talent, Haley is a leader who makes everybody better and Cam is just plain awesome. We 've also learned that Talana Lepolo is a point guard. At the beginning of the season the biggest question mark for Stanford was who was going to handle the ball. Lepolo has demonstrated that she is ready to be the answer. She has great court vision, good handles, and can knock down her shots when asked -- or dared -- to do so. We' also learned that this is still a young team. Only six of the team's sixteen players are juniors or seniors. Other than Jones and Brink, only Hannah Jump had averaged more than 20 minutes per game in any prior season. That means, the best is still to come!!! Let's enjoy the journey!
Questions
1. What is and isn't a flagrant foul?
At the beginning of the season, it appeared that anytime a player got hit above the neck, officials reviewed the tape to see if they should call the contact excessive and award a technical foul. On at least one play, Lauren Betts got charged with a technical when it looked to fans (and the TV announcers) that her only fault was "playing basketball while very tall." Recently we have seen Cameron Brink get hit in the head so often and so hard that I keep expecting to hear she is in concussion protocol! Yet the officials have never reviewed the tape on those hits, much less called the other team for a technical. It's as if the new rule is that it's okay to hit another player in the head as long as they are taller than you...?
2. Can there be a moving screen if a player never stops moving?
Before the game, Coach Paye said the Creighton offense was run around like crazy until somebody gets an open shot. Watching Creighton, it often seemed as if their players got free because Stanford players got picked-off of the player they were guarding as that player passed close to a moving teammate. Given the general chaos of the Creighton offense, it is hard to argue that those were actually moving screens -- but it is interesting....
3. Who will get the next solo?
Stanford's team is sometimes compared to a symphony where each individual is part of making beautiful music and the featured soloist changes. This season, Haley is the concert master and Cam is a "featured artist" every game -- but the identity of the other star soloist changes. Against Creighton it was Talana's five three-pointers (and 17 points), but for another game it was Brooke's three-point barrage, and before that Ashton's. Often it is Hannah's fabulous shooting. So -- who is going to "go off" on Cal and will the star turn be on offense or defense?
Great article, thanks! You have a couple of unfinished sentences: the one about East Coast Bias, and one that starts "Before the game, coach Pa".
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