Pac-12 Play Begins

            

            Stanford tipped-off its Pac-12 season with an easy 90-69 win over Cal. The Bear's only lead came in the opening minute when a 3-pointer from McIntosh put them up 3-2.  Stanford quickly reclaimed the lead on a 3-pointer from Cameron Brink and never looked back.  By game's end, all 15 of Stanford's players had seen action for at least two minutes and 12 players spent at least nine minutes on the court.  Tara was active on the sidelines, instructing her young players and encouraging their play. 

            Haley Jones led all scorers with 21 points in only 27 minutes.  Her stat line - 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals - reflects Haley's amazing "Swiss Army knife" skill set. But the stat line doesn't include the important leadership role Haley plays.  Her enthusiasm and evident joy on the floor are Steph Curry-like and infectious.  Haley makes the game fun for everybody -- her teammates and the fans!  

            Hannah Jump had the other starring role -- five threes and 17 points.  Cameron Brink scored 11 points in 17 minutes but also managed to pick up three fouls.  Her stat line would undoubtedly been more extensive (she also had five rebounds, two blocks, and two assists) if Stanford had needed her on the floor. The same is true of Kiki Iriafen, who scored 9 points with seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal in her 15 minutes on the floor.  Lauren Betts again averaged almost a point a minute, scoring nine in her ten minutes on the floor. 

            The defense was good, especially in the opening twenty minutes.  Cal's Jada Curry was held to two points in the first half. She did manage 20 points for the game, but most of them were scored against reserves with the game's outcome already settled.  

            The lighthearted-feel good atmosphere carried over into the behind the bench Q&A.  Fans were provided a holiday treat that included an appearance by juniors Cameron Brink and Agnes Emma-Nnopu. Coach VanDerveer shared her delight at having her mother Rita at the game, a rarity due to COVID.  Coach Paye noted that players were scrambling to catch flights to join family for the teams' four-day holiday break.  

 

The Second Part of the Season

 

            For a successful team like Stanford, the season can be divided into three parts.  First comes the non-conference season, then the Pac-12 season, and finally the post-season.  The non-conference season usually has two goals -- to get the team ready to compete in their conference and to establish the team's credentials for post-season seeding.  That first part concluded with the team's victory over Creighton, its twelfth.  Unfortunately, that game was only one of three against ranked teams on Stanford's non-conference dance card.  That changes with the beginning of Pac-12 play.  Four Pac-12 teams are ranked in the top 20 and there isn't a "gimmie" game anywhere.  

            One confusing thing about the Pac-12 season this year is number of familiar players on a different team.  We saw the first round of that against Cal when Peanut Tuitele, previously with Colorado, showed up on the Cal team.  In her post-game comments, Tara pointed out that Stanford is the only Pac-12 school whose roster does not include a transfer from another Pac-12 school!  That should make for an interesting season!  Given the quality of Pac-12 teams, the next 17 games will be exciting -- so get ready to enjoy the journey.