BLOCK PARTY

BRINK Leads the  Block Party - JONES Cleans the Glass 

           It was a “block party” at Maples as the Card took on the always intense Colorado Buffalos.   (https://twitter.com/StanfordWBB/status/1617393670969495555?s=20&t=VHVrnUPcCysVqEst-3jk5g) Cameron Brink had six blocks - no surprise - but she was joined by six of her teammates in recording a team high 14 blocks.  Haley Jones was captain of the cleaning crew as she grabbed 18 rebounds (along with 11 points, three assists, two steals, and a block).  As with the blocks, Jones was joined by eight teammates in corralling missed shots.  Hannah Jump led all scorers with 21 points including 5 three-pointers, only three points short of her career high. She was joined in the scoring column by eight teammates. Eleven players had meaningful minutes and all of them made positive contributions on the stat line, along with the important little things that don’t show in the stats.  In other words, this contest was a team win led by stars.    

        Colorado came into Maples tied for first place in the PAC-12.  They left in 4th place after being soundly defeated 62-49 by a hard working Stanford team. This win was particularly impressive as Stanford was without freshman spark plug point guard, Talana Leopolo, out with the ankle injury she sustained on Friday night.  Point guard duties were shared by freshman Indya Nivar, red-shirt freshman Jzaniya Harriel,  and Haley Jones - with Haley continuing to demonstrate her incredible versatility. 

        Stanford’s defense was impressive!  The CARD held Colorado under 50 points for the game, virtually all from their starters.  The total team character of this win was special. Colorado’s bench played 55 minutes and scored one point! Stanford’s bench played 49 minutes and added 11 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals. GREAT JOB!

Questions    

1. Can the CARD hold on to this new, energized play?

Since the disappointing game against USC, Stanford has shuffled their offense, increased their focus, and showed great energy.  This improved play portends well for the rest of the PAC-12 season and the NCAA tournament.

2. Can the CARD cut down the turnovers?

At this point, the biggest visible weakness for the CARD is turnovers.  They continue to have double-digit turnovers, against Colorado there were 15.  Taking care of the ball is always important - especially against the elite level of play in the PAC-12.  

3. How terrific are those warmup shirts?

For the second game in a row, the Stanford team wore black warmup shirts with “HUMAN > ATHLETE” across the chest and the number 3 on the sleeve.  Haley Jones explained that these shirts were a player initiated action.  Players wanted to remind us that athletes are more than athletes, their humanity is first — and that life is fragile.  We applaud this message!  Thank you CARD!