Basketball is a TEAM Sport

 Basketball is a Team Sport and this is a FUN Team

        Stanford returned to the floor for their first game following the blowout win over then ranked  #7 Indiana.  They played a well coached Cal Poly San Luis Obispo team that is undersized but plays hard and is very physical, or as physical as a team with no player over 6’3” can be.  This game with could easily been a game where the CARD came out flat or unfocused — but this Cardinal team wasn’t flat or unfocused.  They were ready and intense.

        Cal Poly matched Stanford’s intensity for the first three plus minutes, pulling into an 8 - 8 tie at the 6:31 mark in the first quarter.  Cal Poly’s next score, a two point basket, came ten minutes later at the 6:28 mark in the SECOND quarter!  By that point, Stanford’s offense had flexed it prowess complementing the Cardinal’s defensive intensity.  The score was 29 to 10, and it never got closer than that.   Cal Poly did not match those first minutes’ eight points in either the second or third quarter. Stanford once again dominated on both ends of the floor. The Cardinal scored a season LOW 86 points (they had 87 against Hawaii) on 52.8% shooting while holding Cal Poly to 32 points on 22.7% shooting. The CARD also shot 44% from three while holding Cal Poly to 11.8%.  

        While Stanford’s offense was very good, it was the defense that particularly impressed.  None of Stanford’s eight players not named Brink, Jump, Iriafen, or Lepolo have extensive game experience. Yet the team consistently played tight defense, switching often and effectively on screens as players kept up defensive pressure on the ball. Again and again Cal Poly players attempted to drive into the post only to pass out as they faced the prospect of trying to score over Brink and Iriafen.  And, the CARD didn’t foul — or at least didn’t foul much.  Cal Poly NEVER got to the free throw line, while the Cardinal hit 19 of 23 their charity shots (a season low 82.6%).  There were, of course, some defensive errors and some offensive lapses— good thing because it’s too early in the season to be doing everything perfectly.  

Showing the Team’s Depth

        One important key to Stanford’s blistering offensive pace is that Tara substitutes early and often.  In this game every player in the “normal” ten deep rotation scored.  All 12 players had meaningful minutes, including Lauren Green’s team low four minutes during which she notched two rebounds and an assist.  None of the starters played for 20 minutes. By midway through the third quarter the starters were done for the night.

        Cal Poly’s game plan was clearly to make sure that Brink, Iriafen, and Jump didn’t beat them - a reasonable strategy against the CARD.  The Mustangs packed the paint aggressively, really beating up on the Stanford posts and played tight defense on Hannah Jump.  In past years stopping the Cardinal’s top players had a reasonable chance of beating Stanford. But, this year’s team, playing with unselfish enthusiasm, simply takes what the defense gives them. They truly embody the phrase, basketball is a team sport. 

        Elena Bosgana led the scoring with 15 points while also collecting seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal with zero turnovers.  The nice stat line earned her a seat in the post game press conference.  Stanford’s three point shooting continued to sizzle with 11 made threes by five different players. Jzaniya Harriel led the three point shooting with a career high four made threes as part of her career high 14 points. She was the team’s second leading scorer for the night, with one more point than Kiki Iriafen’s 13. Jzaniya also grabbed four rebounds, had two assists, three steals and a block. She appears to have fully recovered from the effects of her freshman year accident which interrupted her development. Courtney Ogden had three of Stanford’s 11 three pointers as part of her 10 points.  While Nunu Agara continued her solid play, notching nine points on four shots from the floor, and hitting both her free throws.  Agara has already been called out by national media as one of the top five freshman players coming off the bench. 

Elena refuels

Duke and National TV up Next!

        Stanford’s next game will be nationally televised on ABC Sunday at noon! Not only will that give East Coast sports writers a chance to see the CARD without staying up late, it means the game broadcast probably won’t be moved to accommodate a pickle ball match as happened with our game against Indiana.  Duke’s coach, Kira Lawson is in her third full year as the Blue Devils’ coach.  This is a matchup we will see again as Duke is part of the ACC, Stanford’s new conference starting next year.

        Before the Cal Poly game, Associate Head Coach Kate Paye suggested that Cal Poly plays a similar style to the Duke team.  If so, this game an excellent tune-up for Sunday’s matchup.  Duke will be coming in with a chip on their shoulder after losing a close game to Davidson.  The Cardinal will need to be ready!

Autograph Time!

        Following the game the three freshman players came out for the first of what was announced as five autograph sessions.  Stanford provided a nice team photo array that players signed. Unfortunately, because the team’s website hasn’t started displaying the promotions for this year’s Stanford team, we don’t know when those remaining sessions will be held, but it is a nice treat for fans. 

Agara, Ogden, and Clardy get their first experience doing autographs

     Questions

1.  Can Stanford keep up its high scoring offense?

Three games into the season Stanford is averaging almost 90 points per game and shooting over 50% from the floor. This team is consistently running up the floor following rebounds and the opponents made baskets.  If a point guard starts to walk the ball up the floor calls from the coaches to “RUN” ring out from the bench.   While we expect the CARD to continue running, it remains to be seen whether they can continue hitting over 50% from the floor and 87.9% from the free throw line.

2.  Will the CARD hit the century mark in a game?

So far Stanford’s production has seriously slowed in the fourth quarter with inexperienced players getting most if not all of the minutes.  In the Cardinal’s first two games, that lineup change resulted in the opposing team out scoring the CARD in the fourth.  Against Cal Poly, the reserves won the quarter, but only barely.  At what point will they have gained enough experience to maintain the Cardinal’s scoring pace and allow the team to hit the century mark?