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WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - Printable Version

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WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - 81alum - 02-23-2014

Overview:
UC.LA put up a superb fight in the first half on their senior day, but we wore them down and ground out a win that featured mainly Chiney and Amber on offense.  We scored repeatedly on turnovers by stepping into the UC.LA passing lanes.

First half
Apparently, UC.LA honored the Stanford seniors before the game as well as their own, giving flowers to Chiney, Sara, and Mikaela.  They should have given Chiney a few dozen roses to thank her for graduating!  In any case, a classy move.

Tara started Chiney, Amber, Erica McCall, Bri Roberson, and Bonnie Samuelson. Quite a shake up.  The TV game coverage was delayed due to overtime in the Colorado/Arizona game, and KZSU was late broadcasting too.  By the time coverage started, Stanford was ahead 5-4, with Bri Roberson scoring all 5 points.  Then subs come in, and Lili and Ruef entered the game.  Good to see Lili playing after her foot was in a boot on Friday.

Cori Close always seems to know how to defend Chiney, and this game was no exception.  In the first half Chiney was just 3/8, with one of those on a coast to coast steal and layup.  She missed a couple of close layups and mishandled a pass or two.  Our three point shooting started out slow while UCLA was 4/4 for the half, with Nirra Fields 3/3.  Amber was guarding her and gradually figured out how to work around the screens that were getting her open.

We were kept in the game by points off of turnovers.  The TV announcers said 20 of our 29 points came off of turnovers--meaning that our half court offense was simply not working.  Amber had two steals for coast-to-coast baskets and Chiney one.

Second half
The second half was well within reach for UC.LA, which stayed in the game largely on Nirra Field's 5/6 three point shooting.  Half way through the second half, though, we went on a 7 point run with an Amber jumper, two Bonnie free throws, and a Chiney layup +1.  At that point we had a 10 point lead, and while UC.LA scratched and clawed and did not give up, that was approximately how it stayed until the end.

Performances
Chiney wound up with 26 points and 15 rebounds, but was just 9/19 shooting--not her normal efficiency.  But she had 4 steals and 5 blocks!  This was a very impressive defensive effort on her part.

Amber had 13 on 6/9 shooting, with a couple of nice steals for layups and a variety of two point jumpers.  She uncharacteristically had just 3 assists to 4 turnovers, however.

Ruef scooped up 11 rebounds and scored 7 points, with 3 assists.  Bonnie scored 7 and got the start and a lot of minutes, but UC.LA certainly guarded her from the three point line.  Bri did not score again after her excellent start, but did get some more defensive minutes.  Alex Green got some time in the game in the second half as we used fresh guards to wear UC.LA down.

Overview:
After we graduate Chiney and Ruef, and if UC.LA gets healthy next year, they will become a formidable challenge.  Close coaches well and we simply outlast her teams, largely due to their lack of depth.  Our defense did play well today, holding them to 32%and forcing 18 turnovers.  But our offense reverted to last season's offense--Chiney and Amber--with insufficient support from three point range and from other players.  I am beginning to think that our offense peaked earlier in the Pac 12 season and we are not playing at the same level of efficiency.  This is not the place we want to be going into the tournaments, but we still have a little time to get in sync.


Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - chimera - 02-23-2014

(02-23-2014, 05:15 PM)81alum link Wrote:Our defense did play well today, holding them to 32%and forcing 18 turnovers.  But our offense reverted to last season's offense--Chiney and Amber--with insufficient support from three point range and from other players.  I am beginning to think that our offense peaked earlier in the Pac 12 season and we are not playing at the same level of efficiency.  This is not the place we want to be going into the tournaments, but we still have a little time to get in sync.

That is my worry too.  Defense was better.  Fields was reasonably well guarded on most of her threes and nobody else did much.  Our offense looks very sluggish with lots of passing around the perimeter.  It moves too slowly.  Karlie and Lili have had ankle injuries, which may be why neither is scoring as well as a few weeks ago.  Chiney looks tired to me.  Too often she doesn't get the lift she usually gets.  She got it together later in the game but in the first half she missed shots she ought to make (as has happened in previous games where we look sluggish).  If Chiney finishes as usual, the first half lead is much bigger.  Very late in the year for the offense to look so blah.

Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - crackpot - 02-23-2014

Is it my imagination or is Chiney making the ones when she's guarded by 2-3 defenders, whereas less likely to make 'em when guarded by one?

She's getting beat up out there, and very few calls. It has to be taking a toll.

Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - 81alum - 02-23-2014

Here is the stat of the game, now that the official boxcore is out:

Points off turnovers:  Stanford 33

Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - BobK - 02-23-2014

I saw the whole game on the Pac 12 channel. Not sure how I did and others didn't.

Chiney sure does look tried.  And sure was beat up in this game.  Pushing and shoving was legal today.  If a men's game ucla would have had 40 fouls. 

Bottom line we are the PAC 12 Champs for the 14th straight years.  Incredible. 



Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - CompSci87 - 02-23-2014

Bob, you (and I too, happily) were watching the Pac-12 Bay Area channel. That and Pac12LA went to the Stanford/UCLA game at tipoff. The other feeds stayed with overtime of Arizona vs. Colorado.

Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - chimera - 02-24-2014

I believe Mikaela was late to shoot-around or something like that so she did not start.  I heard some odd noises from the crowd on TV that must have been loud in the arena.  I thought noise makers were not allowed.  I remember that people were not allowed to bring bells to ring for Joslyn Tinkle a few years ago.  You can blow but you can't tinkle?

Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - CompSci87 - 02-24-2014

As a pure guess, I think Bonnie may have earned a start by outplaying Taylor in recent games.

Also as a pure guess, I think Bri may have started because Lili's and Karlie's ankle were still bothering them. They both did play, but it seemed like their minutes were limited. Bri had some good moments but also made 2 or 3 freshman-like mistakes that I noticed.

Re: WBB: Stanford 65 UC.LA 56 - BobK - 02-25-2014

Great pure guesses.  I agree.  :)