Preview:
Washington State has a relatively new coach in her second year, and by all accounts she is one of the best in the game: Kamie Ethridge. You can read Malcolm's preview over at the FBC that summarizes her credentials well:
https://fbc-previews.blogspot.com/
WSU comes in 7-6, but that mediocre record should not conceal the fact that they have lost to 5 ranked teams. Only the loss to Washington on Sunday was a "bad" loss. Massey has them ranked a somewhat respectable 79. Their new coach inherited two fabulous players in Bobbye Buckets (Hristova) and Chanelle Molina. Hristova (from Bulgaria) leads with 19 points a game. She is an undersized (6') forward who has great slashing moves, good accuracy, and a strong all around game. In the past, Tara's scouting report defense has controlled her or even shut her down. Molina is shooting a lot of threes at a 40% clip. There is also a 6'4" center from Serbia averaging 10 ppg, and most of the players who did not leave the team during the transition are foreign students. Washington State has not beaten Stanford WBB in its entire history, but one day the wrong combination of factors will come together to change that. I'm hoping that this is not the year it will happen.
Overview:
Stanford led for the entire game, by double digits after the first quarter. Despite the convincing victory, the two WSU players that we knew were the highest offensive threats had spectacular offensive days--Hristova with 21 and Molina with 27. When we face teams like Oregon that have 5 equivalent players, we had better play better defense.
Flow of the Game:
Not much flow to discuss. The lead lengthened into the high teens and pretty much stayed there in the second half. But it is worth noting that the offense in the beginning of the game played at a much higher pace than we saw against Davis, with more and speedier motion. Whenever it flagged Tara sent in substitutes. It seemed to me that the goal was to pick up the pace of our offense, and it succeeded.
Kiana Williams held Molina in check for a while--just 8 points in the first half--but a combination of people could not sustain the effort in the second half as Molina went off for 19. Hristova was defended by a variety of people too, including Jones, and while she was good early in the game, she didn't make a point in the fourth quarter.
Performances:
Nadia Fingall get the game ball, and she did get the loudest ovation as she left the game, with a team leading 20 points. . As much as the game "broke open" I would say it happened when she shot three treys in relatively short order. She also executed well in the paint and was effective defensively.
Kiana Williams deserves praise. At the beginning of the game it was depressing seeing her slump continue--she missed the only shots she took and then got timid about taking more.. But then she got a basket on a breakaway and she began to cut to the basket for some layups and free throws. She still missed her jump shots, but she finished 5/8 for a very respectable 12 points. Hopefully this will help her "get her mojo back" in Tara's words.
Jones did what Jones does--10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists. A glue player if there ever was one. Unfortunately she continues to be a turnover machine with a team leading 4, again.
Jerome had a good second half. During the first half she missed on some under-the-basket layups and I cringed. All 10 of her points came in the 4th quarter or the very end of the 3rd, after she started making her treys and seemed to get more confidence in her shot.
Anna Wilson had one of her better games, earning 18 minutes. She relieved Williams in defense on Molina, and she also made a trey, a couple of back door layups, and an assist in her limited minutes. She looked strong out there--moving with confidence, decisive.
Starter Belibi and Lexie had quieter games, as did Prectel, Moshkau, and Jump--but all scored and defended. Lacie we were told was available in a pinch, but they are giving her ankle more time to recover from an earlier sprain.
Conclusion:
Without Carrington and Dodson (who has not even been at the games in street clothes) our offense takes a step back. Usually, when Tara knows in advance which 1 or 2 players need to be contained, they get contained--but not so tonight. We gave up 42% shooting to WSU--one of the highest percentages given up this year. Fortunately, we shot the three ball better than we have in recent games and with even a modicum of a long range threat our offense works. We have a ways to go before we are ready to stop a team that has a couple of Molinas and a few Hristovas.
Washington State has a relatively new coach in her second year, and by all accounts she is one of the best in the game: Kamie Ethridge. You can read Malcolm's preview over at the FBC that summarizes her credentials well:
https://fbc-previews.blogspot.com/
WSU comes in 7-6, but that mediocre record should not conceal the fact that they have lost to 5 ranked teams. Only the loss to Washington on Sunday was a "bad" loss. Massey has them ranked a somewhat respectable 79. Their new coach inherited two fabulous players in Bobbye Buckets (Hristova) and Chanelle Molina. Hristova (from Bulgaria) leads with 19 points a game. She is an undersized (6') forward who has great slashing moves, good accuracy, and a strong all around game. In the past, Tara's scouting report defense has controlled her or even shut her down. Molina is shooting a lot of threes at a 40% clip. There is also a 6'4" center from Serbia averaging 10 ppg, and most of the players who did not leave the team during the transition are foreign students. Washington State has not beaten Stanford WBB in its entire history, but one day the wrong combination of factors will come together to change that. I'm hoping that this is not the year it will happen.
Overview:
Stanford led for the entire game, by double digits after the first quarter. Despite the convincing victory, the two WSU players that we knew were the highest offensive threats had spectacular offensive days--Hristova with 21 and Molina with 27. When we face teams like Oregon that have 5 equivalent players, we had better play better defense.
Flow of the Game:
Not much flow to discuss. The lead lengthened into the high teens and pretty much stayed there in the second half. But it is worth noting that the offense in the beginning of the game played at a much higher pace than we saw against Davis, with more and speedier motion. Whenever it flagged Tara sent in substitutes. It seemed to me that the goal was to pick up the pace of our offense, and it succeeded.
Kiana Williams held Molina in check for a while--just 8 points in the first half--but a combination of people could not sustain the effort in the second half as Molina went off for 19. Hristova was defended by a variety of people too, including Jones, and while she was good early in the game, she didn't make a point in the fourth quarter.
Performances:
Nadia Fingall get the game ball, and she did get the loudest ovation as she left the game, with a team leading 20 points. . As much as the game "broke open" I would say it happened when she shot three treys in relatively short order. She also executed well in the paint and was effective defensively.
Kiana Williams deserves praise. At the beginning of the game it was depressing seeing her slump continue--she missed the only shots she took and then got timid about taking more.. But then she got a basket on a breakaway and she began to cut to the basket for some layups and free throws. She still missed her jump shots, but she finished 5/8 for a very respectable 12 points. Hopefully this will help her "get her mojo back" in Tara's words.
Jones did what Jones does--10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists. A glue player if there ever was one. Unfortunately she continues to be a turnover machine with a team leading 4, again.
Jerome had a good second half. During the first half she missed on some under-the-basket layups and I cringed. All 10 of her points came in the 4th quarter or the very end of the 3rd, after she started making her treys and seemed to get more confidence in her shot.
Anna Wilson had one of her better games, earning 18 minutes. She relieved Williams in defense on Molina, and she also made a trey, a couple of back door layups, and an assist in her limited minutes. She looked strong out there--moving with confidence, decisive.
Starter Belibi and Lexie had quieter games, as did Prectel, Moshkau, and Jump--but all scored and defended. Lacie we were told was available in a pinch, but they are giving her ankle more time to recover from an earlier sprain.
Conclusion:
Without Carrington and Dodson (who has not even been at the games in street clothes) our offense takes a step back. Usually, when Tara knows in advance which 1 or 2 players need to be contained, they get contained--but not so tonight. We gave up 42% shooting to WSU--one of the highest percentages given up this year. Fortunately, we shot the three ball better than we have in recent games and with even a modicum of a long range threat our offense works. We have a ways to go before we are ready to stop a team that has a couple of Molinas and a few Hristovas.