[81alum]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

[81alum]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

[WBB fan]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

Agree!

[WBB fan]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

Agree!

[BosCard]

Clardy is going to get a lot of playing time.  Really good defender, good handle, pushes the ball in transition, aggressive driving to the basket and finishing with contact.

[BosCard]

Clardy is going to get a lot of playing time.  Really good defender, good handle, pushes the ball in transition, aggressive driving to the basket and finishing with contact.

[mbdude]

Dominican winning 4th qtr!

[mbdude]

Dominican winning 4th qtr!

[WBB fan]

Also going to see a lot of Agara, I suspect. And not a lot of Brooke if she plays like this in coming games

[WBB fan]

Also going to see a lot of Agara, I suspect. And not a lot of Brooke if she plays like this in coming games

[mbdude]

Lack of defense Not going to make Tara happy; and we don't score in last 5 minutes

[mbdude]

Lack of defense Not going to make Tara happy; and we don't score in last 5 minutes

[TonyLima]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

Stats say you’re right. 

[TonyLima]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

Stats say you’re right. 

[qwerty49]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

Stats say you’re right. 

Ouch Demetre 2 for 10.  Maybe some missed putbacks? But 12 boards overall is good.

[qwerty49]

We are learning a lot more about our offense than our defense, and of course the rebounding stats mean little.  But Iriafen looks awesome, Clardy and Agara seem to be aggressive, Harriel is a pleasant surprise, and we may have at least a little cause for more optimism.

Stats say you’re right. 

Ouch Demetre 2 for 10.  Maybe some missed putbacks? But 12 boards overall is good.

[81alum]

Well, the wheels sort of fell off in the last 6 minutes.  5 turnovers, 0 points in 5 minutes, Dominican on an 11-0 and a 14-2 run.  That fourth quarter was the worst fourth quarter of any 126 point victory I have ever seen ;P

One thing I noticed that may be troubling:  Dominican had speedy guards who consistently were faster bringing the ball up the court than their defenders.  Lepolo, Clardy, Harriel, each got beaten by speed.  It didn't usually matter because they had the rest of the defense behind them and because Dominican often missed shots.  But it is something to keep an eye on as we face other teams with better, speedy guards.  Hawaii last year had them.....

Now with the negatives out of the way, there is so much that is positive about what we saw.  Let's start with the starters.

Brink and Jump were exactly what we expected.  Only Jump was better.  Jump was hitting shots while moving, but her defense seemed quicker--she was deflecting balls.  I'd like to see that happening against a quality opponent, but there was nothing not to like. 

Lepolo seemed somewhat more aggressive, with 3 shots in 13 minutes--one from each level.  Iriafen with 19 points and 14 rebounds--yes she had her way down low against an inferior opponent, but she was moving her body and finishing in ways I have not seen before.  And Bosgana with 7/13, including on treys, breakaways, steals, etc.  A lot to like there.

Now the other returners.

Demetre did not have her shot going that well tonight, but she had 12 rebounds.  Of course they were mostly easy against this team, but I think we see what her role might be for the team.  Harriel was a surprise with 13 points proving that as she has matured she has gained some confidence.  Green and Papadaki did not have stellar nights, and the fourth quarter collapse came largely on their watch.  But they seemed to move well and to shoot with some confidence, although their shots did not fall.

Now for the freshmen.

Ogden started slow but finished very strong.  At first she seemed to sometimes be out of position and she missed a few shots.  But she wound up with 16 points and 10 rebounds--although I think she had at least 3 O-boards to make one basket, which brought laughter from the audience and a smile to her face.  Her three point shot began to fall and I believe she had 3 or 4 in a row.  She could be the three point shooter of the future, but to package it with good rebounding and an inside game is a great combination.  I am not yet sold on her defense yet--I want to see her square off against a larger, more talented competitor.

It is too soon to say that Clardy is the point guard of the future, but it is not too soon to say that she has that potential.  3 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals, 8 points, 4 rebounds in 23 minutes is a pretty good stat line, but more important is her competence with ball handling and defense.  It may have just been the headband, but she reminded me of Kiana Williams, although she is an inch taller.

Agara looks terrific too.  She is a 6'2" forward but plays like a guard.  Her aggression inside and willingness to take the ball through traffic is something we have lacked since Carrington.  16 points on 6/9 shooting is awfully good for a first game, regardless of the opposition, and better yet is how confident and aggressive she looked in doing it.  She will not take long adjusting to the college game.

Sadly, I won't be able to attend the Hawaii game--I think the first home game I will have missed in a few years.  With any luck it will be possible to see it on replay.  I will set up the usual preview thread.

[81alum]

Well, the wheels sort of fell off in the last 6 minutes.  5 turnovers, 0 points in 5 minutes, Dominican on an 11-0 and a 14-2 run.  That fourth quarter was the worst fourth quarter of any 126 point victory I have ever seen ;P

One thing I noticed that may be troubling:  Dominican had speedy guards who consistently were faster bringing the ball up the court than their defenders.  Lepolo, Clardy, Harriel, each got beaten by speed.  It didn't usually matter because they had the rest of the defense behind them and because Dominican often missed shots.  But it is something to keep an eye on as we face other teams with better, speedy guards.  Hawaii last year had them.....

Now with the negatives out of the way, there is so much that is positive about what we saw.  Let's start with the starters.

Brink and Jump were exactly what we expected.  Only Jump was better.  Jump was hitting shots while moving, but her defense seemed quicker--she was deflecting balls.  I'd like to see that happening against a quality opponent, but there was nothing not to like. 

Lepolo seemed somewhat more aggressive, with 3 shots in 13 minutes--one from each level.  Iriafen with 19 points and 14 rebounds--yes she had her way down low against an inferior opponent, but she was moving her body and finishing in ways I have not seen before.  And Bosgana with 7/13, including on treys, breakaways, steals, etc.  A lot to like there.

Now the other returners.

Demetre did not have her shot going that well tonight, but she had 12 rebounds.  Of course they were mostly easy against this team, but I think we see what her role might be for the team.  Harriel was a surprise with 13 points proving that as she has matured she has gained some confidence.  Green and Papadaki did not have stellar nights, and the fourth quarter collapse came largely on their watch.  But they seemed to move well and to shoot with some confidence, although their shots did not fall.

Now for the freshmen.

Ogden started slow but finished very strong.  At first she seemed to sometimes be out of position and she missed a few shots.  But she wound up with 16 points and 10 rebounds--although I think she had at least 3 O-boards to make one basket, which brought laughter from the audience and a smile to her face.  Her three point shot began to fall and I believe she had 3 or 4 in a row.  She could be the three point shooter of the future, but to package it with good rebounding and an inside game is a great combination.  I am not yet sold on her defense yet--I want to see her square off against a larger, more talented competitor.

It is too soon to say that Clardy is the point guard of the future, but it is not too soon to say that she has that potential.  3 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals, 8 points, 4 rebounds in 23 minutes is a pretty good stat line, but more important is her competence with ball handling and defense.  It may have just been the headband, but she reminded me of Kiana Williams, although she is an inch taller.

Agara looks terrific too.  She is a 6'2" forward but plays like a guard.  Her aggression inside and willingness to take the ball through traffic is something we have lacked since Carrington.  16 points on 6/9 shooting is awfully good for a first game, regardless of the opposition, and better yet is how confident and aggressive she looked in doing it.  She will not take long adjusting to the college game.

Sadly, I won't be able to attend the Hawaii game--I think the first home game I will have missed in a few years.  With any luck it will be possible to see it on replay.  I will set up the usual preview thread.

[bl82]

In other big news, Elena led the team in assists, easily surpassing her record of two in one game. She needs to be the complete package this year.

[bl82]

In other big news, Elena led the team in assists, easily surpassing her record of two in one game. She needs to be the complete package this year.

[Baez87]

I've actually thought that we have a pretty good team this year, one that can compete in our conference. Tonight’s game reinforces that notion for me. We have at least nine players on the team that can compete with other D1 players. Our season might hang on whether we can avoid injuries and get good production from our freshmen., but having a nine player rotation should keep us in most games and protect our players from injury. I have no idea how we will actually fair, but I'm content to watch our team play their season and let the chips fall where they might, while enjoying watching these women compete!
Our women played an undersized, under-talented team that didn’t fall over and quit in the last quarter — by contrast, our second unit seemed tired and Tara didn’t sub them out. I have no way of knowing whether the Dominican guards are as fast or faster that the other guards we will meet, but I suspect that the reason they seemed to challenge us in the last quarter was because they were fast and scrappy. We will see as we play other teams how fast and scrappy we can be.
Can we muster the same level of multiple fast breaks and score the same high percentage against D1 teams as we did tonight? Most likely not, but we can run and shoot and challenge other teams at a competitive level this year. It will be fun to watch this group's chemistry and see what they can do!
Looking over the stats for tonight’s game, one that was played primarily by our second team, was encouraging.
Oh yes, and I appreciate 81-Alums pre-game commentary and post game analysis, it provides context and objective evaluation. And I prefer that each game be placed on it’s own independent thread.

[Baez87]

I've actually thought that we have a pretty good team this year, one that can compete in our conference. Tonight’s game reinforces that notion for me. We have at least nine players on the team that can compete with other D1 players. Our season might hang on whether we can avoid injuries and get good production from our freshmen., but having a nine player rotation should keep us in most games and protect our players from injury. I have no idea how we will actually fair, but I'm content to watch our team play their season and let the chips fall where they might, while enjoying watching these women compete!
Our women played an undersized, under-talented team that didn’t fall over and quit in the last quarter — by contrast, our second unit seemed tired and Tara didn’t sub them out. I have no way of knowing whether the Dominican guards are as fast or faster that the other guards we will meet, but I suspect that the reason they seemed to challenge us in the last quarter was because they were fast and scrappy. We will see as we play other teams how fast and scrappy we can be.
Can we muster the same level of multiple fast breaks and score the same high percentage against D1 teams as we did tonight? Most likely not, but we can run and shoot and challenge other teams at a competitive level this year. It will be fun to watch this group's chemistry and see what they can do!
Looking over the stats for tonight’s game, one that was played primarily by our second team, was encouraging.
Oh yes, and I appreciate 81-Alums pre-game commentary and post game analysis, it provides context and objective evaluation. And I prefer that each game be placed on it’s own independent thread.

[OCcardinal]

I've always felt that Haley Jones' 3 point and turnover struggles were overblown (she did so many other things well). But watching the game yesterday made me very excited for this year's offense.  I really liked the way the ball moved and how good the 3-point shooting was (even if you are open, you still have to be able to hit the shot). Our defense may go down a bit without Haley (and Agnes), but it may be that our improved offense more than makes up for it.  

Seeing Kiki play so well made me happy that she is going to get more minutes that she otherwise would have gotten without the graduations/transfers.  I think she still has a lot of upside.

Elena looked pretty great, but she looked pretty great in last year's exhibition too.  Hoping for continued upside as her minutes increase.

And super excited for what Nunu and Courtney will bring this season!

[OCcardinal]

I've always felt that Haley Jones' 3 point and turnover struggles were overblown (she did so many other things well). But watching the game yesterday made me very excited for this year's offense.  I really liked the way the ball moved and how good the 3-point shooting was (even if you are open, you still have to be able to hit the shot). Our defense may go down a bit without Haley (and Agnes), but it may be that our improved offense more than makes up for it.  

Seeing Kiki play so well made me happy that she is going to get more minutes that she otherwise would have gotten without the graduations/transfers.  I think she still has a lot of upside.

Elena looked pretty great, but she looked pretty great in last year's exhibition too.  Hoping for continued upside as her minutes increase.

And super excited for what Nunu and Courtney will bring this season!

[BosCard]

One thing that hasn’t been touched upon was Jump’s 3 point shooting off the dribble.  Last year she seemed much more accurate at catch and shoot vs catch, dribble, side step and then shoot.  However she made a number of those off the dribble 3’s in this game which bodes well for making her harder to defend.

[BosCard]

One thing that hasn’t been touched upon was Jump’s 3 point shooting off the dribble.  Last year she seemed much more accurate at catch and shoot vs catch, dribble, side step and then shoot.  However she made a number of those off the dribble 3’s in this game which bodes well for making her harder to defend.

[81alum]

One thing that hasn’t been touched upon was Jump’s 3 point shooting off the dribble.  Last year she seemed much more accurate at catch and shoot vs catch, dribble, side step and then shoot.  However she made a number of those off the dribble 3’s in this game which bodes well for making her harder to defend.

Yes, she was more mobile on the perimeter when taking shots.  Last year she always moved left and had a much lower percentage when doing so than when catching-and-shooting.  Last night she looked better.  During the scrimmage, however, she was missing when moving like last year.  So we will have to see if she has made some consistent improvement.  Last night was promising.

What I really liked was her mid range tear drop floater.  She has done that before too, but her mid range accuracy in the scrimmage and last night was good.  If she can do that consistently she will neutralize some of that perimeter pressure that has restrained her in the past--just by going around it.

She is even fitter than previously, and seems quicker on defense.  She said on media day that she had worked on that in the off season, and it shows.  I bet she will be able to go 40 minutes without wearing down, and her defense will be better than prior years.  That bodes well for consistency in three point shooting, as well.

Something I have noticed about our three point shooting over the years.  For many players, three point shooting tails off as the season progresses.  It could be that the defenses get better, but I think it may also be related to psychological and physical fatigue.  I think Jump has taken measures to prevent that in her case, but a freshman might be more vulnerable to the dreaded seasonal decline.  We have had too many seasons where the pre-season made us look like a terrific three point shooting team, only to be a bit subpar later on.  So 13-28 is a great start.  I'd like to see that percentage of makes come conference season.

[81alum]

One thing that hasn’t been touched upon was Jump’s 3 point shooting off the dribble.  Last year she seemed much more accurate at catch and shoot vs catch, dribble, side step and then shoot.  However she made a number of those off the dribble 3’s in this game which bodes well for making her harder to defend.

Yes, she was more mobile on the perimeter when taking shots.  Last year she always moved left and had a much lower percentage when doing so than when catching-and-shooting.  Last night she looked better.  During the scrimmage, however, she was missing when moving like last year.  So we will have to see if she has made some consistent improvement.  Last night was promising.

What I really liked was her mid range tear drop floater.  She has done that before too, but her mid range accuracy in the scrimmage and last night was good.  If she can do that consistently she will neutralize some of that perimeter pressure that has restrained her in the past--just by going around it.

She is even fitter than previously, and seems quicker on defense.  She said on media day that she had worked on that in the off season, and it shows.  I bet she will be able to go 40 minutes without wearing down, and her defense will be better than prior years.  That bodes well for consistency in three point shooting, as well.

Something I have noticed about our three point shooting over the years.  For many players, three point shooting tails off as the season progresses.  It could be that the defenses get better, but I think it may also be related to psychological and physical fatigue.  I think Jump has taken measures to prevent that in her case, but a freshman might be more vulnerable to the dreaded seasonal decline.  We have had too many seasons where the pre-season made us look like a terrific three point shooting team, only to be a bit subpar later on.  So 13-28 is a great start.  I'd like to see that percentage of makes come conference season.

[martyup]

Is there any video of the game?

[martyup]

Is there any video of the game?

[81alum]

Is there any video of the game?

I am not aware of any.  I don't think there was even a live-feed.  Maybe they don't like to have video available until the season officially starts.

I'm personally hoping that the Hawaii live-feed gets preserved, since I will miss the game.

[81alum]

Is there any video of the game?

I am not aware of any.  I don't think there was even a live-feed.  Maybe they don't like to have video available until the season officially starts.

I'm personally hoping that the Hawaii live-feed gets preserved, since I will miss the game.

[TonyLima]

Is there any video of the game?

I am not aware of any.  I don't think there was even a live-feed.  Maybe they don't like to have video available until the season officially starts.

I'm personally hoping that the Hawaii live-feed gets preserved, since I will miss the game.

Will do my best. Stay tuned.

[TonyLima]

Is there any video of the game?

I am not aware of any.  I don't think there was even a live-feed.  Maybe they don't like to have video available until the season officially starts.

I'm personally hoping that the Hawaii live-feed gets preserved, since I will miss the game.

Will do my best. Stay tuned.

[acerep]

I just posted my report on the game to the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org. Because it just went in, the teaser under Richter Report hasn't been updated, but if you click on it, you'll see the report.

[acerep]

I just posted my report on the game to the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org. Because it just went in, the teaser under Richter Report hasn't been updated, but if you click on it, you'll see the report.

[Leftcoast]

I just posted my report on the game to the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org. Because it just went in, the teaser under Richter Report hasn't been updated, but if you click on it, you'll see the report.

Thank you, Judy, I enjoyed your report.  I hadn't realized we were outscored in the fourth but will chalk it up to garbage time and liberal substitutions from our deep bench.

[Leftcoast]

I just posted my report on the game to the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org. Because it just went in, the teaser under Richter Report hasn't been updated, but if you click on it, you'll see the report.

Thank you, Judy, I enjoyed your report.  I hadn't realized we were outscored in the fourth but will chalk it up to garbage time and liberal substitutions from our deep bench.