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WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - 81alum - 02-23-2012

This was an ugly win--particularly considering the turnover-fest that was the first half.  We had 10 assists to 19 turnovers as a team for what probably was the worst ratio for the year (the loss at Connecticut was 10 assists to 13 turnovers.)  15 of the turnovers happened in the first half--which we led only 26-18. 

Either Tara made excellent corrections or the team just settled down in the second half since we had only 4 turnovers the rest of the way, and the offense functioned much better in the second half.  Part of the problem was that Colorado seemed to come in determined to foul us rather than let us shoot baskets.  One of their players fouled out and 3 others accumulated 4 fouls each. 

Defensively it was a good effort.  Colorado shot 32.7%.  That is particularly outstanding considering all the turnovers we gave them--that they did not convert into points.  Their star scorer--Chuckie Jeffery--did get 13 but none of their remaining starters got more than 2.  I noticed in the second half that Lindy was covering Chuckie even when Amber was on the floor--that looked like a vote of confidence by Tara in Lindy's defense.

I think it is time to acknowledge that--for whatever reason--Stanford is not a consistently good three point shooting team.  We were 3-17 which is becoming all too normal for us.  Connecticut the other night was 8-15.  I have no idea how to explain it, but the shots are not falling.  Lindy at 2-4 was a bright spot tonight, including a 4 point play.

Joslyn played excellent defense, had 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 0 turnovers.  And although she went 0-7 for FGs, she made 8-8 free throws.  She was clearly bothered and made less efficient by all the fouling, but going 100% on free throws certainly helps.

Toni had an off night with 2 assists to 7 turnovers and only 3 points.  All 7 of her turnovers were in the first half.  Amber had only 1 assist and 3 turnovers, but she did go 3-4 with 7 points, including one very nice curl in to the basket through traffic which got the three point play.

Nneka was more accurate tonight than she has been for a while, shooting 7-11.  She moved up to become the 2nd all time scorer at Stanford, ahead of Kate Starbird.  She won't surpass Candice, though.  Chiney had a solid double double to go with her sister's.

The first half scared me.  Colorado showed that they could hack and foul us to an ugly standstill.  A better team might be able to sustain that kind of defense for more than a half.  I'd feel a whole lot better if our outside shooting were accurate enough to nullify that style of defense.

After the game, the PAC-12 presented the league trophy to Tara and the team.

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - 81alum - 02-24-2012

A couple of quotes and observations from the press this morning:

The Colorado coach pretty well confirmed in the AP article that her players were told to go ahead and foul under the basket--although they went overboard and fouled in other situations too:
Quote:"We wanted to make sure we didn't back down. We weren't intimidated," Lappe said. "But too many fouls where we didn't have to foul. I don't mind a hard foul when it's either a layup or a foul, but fouls away from the basket, reaching in because you're not in position, those are the ones we have to cut down."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/02/23/sports/s223246S34.DTL

Tara quoted in Fitzgerald'a article stated what seems obvious:
Quote:"Colorado came out and they were super-aggressive," Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer said. "We didn't handle it well. We were more aggressive in the second half."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/23/SPJD1NBHSQ.DTL

Tim Fitzgerald pointed out that we made a season-high 27 free throws in an article appropriately entitled: "Colorado fouls up Stanford women - for a half".  One of the better headline summaries of a game I've seen.



Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - pepper1 - 02-24-2012

Nice summary of a pretty ugly game by 81alum.  It was kind of unnerving to see a mediocre team with little depth stay close for a half by packing in their D and hacking away.  This will be a style the Cardinal are likely to see in the March tourney during which the refs tend to whistle a lot fewer fouls.  It was disappointing to see Toni have an off night against the pressure D last night, since we will need to depend on her to keep the O in synch against this style ... and until last night she'd done a pretty consistent job of doing this.  After several very careless TOs early in the first half, Amber showed some grit on nice drives to the hoop.  She clearly has a great career ahead of her, and we can only hope she's develops consistency down the stretch this year.  And the Sisters were again marvelous in not getting flustered by the hacking, scoring their points, grabbing their rebounds and dishing out a little pain too.  Kudos to Jos as well on playing a solid rebounding and defensive game when her shot was not falling (fortunately her FTs were).

Following up on 81's comments about inconsistent outside shooting, the Cardinal are beginning to remind me a bit of the Dook men's team.  If their 3's are falling, they dominate most teams (last week's OSU road blowout was case and point), and I like their chances against even the top teams.  If the outside shots are not falling, they (like Dook) will be vulnerable to any physical team that gets beyond the first or second round of the tourney.  It may make for an interesting if unpredictable tourney for the Cardinal. 

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - 81alum - 02-24-2012

Thanks ghsfcal, yes, I agree, as has so often been the case, the O sisters find a way to score even when everything is arrayed against them.  And yes, I agree, we will eventually get to a level of competition where that will not be enough. 

I just watched last week's Stanford Athletics Department interview with Tara and she said something interesting.  She said that Toni should be Pac-12 defensive player of the year.  She said that Toni always gets assigned the other team's best perimeter player.  I think it takes a more experienced eye to evaluate defense than offense, so I don't feel confident contradicting coach Tara!  But what about Chiney?

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - M T - 02-24-2012

Stanford played like #2 in the first half, and then like the #2 team in the first part of the second half.

I'm glad to see this kind of defense against us by a team we can beat despite it; it is a learning experience for the players and the coaches.  I noticed that in the first half, the Colorado 1-on-1 defense was extending out a long way form the basket, and we couldn't get clean passes in to the inside players.  It appeared that extension didn't happen in the second half (probably to reduce the number of fouls).  I believe Stanford guards have to start driving for the basket in these situations rather than looking for a pass inside.  Maybe they don't get all the way in to shoot, but maybe they can get passes off better.

It seems our shooters can shoot lights out when not guarded, but don't do well when rushed or guarded or after running down the court.  I hope that they can get more practice shooting under pressure and turn that into points on the court.


Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - Yellowlab - 02-24-2012

One nice development was the return of Nneka's jump shot. 

I'm giving Toni a pass, because she has been so good, so consistently.  I'm pretty sure that was some actress playing Toni in the first half.

Tara frequently will talk up a player who isn't getting enough attention.  I'm pretty sure that's what's behind the Toni as defensive player of the year talk.  While Toni defends the other team's best perimeter player, Chiney guards everyone else.

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - Griffins78 - 02-24-2012

Toni is constantly helping out on defense and in this last game particularly, was doubling down or picking up someone else's player when the ball was passed down into the block and she always got her hands on the ball and either stole it, knocked it out, or disrupted the shot. She was playing awesome defense.

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - Yellowlab - 02-24-2012

Toni's defense has been outstanding.  Chiney's has been beyond outstanding,  There is a reason why they are 25-1, and no, it isn't because their conference sucks.

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - 81alum - 02-24-2012

Unfortunately, Colorado forward Jen Reese suffered a season-ending injury in the game last night.  90 seconds in she fouled Nneka and wound up getting kicked in the left eye, fracturing an orbital bone.  I was a little late getting to the game and missed the play.  It must have been horrible :(
http://www.brushnewstribune.com/ci_20036722


Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - CompSci87 - 02-24-2012

It wasn't clear from the stands (at least not from my seat) what had happened to Reese. I could only see that she stepped in front of Nneka too late on a drive to the hoop, getting called for the blocking foul as Nneka ran into her and fell on top of her. Then she was on the floor for a long time before being helped off the court. I could guess it was a head injury, but that was about it. I thought maybe a concussion.

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - fullmetal - 02-25-2012

:(  That's terrible.  Hope her vision and rest of her head are all right...

Re: WBB: Stanford 68 Colorado 46 - pepper1 - 02-25-2012

From my angle, it looked like she was not hurt by the initial contact but when Nneka tripped over her after she fell, kicking her in the head in the process.  The severity of the injury was a surprise, a sad surprise.