WBB: STAN 62 AZ 48 (Clinched Pac-12 Championship)

[martyup]

Pac-12 Champions!

[TheFarm07]

Well, it was ugly, but we won 62-48 despite a subpar offensive performance. Our depth really helped us with four of our starters in double figures; no one had a standout night offensively, but everyone did enough and at the right times to never relinquish the lead.

Haley's 7 turnovers are an issue; the rest of the team had 5 combined.

The game ball should go to the defense; McDonald was 8/24, Thomas after starting 3/4 went 0/5 the rest of the game and Reese was 2/5.

[CompSci87]

Don’t get the ESPN win probability calculator.  When we were up 3-0 early in the game, it gave us an 84.7% chance of winning.  With a 6-point halftime lead, it gives us an 84.4% chance of winning.  Generally speaking, if you are performing as expected, then the win probability should improve over time because there is less time left for the other team to beat us.  I don’t think 84% at halftime is low; I’m just surprised how optimistic it was with us holding a 3-0 lead.

Put another way, what is more likely, Arizona out scoring us by at least 7 in 20 minutes or out scoring us by at least 4 in 38 1/2 min?

BC

Maybe they take the ranking difference into account early. Otherwise there's no reason a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter should give much more than a 50% win probability.

[CompSci87]

We are the campions.  I hear Queen singing it now.

[CompSci87]

I don’t complain much on official calls but that was not a foul On Brink.  But up 13.

You mean the one where Reese (was it?) threw her shoulder into Brink's chest and bounced off? Yeah, I hate those calls.

[BobK]

That’s the one compsci

[BosCard]

Not the prettiest game on offense.  BUT, it's been shockingly long since we've been the PAC-12 regular season champions.  6 seasons have gone by without that title.  The last time we won we were led by Chiney Ogwumike.

[chimera]

Not the loveliest offense game but the defense was excellent after they stopped giving up wide open threes, and that was the ball game basically.  Nice game from Lexie.  She usually ends up with more points and rebounds than I think she had while watching the game.  She is sneaky good.  Except for the TOs Jones was very good, but that is one big except.  Maybe she has too many options in her head sometimes, but she drove in and then seemed not to have a clear plan a few times.  Get over that and she will be impossible to stop.  Congrats to the team.  Well earned.

[81alum]

I am so thrilled that despite all the challenges this year, we took the Pac 12 championship outright for the first time in 7 years.  That seems shocking to me that it has been that long--we have had some good teams, some final fours, some Pac 12 tournament championships, etc. in that span.  But it has been a very long time since we won the regular season outright, and we did it!

That said, this was not our finest hour.  Arizona played better defense against us than on New Year's Day, and our defense was not quite as good.  McDonald was held to 0/6 from three point range and we cut off a lot of driving lanes, but she still got 20 points.  But our offense was not as sharp as it should have been, even against an improved Arizona defense.

Jones's decision making tonight was the worst I have seen since she arrived on the Farm.  It was not just the 7 turnovers, she made the horrible leading pass to Brink that got her the charging foul, she took a couple of quick shots when we needed to work clock, she seemed sloppy.  There was a stretch where I could predict the mistake she was about to make just before she made it.  It was that obvious--something was not right in her head tonight.  The fabulous court vision that she usually has just seemed to desert her.  And yet she had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals on what looked like the worst night of her career.  I think that just shows you what enormous talent she has, and what impossibly high standards we have come to expect.  Even so...7 turnovers from one player in a critical game...she has room for improvement.

Anna Wilson did very well again against an All American.  Several of McDonald's baskets came when Anna was resting.  I will be outraged if Wilson does not rack up some honors for her defensive efforts this season.

Brink got nailed for a couple of very questionable fouls.  But our coaches tell the players to count on a couple of bad calls every game--which means you can't commit more than a couple of legit fouls.  And she did.  It was a bit of regression on that front, and as we move into championship tournaments every other team is going to target her and try to figure out how to yank her chain.  It has become a thing now.

Lexie has gradually been working herself into a much better place than she has been during much of the season.  16 points, 9 rebounds, two blocks--what a great stat line considering she was sharing so many opportunities with 3 other scorers.

And Williams...cannot say enough good about her...except PLEASE STAY ANOTHER YEAR!  When shots were not dropping in the first quarter it was Williams who kept Arizona from opening up a big lead.  But also 4 assists and only 2 turnovers.  She showed her maturity by not taking shots too early in the half court.

All in all, how can we not be pleased that we beat another top ranked team, and not in a nail-biter?  So I am pleased.  Fortunately, any night one player is "off" we have so much talent that there are others that will be "on."  And Jones's off night still had a lot good about it.

[paloalto]

I think Wilson is the best defender in the PAC-12.  However that very early charging foul against McDonald sure looked like a blocking foul to me.

Some passing scenarios are like playing chess.  You have to think a few moves ahead.  Brink running full speed to the basket with three defenders in front of her.  The outcome was predictable.  Don't force the pass unless you see the receiving player has some options to do something positive.  To counterbalance; Jones had some beautiful drives to the basket.

[BostonCard]

[CompSci87]

[Spiny_Norman]

Haley Jones would do well to heed the words of John Wooden - be quick, but don’t be in a hurry.

[BostonCard]

Reading this board, you wouldn't know that we beat the 9th ranked team in the country by double digits, clinched the Pac-12 championship with a game to go, and had one of our most successful Pac-12 seasons in ages, despite playing most of the year with no home court.  Moreover, unlike many of the 23(!) other Pac-10/12 championships, we won in one of the most competitive league's we've competed in (with 4 top-15 teams, against whom we went a collective 5-1).  I mean, of course there is always room to improve, but I for one am savoring tonight.

By the way, in our last 10 games, we've allowed exactly one to score more than 60 points (Oregon, at 61).  We've held 6 of the 10 to under 50 points.

BC

[TheFarm07]

Reading this board, you wouldn't know that we beat the 9th ranked team in the country by double digits, clinched the Pac-12 championship with a game to go, and had one of our most successful Pac-12 seasons in ages, despite playing most of the year with no home court.  Moreover, unlike many of the 23(!) other Pac-10/12 championships, we won in one of the most competitive league's we've competed in (with 4 top-15 teams, against whom we went a collective 5-1).  I mean, of course there is always room to improve, but I for one am savoring tonight.

By the way, in our last 10 games, we've allowed exactly one to score more than 60 points (Oregon, at 61).  We've held 6 of the 10 to under 50 points.

BC

In my opinion, it's just based on the level of expectations given the quality of the team and the success that the program has enjoyed under Tara. If this was the men's basketball team, I would be over the moon ecstatic about this accomplishment.

Don't get me wrong; I am very happy that we won a Pac-12 regular season conference title and tallied another top-10 win on our resume, especially given the situation the team had to play through and the level of competition. They had to deal with a lot of adversity throughout the season and still came out on top, which speaks volumes about their resilience and mental toughness.

At least for me, the bar has been set so high with this program, that I am already looking ahead to the NCAA tournament. For all of the accomplishments and greatness of this program (I am extremely proud of the high level of excellence; I think that's why I personally get so worked up sometimes about the team when they don't play well), the final prize has been elusive for almost 30 years now. The gripes over Haley's 7 turnovers or Brink's struggles staying out of foul trouble is because we've come so agonizingly close and in a close game against a top opponent, a critical turnover or intercepted pass late in the game could mean the difference between a win and a loss, as we already saw in our two defeats this season.

And I don't think being happy and proud for the team and all that the players and coaches have accomplished under trying circumstances are mutually exclusive from being concerned with the weaknesses the team still have. I am and will still be proud of the team no matter how they finish the season, whether with a win or a loss. I really hope it's with a win, or at least with a trip to the Final Four. I would love to see the team on the biggest stage again and see Kianna, Anna and Alysa finish their collegiate careers (if this is their last seasons on the Farm) with a chance to play for a national title.

[BobK]

I’m with Boston Card. Having 2 months of the season on the road losing only two games winning the Pac 12 title playing with the defensive intensity we have seen is incredible
What a season.

Btw we play Thursday at 2 in Vegas. But beat cal first

[jonnyss]

as in another recent game, we gave up the early 3s when we were doubling in the post and leaving an outside shooter open. again, it was a reasonable game plan as az had not been shooting well from the outside. and, again, the coaches were flexible and gave up on the doubling when it didn't work, and we shut down their outside shooting.

i saw 2 factors contribute to mcdonald's late scoring. as mentioned, she scored when anna was on the bench resting. also, we tried playing 2 posts for a while in the 2nd half. i suppose it was worth a try, but aari seemed to use screens to get open against that line up and score more easily. then we went back to 1 post.

hannah jump again played more. 

to me kiana seemed the best player on the floor. she easily could have scored more by taking more shots (14 compared to mcdonald's 24) but wisely chose to share the offense.

[crackpot]

Who's doing all of that chanting?  It is maddening.

We figured it had to be the Arizona bench. Now that ESPN stopped broadcasting the fake crowd noise, we've been enjoying the "AAU-ness" audio of the crowdless game, but this chanting was definitely annoying. Always seemed to happen when Stanford was on offense.

[81alum]

For those who think some loving criticism is too harsh, I don't think we said anything that Coach didn't also say about our 16 turnovers to only 7 assists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v...e=emb_logo

"Haley has to decide that she is going to take better care of the ball.  There were some bad decisions...If she turns the ball over that much I have to take her out, and that would be unfortunate because she does so many good things....She is too good a player to be throwing the ball around the gym like that."

Interesting to hear the questions from the reporters who also seemed split like this board on whether to emphasize the "winning ugly" theme or the "amazing season considering what you went through" theme.

One thing that stuck out was Tara again emphasizing that Oregon State has an open invitation to come play us to make up the missed game, but that they were not answering our calls.  OSU is trying to make the tournament and they obviously are avoiding another possible loss, even if it is to the top team.  But after their victory over UCLA perhaps this is a mistake on their part.

Then Tara was just extraordinary, I thought, when she praised how this team has stuck together through all the COVID issues and what great people and teammates they are.  "I'm glad I was wearing my mask...I get a little bit emotional.....There isn't another team I have wanted it for more than this team.  And I still want it for the Pac 12 tournament and the NCAA tournament."

She really, really wants this team to win out, because she thinks they deserve it.  I've not heard her so forthright about her own emotions and desires for her team as she does here.

Then keep watching to the end to hear Anna Wilson talk about preparing to defend McDonald and other start guards.  Well worth a listen to get a glimpse into the chess match.

and listen to Adia Barnes too to see it from the other side:



"They make you play ugly and they make you play to your weaknesses."  She also noted that they made McDonald take mainly midrange shots in congestion and that this was tough.

[BobK]

Thanks for your summary. However fans should be thrilled about this season. Coaches are different from fans. Coaches need to coach up for the next game and then the game after that and so on

As Tara says always at the end of season Banquet “and Monday we are back working towards next season”

My glass is full