[81alum]

Preliminary:

It is entirely possible that next year Washington State and not Washington will be our most dangerous threat from the Evergreen State.  But one of the worst spates of injuries to ever happen to a team makes it unlikely that WSU will get its first-ever win over Stanford.  Their top three players all have gone down to season-ending injuries, and a promising backup is out with a serious concussion.  My only fear is that WSU's depleted state and the looming game against Washington will make our team overconfident or distracted--always dangerous when playing away.

Overview:

Stanford dominated a badly injured team, giving all players a chance to play, but reducing the minutes of our starters to keep them fresh for the big game on Sunday.

Flow of the Game:

Stanford got out to an early and consistent lead.  Kaylee showed a couple of good moves, Marta was finishing her drives, and nearly everyone scored points in the first half.  Karlie hit a couple of threes--one in trasition.  Balanced scoring is more and more the name of our game.  Smith also looked good in her minutes.  The one stat that marred our first half were 11 turnovers.  But to balance that--we shot 59% in the half and held WSU to 29% to finish the half up 41-24.  Wow.

The second half, Tara continued to give many players minutes.  Our shooting "cooled off" to 52% as Tara got nine different players double digit minutes, and all of them also had points.  It was clear that everyone was looking ahead--especially the announcers. At the end the the third quarter we were up 64-47, and the fourth quarter was a dreary 12-7 affair with the youngsters getting some minutes.

Performances:

As a team we led in nearly all categories.  The one ugly stat were 23 turnovers, 11 in the first half and 12 in the second.  Sloppy?  Perhaps, although WSU apparently plays a match-up zone that causes quite a few turnovers. 

It would take way too long to analyze each player tonight, since 12 played and 9 scored.  Kudoes to Karlie for hitting 4/9 treys to move further up the list.  I doubt she will catch her sister.  Karlie, however, also led the team with 7 rebounds and led the team with 4 assists.

Kaylee looked good to me other than her 3 fouls, and went 3/4 and 5 rebounds in only 15 minutes.

Erica was quiet tonight, winding up with 10 points and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes. 

Roberson scored 8 points, had 4 assists and 2 turnovers.  Sniezek had 6 points, 1 assists and 4 turnovers.

McPhee was 4/8 for nine points--I believe mostly in the first half.

This was one of Smith's better games, going 4/5 and having 4 blocks.

Conclusion:

We couldn't really ask for a better setup for Sunday's game against Washington.  Tara got a chance to rest her players emotionally and physically.  Some encouraging signs--but the turnovers will give Tara something to talk about.

[81alum]

Preliminary:

It is entirely possible that next year Washington State and not Washington will be our most dangerous threat from the Evergreen State.  But one of the worst spates of injuries to ever happen to a team makes it unlikely that WSU will get its first-ever win over Stanford.  Their top three players all have gone down to season-ending injuries, and a promising backup is out with a serious concussion.  My only fear is that WSU's depleted state and the looming game against Washington will make our team overconfident or distracted--always dangerous when playing away.

Overview:

Stanford dominated a badly injured team, giving all players a chance to play, but reducing the minutes of our starters to keep them fresh for the big game on Sunday.

Flow of the Game:

Stanford got out to an early and consistent lead.  Kaylee showed a couple of good moves, Marta was finishing her drives, and nearly everyone scored points in the first half.  Karlie hit a couple of threes--one in trasition.  Balanced scoring is more and more the name of our game.  Smith also looked good in her minutes.  The one stat that marred our first half were 11 turnovers.  But to balance that--we shot 59% in the half and held WSU to 29% to finish the half up 41-24.  Wow.

The second half, Tara continued to give many players minutes.  Our shooting "cooled off" to 52% as Tara got nine different players double digit minutes, and all of them also had points.  It was clear that everyone was looking ahead--especially the announcers. At the end the the third quarter we were up 64-47, and the fourth quarter was a dreary 12-7 affair with the youngsters getting some minutes.

Performances:

As a team we led in nearly all categories.  The one ugly stat were 23 turnovers, 11 in the first half and 12 in the second.  Sloppy?  Perhaps, although WSU apparently plays a match-up zone that causes quite a few turnovers. 

It would take way too long to analyze each player tonight, since 12 played and 9 scored.  Kudoes to Karlie for hitting 4/9 treys to move further up the list.  I doubt she will catch her sister.  Karlie, however, also led the team with 7 rebounds and led the team with 4 assists.

Kaylee looked good to me other than her 3 fouls, and went 3/4 and 5 rebounds in only 15 minutes.

Erica was quiet tonight, winding up with 10 points and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes. 

Roberson scored 8 points, had 4 assists and 2 turnovers.  Sniezek had 6 points, 1 assists and 4 turnovers.

McPhee was 4/8 for nine points--I believe mostly in the first half.

This was one of Smith's better games, going 4/5 and having 4 blocks.

Conclusion:

We couldn't really ask for a better setup for Sunday's game against Washington.  Tara got a chance to rest her players emotionally and physically.  Some encouraging signs--but the turnovers will give Tara something to talk about.

[winflop]

Their top three players all have gone down to season-ending injuries, and a promising backup is out with a serious concussion.

That absolutely sucks.  I hope they all can come back fully recovered.

[winflop]

Their top three players all have gone down to season-ending injuries, and a promising backup is out with a serious concussion.

That absolutely sucks.  I hope they all can come back fully recovered.

[BobK]

Karlie story

http://pac-12.com/article/2017/01/26/pac...um=twitter

[BobK]

Karlie story

http://pac-12.com/article/2017/01/26/pac...um=twitter

[81alum]

Washington is annihilating C.al.  C.al played zone to try to slow down Plum, and Romeo is 8/10 from three point range barely into the second quarter.  Washington 44-24 so far 14 minutes into the game.  Sheesh.

...make it 9/11.  Who needs Plum when you have someone who shoots like that....oh, they have Plum too :(

[81alum]

Washington is annihilating C.al.  C.al played zone to try to slow down Plum, and Romeo is 8/10 from three point range barely into the second quarter.  Washington 44-24 so far 14 minutes into the game.  Sheesh.

...make it 9/11.  Who needs Plum when you have someone who shoots like that....oh, they have Plum too :(

[triangle2]

Michelle Smith's article missed a couple of great Karlie stats: (1) Karlie is currently 2nd in the nation for 3-Point Field Goal Percentage behind Lexi Bando at Oregon; (2) With 203 3-Pointers, Karlie has recently taken a big jump up the Stanford career 3-Pointers Made list, passing Jennifer Azzi, Lindsey Yamasaki, and Nicole Powell for 7th place. If she made 8 more three-pointers this weekend, Karlie would pass Sebnem Kimyacioglu (205), Kelley Suminski (208), and Vanessa Nygaard (210).  Next up in 3rd place: her sister, Bonnie, with 237...

[triangle2]

Michelle Smith's article missed a couple of great Karlie stats: (1) Karlie is currently 2nd in the nation for 3-Point Field Goal Percentage behind Lexi Bando at Oregon; (2) With 203 3-Pointers, Karlie has recently taken a big jump up the Stanford career 3-Pointers Made list, passing Jennifer Azzi, Lindsey Yamasaki, and Nicole Powell for 7th place. If she made 8 more three-pointers this weekend, Karlie would pass Sebnem Kimyacioglu (205), Kelley Suminski (208), and Vanessa Nygaard (210).  Next up in 3rd place: her sister, Bonnie, with 237...

[81alum]

Michelle Smith's article missed a couple of great Karlie stats: (1) Karlie is currently 2nd in the nation for 3-Point Field Goal Percentage behind Lexi Bando at Oregon; (2) With 203 3-Pointers, Karlie has recently taken a big jump up the Stanford career 3-Pointers Made list, passing Jennifer Azzi, Lindsey Yamasaki, and Nicole Powell for 7th place. If she made 8 more three-pointers this weekend, Karlie would pass Sebnem Kimyacioglu (205), Kelley Suminski (208), and Vanessa Nygaard (210).  Next up in 3rd place: her sister, Bonnie, with 237...

Thanks Triangle.  I thought the article, while nice, did miss the whole player.  All those games when Karlie led assists.  Heck, she has led in rebounds in a couple of games.  She sometimes gets several steals.  Perhaps Karlie's best quality, though, won't show up in stats, and that is her hustle.  Even in our team's worst games, Karlie stands out as being the player who is working hardest, diving for the loose balls, boxing out, etc.  If she did not hit threes, she would still be admired as a "glue" player.  But she is a "glue" player who is also a great scorer and whose reliable shot consistently changes the opponent's defense.  It was nice that Tara brought her out to talk to the crowd after Sunday's game.  A special player.

***
Just finished watching the C.al / Washington game.  Washington today would have been quite competitive with UConn I think--although the C.al defense is admittedly not the UConn defense, it is also true that Washington is very, very hard to shut down offensively.  I am sorry to say that they are a whole lot more than Plum and Osahor.  Romeo is at that level too--32 points tonight.  But their 4th and 5th players are solid, and unlike last year, they actually have a bench.  Whatever happens tonight for us at WSU, Sunday could well be the strongest opponent we play all year, depending on the vagaries of the tournaments.

So here is a tough question.  I presume Bri will guard Plum.  Will it be Marta on Romeo?  And how does anyone box out Osahor?

[81alum]

Michelle Smith's article missed a couple of great Karlie stats: (1) Karlie is currently 2nd in the nation for 3-Point Field Goal Percentage behind Lexi Bando at Oregon; (2) With 203 3-Pointers, Karlie has recently taken a big jump up the Stanford career 3-Pointers Made list, passing Jennifer Azzi, Lindsey Yamasaki, and Nicole Powell for 7th place. If she made 8 more three-pointers this weekend, Karlie would pass Sebnem Kimyacioglu (205), Kelley Suminski (208), and Vanessa Nygaard (210).  Next up in 3rd place: her sister, Bonnie, with 237...

Thanks Triangle.  I thought the article, while nice, did miss the whole player.  All those games when Karlie led assists.  Heck, she has led in rebounds in a couple of games.  She sometimes gets several steals.  Perhaps Karlie's best quality, though, won't show up in stats, and that is her hustle.  Even in our team's worst games, Karlie stands out as being the player who is working hardest, diving for the loose balls, boxing out, etc.  If she did not hit threes, she would still be admired as a "glue" player.  But she is a "glue" player who is also a great scorer and whose reliable shot consistently changes the opponent's defense.  It was nice that Tara brought her out to talk to the crowd after Sunday's game.  A special player.

***
Just finished watching the C.al / Washington game.  Washington today would have been quite competitive with UConn I think--although the C.al defense is admittedly not the UConn defense, it is also true that Washington is very, very hard to shut down offensively.  I am sorry to say that they are a whole lot more than Plum and Osahor.  Romeo is at that level too--32 points tonight.  But their 4th and 5th players are solid, and unlike last year, they actually have a bench.  Whatever happens tonight for us at WSU, Sunday could well be the strongest opponent we play all year, depending on the vagaries of the tournaments.

So here is a tough question.  I presume Bri will guard Plum.  Will it be Marta on Romeo?  And how does anyone box out Osahor?

[81alum]

Stanford 21 WSU 12 after one quarter.  Tara is rotating players, trying to keep the starters fresh for Sunday.  Kaylee and Alanna and Bri have looked good.  Karlie took a nasty spill and did hit her head on the floor.  She played a little afterwords and then went out.

[81alum]

Stanford 21 WSU 12 after one quarter.  Tara is rotating players, trying to keep the starters fresh for Sunday.  Kaylee and Alanna and Bri have looked good.  Karlie took a nasty spill and did hit her head on the floor.  She played a little afterwords and then went out.

[TheFarm07]

We'll have to make our shots on our end and then I think Kaylee and Erica, plus maybe Fingall will have to battle Osahor inside.

For Romero, maybe Marta or Karlie?

It will definitely be tough. The third scoring option makes UW very dangerous. Osahor and Plum are already very difficult to deal with and then add in a consistent 3-point threat in Romero.

We have to score on Sunday evening. We can't rely on our defense, because the Huskies are just too good to be denied points.

[TheFarm07]

We'll have to make our shots on our end and then I think Kaylee and Erica, plus maybe Fingall will have to battle Osahor inside.

For Romero, maybe Marta or Karlie?

It will definitely be tough. The third scoring option makes UW very dangerous. Osahor and Plum are already very difficult to deal with and then add in a consistent 3-point threat in Romero.

We have to score on Sunday evening. We can't rely on our defense, because the Huskies are just too good to be denied points.

[TheFarm07]

We lead 41-24, but played far from perfect. 11 turnovers and periods where our offense goes stagnant (often due to the turnovers). This is our Achilles' heel and will be our undoing in important games if we are not careful.

[TheFarm07]

We lead 41-24, but played far from perfect. 11 turnovers and periods where our offense goes stagnant (often due to the turnovers). This is our Achilles' heel and will be our undoing in important games if we are not careful.

[81alum]

We had 11 turnovers in the first half, or this would be a gigantic lead rather than just 41-24.  Balanced scoring with 8 players scoring already.  The most encouraging thing from the half:  Marta has driven to the rim and sunk layups twice.  Those wild shots that she was missing earlier in the year are more controlled and she is making them now.

[81alum]

We had 11 turnovers in the first half, or this would be a gigantic lead rather than just 41-24.  Balanced scoring with 8 players scoring already.  The most encouraging thing from the half:  Marta has driven to the rim and sunk layups twice.  Those wild shots that she was missing earlier in the year are more controlled and she is making them now.

[TheFarm07]

We win 76-54, but it could have been a much bigger blowout. I guess in the grand scheme of things, no one will remember whether we beat WSU by 22 or 42, but still, I feel like we shouldn't let up, but finish opponents off. I see other top teams blow out opponents by 30-40 points. If this was UConn or Baylor, it would have been at least a 40 point win.

23 turnovers had something to do with it. Someone who is more of a basketball mind that I am, please explain why we commit so many turnovers on a consistent basis. Tara is a HoF coach. I am sure it hasn't missed her attention and she's not liking it.

And instead of feeling happy after a win like this, I noticed that I am really irritated. Irritated that we didn't push out the lead. Irritated that we make a lot of careless errors. Irritated that we drain too much clock and often take low-percentage shots.

[TheFarm07]

We win 76-54, but it could have been a much bigger blowout. I guess in the grand scheme of things, no one will remember whether we beat WSU by 22 or 42, but still, I feel like we shouldn't let up, but finish opponents off. I see other top teams blow out opponents by 30-40 points. If this was UConn or Baylor, it would have been at least a 40 point win.

23 turnovers had something to do with it. Someone who is more of a basketball mind that I am, please explain why we commit so many turnovers on a consistent basis. Tara is a HoF coach. I am sure it hasn't missed her attention and she's not liking it.

And instead of feeling happy after a win like this, I noticed that I am really irritated. Irritated that we didn't push out the lead. Irritated that we make a lot of careless errors. Irritated that we drain too much clock and often take low-percentage shots.

[mbdude]

did not see Coffee on the bench - not sure if she made the trip.

I think 1 reason Brit played so little is because of her to's. she's had quite a few in the last 4 or 5 games. majority of to's were from guards and wings - bigs only accounted for 2. 5 or 6 from the subs in 4 th qtr but 16 or 17 for the starters doesn't matter - still too many

[mbdude]

did not see Coffee on the bench - not sure if she made the trip.

I think 1 reason Brit played so little is because of her to's. she's had quite a few in the last 4 or 5 games. majority of to's were from guards and wings - bigs only accounted for 2. 5 or 6 from the subs in 4 th qtr but 16 or 17 for the starters doesn't matter - still too many

[TheFarm07]

Looking over the box score, I find an interesting pattern from the game:

Our guards (Karlie, Carrington, Marta and Bri) had over half of the rebounding (26 of the team's 48) but also committed just over half the turnovers (12) while the three posts (Erica, Kaylee, Fingall) split 10 rebounds between the three of them but only coughed up the ball once combined.

[TheFarm07]

Looking over the box score, I find an interesting pattern from the game:

Our guards (Karlie, Carrington, Marta and Bri) had over half of the rebounding (26 of the team's 48) but also committed just over half the turnovers (12) while the three posts (Erica, Kaylee, Fingall) split 10 rebounds between the three of them but only coughed up the ball once combined.

[chimera]

did not see Coffee on the bench - not sure if she made the trip.

I think 1 reason Brit played so little is because of her to's. she's had quite a few in the last 4 or 5 games. majority of to's were from guards and wings - bigs only accounted for 2. 5 or 6 from the subs in 4 th qtr but 16 or 17 for the starters doesn't matter - still too many

They may also be protecting Brit's ankle.  Even though she played after hurting it last week, probably it is not 100%.  Turnovers are a concern but at least we made it through without overlooking a depleted team that is still playing hard. 

[chimera]

did not see Coffee on the bench - not sure if she made the trip.

I think 1 reason Brit played so little is because of her to's. she's had quite a few in the last 4 or 5 games. majority of to's were from guards and wings - bigs only accounted for 2. 5 or 6 from the subs in 4 th qtr but 16 or 17 for the starters doesn't matter - still too many

They may also be protecting Brit's ankle.  Even though she played after hurting it last week, probably it is not 100%.  Turnovers are a concern but at least we made it through without overlooking a depleted team that is still playing hard.