Author: Nate Adams

Stanford outscores ASU 46-19 after break

When they scored triple-digit points at Oregon last Saturday, it seemed like the Cardinal

women were ready to put their recent string of underwhelming performances behind them and play more like the nation’s No. 2 team. They did exactly that on Thursday with a 71-48 win over Arizona State, but only for the game’s final 20 minutes.

“My dad had a saying that it’s not the start but the finish and we started as poorly as we have started any game that I can ever honestly remember coaching,” said Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer. “We were just not understanding what Arizona State was going to do. When they came out they were very aggressive, they got in passing lanes, we turned it over, we were totally discombobulated offensively . . . and then we had to make a couple of adjustments and run some different little things and obviously the second half was a whole different story.”

For the Cardinal (18-1, 8-0 Pac-10), it really was a tale of two halves. After falling far behind the Sun Devils (12-7, 4-4) in the first period — by as many as 14 points — Stanford was able to bounce back, outscoring Arizona State 46-19 in a dominant second half. Junior forward Kayla Pedersen led both teams with 23 points, while redshirt senior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude had a career-high 19 points. Senior center Jayne Appel continued her recent offensive resurgence, earning a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The game began slowly for both teams, with each side racking up only four points after nearly four and half minutes. A Gold-Onwude layup made it 6-4 at 15:44, marking the last lead that Stanford would hold during the half.

The Sun Devils took off on a 13-2 run over the next five minutes, quickly putting up a 17-8 lead by taking advantage of the Cardinal’s missteps in transition and their inability to recover the ball after shooting. A three-pointer by redshirt junior guard J.J. Hones with 9:33 remaining would make it 17-11 and bring the crowd back into the game — but only for a moment, as Arizona State wasn’t about to let up.

With seven minutes left in the first half, the statistics revealed just how much Stanford was struggling. The Sun Devils had outshot them 25 to 14, out-rebounded them 14 to nine, and had forced six turnovers while giving up only one. A few moments later, the score was 27-13. Junior guard Tenaya Watson accounted for most of the damage, scoring all of her 12 points during the first half.

With time winding down in the frame, however, Stanford began to climb back. The Cardinal went on a 12-2 run to pull within 29-25 at halftime, capped by a Gold-Onwude layup. Despite the resurgence, it was the first time this season that the Cardinal have been losing when it went to the locker room.

“I think it was a moment where everybody looked each other in the eye and was like ‘Alright, we’re down 15, it’s going to be a stop at a time,’” Gold-Onwude said. “‘It’s [going to] be one good offensive set at a time. We have to come to the ball — don’t leave your point guard alone.’”

The Cardinal did not let up after halftime, with Gold-Onwude quickly tying the game at 30 with an impressive basket from behind the arc. A moment later, Hones sent a laser of a pass down to Pedersen in the paint, who electrified the crowd with a go-ahead layup.

From there, Stanford did not look back. The Cardinal offense came to life, quickly pulling ahead with a 23-3 run to make the score 48-32 with 12:13 remaining. Pedersen accounted for 10 of Stanford’s points during the run, while Gold-Onwude added six of her own with a pair of three-pointers.

By the end of the second half, Stanford had “rebounded” — literally — in nearly every statistical area in which it had been struggling. On the game as a whole, the Cardinal took 53 shots (just two less than ASU’s 55), outrebounded the Sun Devils 40 to 31 (with 13 of the Cardinal’s 16 offensive boards coming in the second half), and had given up 14 turnovers, only one more than its opponents. Perhaps most impressively, the Cardinal was deadly accurate, shooting 54.8 percent in the second half compared to the Sun Devils’ 22.7 percent.

After a 100-80 win at Oregon last Saturday and a thrilling come-from-behind victory last night, the Cardinal women are starting to gain more confidence about how they are playing.

“I’m really just proud of how, you know, again we’re down and nothing is going well. [Sophomore forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike is] in foul trouble, we’re turning the ball over, their really low percentage shooters are scoring,” VanDerveer said. “So we had to make some adjustments and people had to say, ‘All right, we’ve got to go to plan B, and people did really well.’”

For Appel, the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Year, the feeling is the same.

“We’re having fun on the court, just really playing with each other and playing basketball. Hopefully that just continues to go with each game, as we get closer to the end of the Pac-10.”

The Cardinal will look to maintain its momentum tomorrow night as it closes the first half of the conference season against Arizona (9-9, 3-5), who lost to Cal 73-53 last night. The game is set for 2 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.

After a string of respectable, though less-than-overwhelming wins, the nation’s No. 2 team seems to have found its swagger. The Cardinal offense came to life against Oregon on Saturday, beating a talented Ducks team 100-80 with five players posting double-digit point totals.

Sophomore forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike had a career game, scoring 30 points and pulling down a school-record 23 rebounds. The Cypress, Tex. native is currently the conference’s top scorer with 19.5 points per game and an incredible 64.2 shooting percentage and is also the Pacific-10 Conference’s second-best rebounder with 10.7 per game.

“She’s so fluid,” said Oregon coach Paul Westhead. “We would locate her, but it didn’t last long. Her ability as a rebounder is devastating. She gets everything.”

The Ducks (12-7, 3-4 Pac-10) boast the nation’s top-scoring offense, averaging 85.9 points per contest and wouldn’t go down without a fight. Just three minutes into the game, Oregon had jumped ahead of Stanford (17-1, 7-1 Pac-10) by a score of 11-7. Ogwumike soon took initiative, however, accounting for 11 points on a 22-7 Stanford run that put the Cardinal back on top, 29-18, midway through the half. The Ducks soon responded, led by their eventual point-leader Nia Jackson. Oregon’s redshirt sophomore guard pulled her team within one, thanks to a pair of free throws, making it 39-38. After another Stanford outburst, she scored the final points of a 9-0 run that tied the game at 49 with just over a minute left in the half. Jackson finished the game with a career-high 26 points, including 18 in the first half.

Before heading to the locker-room, freshman Joslyn Tinkle helped put the Cardinal back on top with a three-pointer that made it 54-50 and continued Stanford’s season-long streak of leading its opponents at halftime.

Stanford Head Coach Tara VanDerveer, however, was displeased with some aspects of her team’s performance in the first half, including its 11 turnovers.

“I don’t think we handled the ball as well as we needed to in the first half, obviously,” VanDerveer said. “But our guards are stepping up and that’s what we need them to do to: open things up for Jayne and Nneka and people inside.”

Ogwumike again set the tone for the second half, scoring the first four points of the frame to double the Cardinal’s lead. The Ducks would come as close as 80-75 on a Jackson layup with 8 minutes, 36 seconds to play, but Stanford finished the game on a 20-5 run to put Oregon away.

“The game felt close the whole time and I like that feeling,” Ogwumike said. “It’s getting us ready for the future and I think this is a very good team to play. I’m so glad that they’re in our conference.”

The 100-80 score marked the first time the Cardinal reached a triple-digit point total since nearly two months ago on Nov. 29, when they beat Gonzaga 105-74. While Ogwumike accounted for 30 of those points, she wasn’t alone in helping the Cardinal put up their biggest offensive performance of the conference season. Four other players had double-digit point totals, including senior center Jayne Appel (17) and guards junior Jeanette Pohlen (15), redshirt senior Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (11) and redshirt junior JJ Hones (10).

Appel’s performance in particular is worth noting, as the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Year — while certainly making significant contributions for the Cardinal offense — hasn’t quite lived up to her stellar standards of late. Her end-game total of 17 points was her highest since Dec. 30, when she put up 20 points against Fresno State.

Stanford shot 50 percent on the game, its most accurate performance of the conference season. That mark came despite a season-high 35 three-point attempts, only 13 of which were successful.

With its two wins in Oregon, the Cardinal remains all alone at the top of the Pac-10 standings. The only loss by the second-place team, USC, came at the hands of Stanford.

The Cardinal will head home for their next contest, facing Arizona State at Maples Pavilion this Thursday at 7 p.m.

Stanford shuts down OSU

They may have won their previous six games, but the Cardinal women came into last night’s contest with Oregon State amid mounting injuries and increasing criticism. In short, they needed a convincing win to build momentum, boost confidence and prove they deserved their No. 2 ranking.

While the Cardinal (16-1, 6-0 Pac-10) certainly came away with a comfortable win, the Beavers challenged Stanford early and held tough until the final stretch, ultimately falling 63-47. Stanford junior forward Kayla Pedersen led her team with 23 points, while Beaver Talisa Rhea scored a game-high 26. Cardinal sophomore forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike posted a game-high nine rebounds.

Despite their recent struggles in conference play, Oregon State (9-7, 1-5) was able to play Stanford almost evenly for much of the game. After jumping out to a 12-2 lead less than four minutes in, the Cardinal could not extend its lead to double digits again for the rest of the half.

The Beavers began to tighten up on defense soon thereafter, holding the Cardinal scoreless for eight minutes. Redshirt junior forward Michelle Harrison put in a shot from behind the arc to put Stanford back ahead at 16-14. Rhea scored 17 points in the half, helping to keep the Beavers close, as Stanford only led 29-27 at halftime. Stanford has never been tied or behind at halftime this season and last night’s two-point margin was the lowest it has taken to the locker room.

The second half, for the most part, was a different story. Five minutes in, Stanford extended the lead to 40-32 on a fastbreak three-pointer from freshman Joslyn Tinkle. The forward out of Missoula, Mont. finished the game with nine points, six rebounds and six blocks in 24 minutes.

The Beavers would pull within 42-39 a few minutes later, but Pedersen scored six straight points to put the Cardinal back up, 48-39. Stanford did not look back after that, running away with a 63-47 victory.

While the Cardinal will no doubt be content with a 16-point victory, it stands as the latest in a string of games that have seen the Cardinal perform slightly below its stellar standards. Going into last night’s game, the Cardinal had been averaging 21.6 points per game better than their opponents. Discounting an 80-43 rout of a struggling Washington State team, Stanford has posted an average margin of victory of 13.75 points in its last five contests.

One good sign for the Cardinal, though, was the return of guards JJ Hones and Jeanette Pohlen. Hones, a redshirt junior, had been struggling with a swollen knee and managed to play for four minutes last night. Pohlen missed her first game in 92 games last weekend after injuring her ankle against Washington State, sitting out against Washington two days later. She played for 27 minutes last night and posted a game-high six assists.

Next up for the Cardinal is the Beavers’ in-state counterpart, the Oregon Ducks. After a disappointing 2008-09 season, the Ducks (12-6, 3-3) have rebounded in a big way, posting a 9-3 non-conference record and winning their first three Pac-10 games before dropping two games to the Arizona schools and losing 72-62 to Cal last night.

The last time Stanford faced the Ducks, the Cardinal blew them out at Maples Pavilion in a dominant 72-43 win. This year, though, there is plenty of reason to believe that things could be different.

Oregon was selected in both preseason polls to finish eighth in the conference, but is currently leading the nation in scoring with an average of 87.4 points per game. They have been enjoying contributions from up and down the roster this season, including an impressive four players who are averaging more than 10 points per game, compared to Stanford’s three. One of them, senior guard and Oregon points-leader Taylor Lilley, averages 16.4 points per game and has 44 steals on the year (or nearly three per game).

Stanford will take on the Ducks tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.

The Cardinal could not be reached for comment.

It may not have been their prettiest game, but the No. 2 Cardinal came away with its sixth straight win Saturday afternoon after beating the Washington Huskies 66-51 at Maples Pavilion. Stanford forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike led both teams with 20 points and 13 rebounds, but at times struggled with the rest of the Stanford squad to find good shots, control the ball and contest Washington’s offense.

“It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to see,” said Stanford Head Coach Tara VanDerveer to open the post-game conference.  “I just thought it was a disappointing effort compared to my expectations for how I want our team to play. […] We weren’t moving the ball the way we wanted to; we weren’t aggressive on defense [or] going after loose balls. It just felt less than inspired. […] Overall, I think it points to [the fact that] we have a lot of work to do.”

The game opened at an uncharacteristically fast pace, with both teams taking a lot of shots and nearly every rebound going to the defense. The Huskies (8-8, 3-3) hung tough until Kayla Pederson sunk her second three-pointer at 13:25 to make it 16-8. While both teams showed less energy as the period wore on, Stanford (15-1, 5-0 Pac-10) managed to buffer its lead to 35-21 before heading to the locker room.

As the second half began, so did Stanford’s more serious troubles. Reigning Pac-10 player of the Year Jayne Appel committed her third foul of the game barely 90 seconds in and was replaced by freshman Joslyn Tinkle. Appel would finish the game with only six shots. Her teammates, meanwhile, couldn’t find the basket until Ogwumike’s left-handed lay-up at 17:09, extending the at-times fragile lead to 37-28. The Huskies continued to press, keeping it as close as 50-42 with 7:55 remaining.

While many of Stanford’s struggles against the Huskies were more subjective – a coach has the right to expect more energy from one of last year’s Final Four teams – the game’s final stats also suggest that the Cardinal may not have been firing on all cylinders.

The Cardinal gave up 17 turnovers to the Huskies and managed to grab 11 offensive rebounds (a relatively low total, considering that Washington primarily used a zone defense and that the Cardinal had 20 the last time they hosted the Huskies). Going back to the beginning of last season, Stanford hasn’t scored less than 66 points in any home game save one: a 58-41 win last February over then-No. 3 California. The 15-point margin of victory is tied for being their smallest of the year at home, matching that of a 67-52 win over another former No. 3 team, Tennessee. The last time the Cardinal hosted the Huskies, they ran them out of the building with a school and conference-record 112-35 scoring margin.

It might seem odd to fault a team while they’re winning, but Cardinal, seeking to earn its first National Championship after nine consecutive Pac-10 titles, has recently struggled to meet the admittedly high expectations of players, coaches and fans.

“Today’s game was definitely uninspired,” admitted redshirt senior Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. “I think there’s been a string of games now where we’ve won because we’re maybe bigger or more talented, not because we’re playing a more inspired game to win and I think we need to pick it up. I wouldn’t pick out just this one game as an anomaly – I think it’s a string.”

While the high standards for a team of Stanford’s caliber merit some criticism after such a performance, the Cardinal still played plenty of good basketball to come away with a victory. Stanford outshot the Huskies 47.1% to 30.6%, outboarded them 44 to 31, made 18 assists compared to the Huskies’ eight and stole the ball nine times compared to Washington’s six.

“Obviously we had to do some good things to win the game,” VanDerveer said. “I thought we had some good plays. Nneka got inside and made some good plays.”

Washington, meanwhile, had a few unusual troubles of its own. The Huskies got off to an impressive start, sweeping a talented pair of Arizona teams two weeks ago to earn a record of 8-6, 3-1. Highlighting the Huskie season is senior Sami Whitcomb, who (entering Saturday’s game) led her team with 14.0 points-per-game and 6.0 rebounds-per-game.

Some of the Cardinal’s struggles may have simply been caused by absent players. Both scratched from the game were point guard JJ Hones (with a swollen knee) and guard Jeanette Pohlen. It was the first time in 53 games that Pohlen, who injured her ankle against Washington State on Thursday, was out of the starting lineup and her first time missing a game altogether in the Cardinal’s last 92. Sophomore Lindy La Rocque started in her place.

“With Jeanette, I’m not counting on her [to be ready next week],” said VanDerveer. “JJ probably could’ve played tonight if it was an NCAA game or something, but she’s just trying to rest her knee more until it’s better.”

Although it’s never good to have several experienced players injured or struggling, there are certain bright sides to the Cardinal’s current situation.

“Until [everyone’s healthy and playing well], I think this is an excellent opportunity,” Gold-Onwude said. “I think there’s a lot of players who had 20 points and 10 assists and all that in high school – young players with an opportunity to really show themselves. I think we just have to embrace the challenge.”

One such player, at least on Saturday, was Joslyn Tinkle. The Missoula, Montana freshman posted two three-pointers and a steal, scoring eight points in only 17 minutes.

The Cardinal will take to the court again this Thursday, when it travels north to face Oregon State at 7 p.m. After battling the Beavers, Stanford will take on their counterpart at Oregon University, the Ducks, on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Cardinal women rout Cougars

Nnemkadi Ogwumike posted her seventh 20-plus point game of the season, leading both teams with 22 while picking up 13 rebounds. Stanford is now 49-0 all time against Washington State.

The Cardinal (14-1, 4-0 Pac-10) all but locked down the game on the defensive side to open, holding the Cougars (5-11, 0-5) to just 18.4 percent shooting in the first half. Stanford, meanwhile, found the basket on 54.8 percent of its shots during the first frame.

“I think people tried to work hard defensively, and we were a lot bigger than them,” said Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer. “I think we could affect their vision and affect their shots. Our team has been working hard defensively, and I think we’ve played well defensively every game this season.”

Stanford’s dominant first half was led by an eight-for-10 effort by Ogwumike. The sophomore guard nearly earned her eventual double-double in the first half with 16 points and nine rebounds, and provided one of the game’s most exciting moments with a mid-air put-back off a missed Kayla Pederson lay-up.

“[Ogwumike] is a phenomenal athlete, just a gifted young lady who’s really improved her skills,” said Washington State head coach June Daugherty. “It looks like she’s just living in the gym here at Stanford, and she’s very difficult to guard. She can hit the step-back or square up; it’s not just a drive and rebound game like in the past. Her skill package makes it really, really tough to guard.”

Stanford had a fairly comfortable control over the game coming into the second half, leading 42-19, but an injury to Jeanette Pohlen would ignite their offense and lead to them putting the game away. Two and a half minutes into the second frame, the junior guard went down hard near the basket and had to be carried off by two trainers, keeping weight off her right foot.

“Jeanette sprained the same ankle that she sprained in the Cal game [two weeks ago],” VanDerveer said. “We’re gonna have to let it heal up.”

Her teammates, who had yet to score since halftime, would respond with a marked increase in tempo and intensity.

Captain and senior Jayne Appel, who had only six points until Pohlen’s injury, immediately became more involved in the game, pulling down two rebounds and taking more aggressive shots over the next two minutes. She ended the game with 14 points and nine rebounds. Point guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude took initiative as well, picking up two quick three-pointers after a scoreless first half.

“I think that they did step up big . . . Everyone’s attention was gotten at the point, and I think Jayne really said, ‘Wow, I gotta get to work in here,’” VanDerveer said. “Jayne’s a competitor, and she always posts up big . . . Ros had been playing really well, too, and she helped us especially when Jeanette went out.”

Gold-Onwude, long praised for her leadership and pesky perimeter defense, has been contributing a lot on the offensive end recently as well. On the heels of a career-high 18-point effort at UCLA last weekend, the redshirt senior put up 11 points against the Cougars last night.

“I think she’s playing really confidently right now, she’s coming out and looking to take her shot, and I think that’s the main difference-maker for her right now,” Appel said. “She’s run this offense for five years now, so I think it kind of comes with her role that we expect.”

As Stanford built its lead, VanDerveer was able to move deeper into her bench. Seven non-starters got at least four minutes of time on the court, their contributions highlighted by an uncontested Ashley Cimino three-pointer that electrified the crowd.

Statistically speaking, the one dark spot for the Cardinal last night was in turnovers. The Cougars stole the ball nine times and forced 16 turnovers, compared to seven steals and 12 forced turnovers for the Cardinal.

“We definitely have things to work on,” VanDerveer said. “We need to take care of the ball better, and I think we can get on the O-boards better. I thought we were a little bit sloppy sometimes, [but] we also have a lot to build on.”

The Cardinal will continue its first full homestand of the conference season tomorrow afternoon, hosting the Washington Huskies at 2 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.

The Cardinal will return to Maples Pavilion to kick off its first two-game weekend of 2010 tonight, hosting the Washington State Cougars before facing the other Washington school on Saturday, the UW Huskies. Stanford (13-1, 3-0 Pacific-10) will look to continue its perfect Pac-10 season and maintain its No. 2 national ranking.

This weekend in particular, Stanford is playing with history – both recent and long-term – firmly on its side. The last time the Cardinal hosted the Cougars (5-10, 0-4) and the Huskies (8-6, 3-1), they ran them right off the court. They cruised past the Huskies in a 112-35 rout – the biggest win in conference history – before earning a similarly comfortable 102-53 victory over the Cougars.

Last year, both Washington schools faced the Cardinal with overall records around .500. The Huskies are faring somewhat better so far this year with just one conference loss, while the Cougars – tonight’s opponent – have yet to win in the Pac-10. The Huskies swept the Arizona schools last weekend, while the Cougars got swept themselves.

But regardless of match history and of the opponents’ recent play, head coach Tara VanDerveer is intent on staying focused.

“It really doesn’t matter who you’re playing,” VanDerveer said. “Every game we play in our league gives us challenges. Washington State has quick, penetrating players that we’ll have trouble with if we don’t stop. If you don’t come out with an aggressive mindset – remembering that we’re here at home, this is our court – then yes, you risk losing to a team that might not have a solid record right now. But records and statistics are irrelevant. You have to come out and get the job done.”

Senior captain Jayne Appel, recently named a midseason candidate for the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s Wooden Award, agrees that even a team like the Cougars can’t be taken lightly.

“They’re an interesting team, really,” Appel said. “They have a lot of young players, a lot of sophomores, especially at guard, and while they may not have done well last weekend, we have to understand that we’ve got a target on our back as the number two team in the nation. We need to remember that everyone who we play circles that game on their calendar, and they’re trying to take that away from us.”

Appel has been a major contributor during her time on the Farm, earning her way to the Pac-10 Player of the Year Award last season and essentially becoming the face of the team since the departure of Candice Wiggins. So far in 2009-10, however, the Pleasant Hill, Calif. native hasn’t had many of the lights-out performances that have characterized her career. She currently is third on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game (and most of the conference season left to play), whereas she led the Cardinal last season with an overall 16.1 ppg – more than five points better than the second-place Kayla Pederson.

“I don’t really think I’m at the standard that I set for myself,” Appel said. “I’ve had a few games so far that I’ve played well, but I definitely haven’t had a great game. But right now we’ve got Nneka and Kayla and other players who are playing out of this world, so I’m trying to get them the ball if that’s what get’s us a W. I think that’s part of being a captain, learning how to get them the ball if that’s who’s hot.”

One player Appel will look to support offensively this weekend is guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. The redshirt senior, long praised by her coach and teammates for her pesky defense on the perimeter, has lately been just as impressive with her offense. She had a career-high 18 points in the Cardinal’s win over UCLA last weekend, including four three-pointers, and combined with Nnemkadi Ogwumike to go 6-for-6 as the Bruins nearly closed the gap in the second half.

“I think Ros can contribute more offensively now, after putting in a lot of work on her shot over the summer,” VanDerveer said. “She’s been shooting the ball really well in practice, and I’ve been saying ‘Ros, you need to be looking for your shot more.’ So she’s been working hard in practice and playing with a lot of confidence.”

So far this season, the Cardinal has rarely had the luxury of playing for a full crowd of fans. This weekend, though, the Cardinal will play its first traditional series at Maples Pavilion while students are on campus.

“You know, it’s been really tough this season because so many of our games – whether it’s Cal, Tennessee, or Duke – have been over break, and it means a lot for the team to have the enthusiasm that the students bring,” VanDerveer said. So I hope a lot of them will come this weekend and get their chance to see our young players, and how much Nneka and our freshmen have improved. I think it will be fun for them.”

The Cardinal will host the Cougars tonight at 7 p.m., and the Huskies on Saturday at 2 p.m. Both games will be in Maples Pavilion and will be broadcast live on 90.1 FM KZSU.

Guards Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and JJ Hones and forward Kayla Pedersen enjoy the waning moments of a Cardinal victory. Stanford has had many chances to smile, winning 10 of its first 11 games this season. This weekend’s trip to the Los Angeles schools marks the Cardinal’s first road trip in Pac-10 play. Stanford will take on two tough opponents in USC and UCLA, both coming off sweeps of ranked teams. (MASARU OKA/Staff Photographer)

The No. 2 Cardinal will face one of the tougher tests of its still-young Pac-10 season this weekend when the team heads to Los Angeles to play USC and UCLA. After soundly defeating rival Cal its last time out, Stanford will look to continue its momentum en route toward a 10th consecutive conference title.

While it may be difficult to imagine the 10-1 Cardinal facing a considerable challenge in both games of a road trip, the Trojans (8-5, 2-0 Pac-10) and the Bruins (9-4, 2-0) perennially find themselves in contention for competitive spots in conference and national tournaments. While the Cardinal managed to win all of its matchups against the L.A. schools last season, the games were not easy, including hard-fought Pac-10 tournament games. The Trojans in particular posed a significant threat to Stanford, barely losing the race to a regular season conference title and earning runner-up behind Stanford in the Pac-10 tournament.

By all indications, it would appear that both teams are off to fantastic seasons. Just last weekend, in fact, the L.A. schools each managed to sweep nationally ranked Arizona State and Arizona.

“Both teams look great,” emphasized Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer. “I’ve been watching so far, and USC had Tennessee down by 10 at one point on the road, and UCLA had an opportunity to beat Duke at Duke, so they’ve both done well with a tough non-conference schedule. But that’s the nature of it. We want to play teams that have done well and will make us better. This is definitely a very tough road trip, and it might be the toughest combination of teams we face.”

Given what they’ve already been through this season, Stanford should be well prepared to compete on this road trip. The Cardinal purposely scheduled a tough non-conference season, including several games against top-10 teams, and managed to outscore opponents in 21 of 22 halves that it played — the exception being a disappointing second half against defending champion Connecticut.

“We played a brutal non-conference season, arguably the toughest ever for Stanford and probably one of the toughest in the country,” VanDerveer said. “I think our team played terrific basketball. I think we learned a lot, and we’re very excited about the Pac-10.”

Stanford already played one game in its conference season, knocking off the Golden Bears by an apparently convincing margin of 79-58. Never one to rest on her team’s laurels, however, VanDerveer wasn’t entirely satisfied with the team’s performance.

The Cardinal was able to hold Cal to just 35.9 percent shooting and picked up a combined 49 rebounds, but shot a somewhat underwhelming 41.8 percent. Last season, the Cardinal shot an average of 47.3 percent for the year.

“I wasn’t really pleased with how we played against Cal, and I think we’ve really cleaned some things up since,” she said. “We’re doing some new things and getting everyone on the same page. Our rebounding and our defense was great, but we’ve since been working really hard to clean up our offense, and it looks a lot better.”

Good teams need good players, something the Trojans and Bruins certainly are not lacking. USC is led on the court by sophomore guards Ashley Corral (15.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 5.8 assists per game) and Briana Gilbreath (12.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg). Heading up UCLA’s offense, meanwhile, are standout freshman guard Markel Walker (12.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and sophomore guard Jasmine Dixon (12.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg).

Stanford’s roster, meanwhile, is absolutely packed with star power. Sophomore guard Nnemkadi Ogwumike and junior forward Kayla Pedersen hold the Pac-10’s top spots in scoring with 18.8 and 18.0 points per game, respectively. Senior Jayne Appel’s 9.7 rebounds per game are good enough for third in the conference; Ogwumike and Pedersen are fourth and fifth. Besides these “big three,” another impressive playmaker has been redshirt junior guard JJ Hones, who is leading the conference with a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio after returning from her second major ACL injury.

Ogwumike, in particular, has impressed of late. After the game with Cal, in which the some of her teammates had a harder time finding the net, the Cypress, Texas, native secured her sixth game with more than 20 points (she had 24) and fourth double-double of the season. She is currently second in the conference with 63.4 shooting percentage.

“Some people talk about a sophomore slump,” VanDerveer said. “That’s not the case with Nneka . . . she’s been nothing but sophomore spectacular.”

Ogwumike worked her way into a starter’s role for a portion of her freshman season, and expectations for her couldn’t be much higher.

“My biggest goal was to become more of a threat for my team,” Ogwumike said. “I wanted to work on my outside shot and get more of an aggressive mentality.”

Whatever her plan was, it seems to be working. One contribution that was less anticipated — but certainly welcome — was her defense. Ogwumike had two blocked shots and a steal against Cal. She now is second on the team in both steals (13) and defensive rebounding (72).

I don’t see myself as the best defensive player, but I think I’m improving,” she said. “Our coaches have definitely been helping us work and improve our defense. It’s progressing right now, and I’d like to be more of a locked-down defensive player.”

Stanford will begin its first Pac-10 road trip tonight at 7 p.m., when it faces the Trojans. After a practice day, the Cardinal will head to UCLA for a 2 p.m. game on Sunday.

With final exams over, it was time for the women’s basketball team to get back down to business. The holiday season may have been a nice, relaxing break for most students, but it was far from that for this team, with six grueling fixtures over three weeks.

“I’ve never played a stretch of games like these games,” said senior Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. “I like the way [Head Coach] Tara [VanDeveer] puts it…it’s like the [NCAA] Tournament in December.”

Half of the Cardinal’s games were against top-10 teams. Stanford went 5-1 over the stretch, losing only to No. 1 Connecticut.

To kick off their “break,” Stanford faced the DePaul Blue Demons, followed by the No. 7/8 Duke Blue Devils. These ominously hellish-sounding teams could not, however, break the Cardinal’s unbeaten 8-0 run this season, losing 96-60 and 71-55 respectively.

The Cardinal continued with a tough stretch against Tennessee (67-52 win), Connecticut (80-68 loss), and a non-conference season finish at Fresno State (68-46 win). It then began Pacific-10 Conference play against rival California (79-58 win).

The first two games were physical challenges for Stanford, with DePaul and Duke recording 20 and 23 team fouls, respectively the team had to battle for possession all over the court.

The DePaul game saw senior Jayne Appel pass the 1,000 rebound mark, becoming only the third Stanford player to do so. With 22 games left in the regular season, she is well on target to break the 1,143 record, but it’s not what she, or the team, really cares about.

“I think it’s cool, but I’d rather win a national championship,” Appel said. “[This statistic] doesn’t really have any big reference, kinda in and out of my head.”

The Cardinal continued its solid play against Duke. It was not a flawless performance, and though both teams had periods where they seemed to be gaining the momentum and outplaying their opposition, the Cardinal grinded out the win.

“[We] just stayed with things,” said Coach Tara VanDerveer, “even though sometimes it wasn’t pretty. To me it was a heavyweight fight and I’m really proud of how our team did.”

The Blue Devils were nothing if not physical<\p>–<\p>perhaps too physical. One player fouled out, and several others came close.

But at times this aggression seemed to be having the desired effect on Stanford, forcing careless mistakes.

“I really have higher expectations for our guard play,” VanDerveer said. “We broke their press and then we would throw shots up that looked like they were gonna break the backboard.”

Stanford’s next two opponents, like Duke, were top-10 teams that intended to serve intense competition. The Cardinal faced No. 3 Tennessee on the 19th, and undefeated No. 1 Connecticut just four days later. Stanford fended off a talented Lady Vol squad en route to a 67-52 victory, but then faded late against the Huskies as it fell 80-68 in a rematch of last year’s national semifinals.

The Cardinal’s game against Tennessee started off with a bang, as both teams exchanged the lead amid alternating offensive spurts.

The Lady Vols put the Cardinal down 11-4 in the first eight minutes, thanks to scoring drives led by redshirt sophomore Kelley Cain and junior Angie Bjorklund. Stanford would respond, however, with a big run of its own.

Over a dominant eight-minute stretch, the Cardinal outscored Tennessee by 18-4. Seven different Stanford players scored during the outburst, and the Cardinal would not surrender the lead for the rest of the game.

The run ended emphatically on a three-point basket by Gold-Onwude. The Stanford guard found the hoop with another shot from beyond the arc soon afterward, and added a layup to give the Cardinal a 30-18 lead at halftime.

“I’m really proud of how Ros came in and really helped us,” VanDerveer said. “She had some big shots and played really hard defensively.”

The Cardinal went on to beat the Vols 67-52, handing Tennessee its first loss of the season. Junior Kayla Pedersen led both teams with 16 points, while sophomore Nnemkadi Ogwumike added 14 of her own.

“They exposed their game to all of women’s basketball today, and it wasn’t pretty,” said Tennessee Head Coach Pat Summitt. “They were the best team today in all aspects of the game. We’ve got to get a whole lot better. We fell apart. Sometimes that happens.”

After besting Tennessee, the Cardinal headed north for a much-anticipated matchup with Connecticut. Going into the contest, Coach Geno Auriemma’s No. 1 Huskies were undefeated after nine games and hadn’t lost in their last 48 contests.

For the second time in as many games, the opening 20 minutes were characterized by alternating bursts of strong offense. Connecticut took off to a quick 19-10 lead, led by reigning Player of the junior Year Maya Moore.

As in the Tennessee game before it, however, Stanford was able to respond. Pedersen and Ogwumike led a 15-2 run, scoring a combined 11 points as the Cardinal seemed to take control of the game. Stanford led 25-21 at the end of the spurt, posting the biggest lead that any team has held over UConn this season, and went on to lead 40-38 at the half.

The Huskies were completely dominant in the second frame, at one point going on a 30-6 run. Despite making only one three-pointer and shooting 50 percent from the field, Connecticut managed to take advantage of Cardinal turnovers and run away with the game.

“They came out and were more aggressive definitely [in the second half],” said Ogwumike. “What it felt like for me is that we were kind of slow to react to what was going on, and they just went after it. It is hard to compensate for such aggressive play and I think that is what really got us.”

Stanford, meanwhile, posted less than half as many points as they did in their impressive first half. They were outrebounded 43-29 and outshot 73-56 from the field, and gave up 17 turnovers during the game before losing 80-68.

“They didn’t care if you got in the way or not – they are just going in there,” VanDerveer said. “We need people to step up and take charges in that situation. They are definitely head and shoulders above us, and they just play at a different pace than anybody. They are moving the ball and their players are moving and screening. They played very well together.”

Stanford was quick to bounce back, however, with a dominant 68-46 victory at Fresno State. Appel led both teams with 20 points and 18 rebounds, while Pedersen added 14 points of her own. The Cardinal’s push to victory, though, was kickstarted by a Gold-Onwude three-pointer four minutes in. They were the first points of the game.

Stanford had another slow start before it bested rival Cal 79-58 to begin its conference season. The Cardinal missed 21 of its first 25 shots.

“In the first half, we weren’t hitting layups and were really lethargic and slow,” Ogwumike said.

Ogwumike would go on to lead her team to an explosive second half, scoring 24 points and posting 16 rebounds, a career high. Pedersen posted a double-double as well, with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

With the 5-1 break, Stanford improves to 11-1 and maintains its No. 2 national ranking. The Cardinal continues its season this weekend in Los Angeles, playing USC on Friday at 7 p.m. and UCLA on Sunday at 2 p.m.

It wasn’t so long ago that Stanford and Santa Clara last battled it out, but it was clear Friday that a lot had certainly changed.  While the Cardinal (23-0) demolished the Broncos (14-7-2) on the road back in early October by a score of 6-2, the 2009 season’s second ‘South Bay Derby’ played out almost nothing like the first.

Stanford’s third playoff game was instead a back-and-forth nailbiter, but fortunately for the fans on The Farm, one thing remained the same: a Cardinal victory.  Punching a ticket to the NCAA quarterfinals with the win, Stanford edged out its local rivals 1-0 on a cold, wet night when a Teresa Noyola free kick was the big difference-maker.

“Yeah, I think [it was different this time],” said Stanford Head Coach Paul Ratcliffe.  Everyone knows it’s the last game of [Santa Clara’s] season if they don’t get the result, so emotions were high and it was a physical match, and it was a tight game.”

Stanford had the brighter start to the game, and had a decent chance just ten minutes in when senior forward Kelley O’Hara cut inside her defender on the right and unleashed a shot from outside the box. Curling it off her weaker left foot, however, she could only hit it directly at Bronco keeper Bianca Henninger.

Santa Clara began to get back into the game soon after, and the match began to have a feisty edge to it. After a series of fouls by both teams, SCU fullback Jenny LaPonte picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 19th minute.

The remainder of the first half saw both teams create chances, but it looked like the game would remain scoreless heading into halftime. That all changed when O’Hara was hauled down 25 yards from goal in the 39th minute. Sophomore Teresa Noyola—once again playing the role of impact sub—stepped up and curled a beautiful free kick over the wall and towards the corner of the goal. Henninger managed to get a touch on it but could only deflect it in off the crossbar, and it was 1-0 Stanford.

Interestingly, Noyola and Henninger have a history that goes back much farther than their time in Division I soccer.  Both sophomores, the pair played with and against each other on various national and club teams.

“I’ve seen her make super saves all the time, so that makes it that much better to get it,” said Noyola.  “If it had been just an inch lower, she might’ve gotten to it.  She definitely read it well, and I’ve known Bianca for a long time, played with her and against her, and to get one on her was great.  She’s a great keeper.”

The teams traded shots to begin the second half, and in the 59th minute, Stanford had a golden opportunity to double its advantage. Noyola was again the architect, getting to the endline on the left before centering for junior Christen Press. The junior got under the bouncing ball, however, and uncharacteristically sent her close range shot over the open goal.

“We wanted to get that second goal, you know, and we had a chance and Christen Press unfortunately missed a good chance that she usually puts away,” Ratcliffe said.  “So I wasn’t happy that we didn’t get that second goal.”

The Cardinal players did not let the miss get in their heads, though, and continued to push forward. In the 76th minute, freshman center back Alina Garciamendez got headed a corner kick towards goal and O’Hara redirected it with another header. Henninger was beaten, but Santa Clara’s Kiki Bosio was there to clear the ball off the line and keep the Broncos in the game.

That would be Stanford’s last shot of the game, as- like last weekend’s match against BYU- the one-goal lead led to an anxious final ten minutes.

“I wasn’t happy with how we ended the game.  We should’ve cleared the ball a lot better,” Ratcliffe reflected.

Santa Clara nearly equalized with just three minutes remaining: SCU defender Jordan Angeli appeared to mishit her shot from the top of the box, but as the ball looped back down to earth it became clear that it was heading under the crossbar. Luckily for Stanford, junior goalkeeper Kira Maker was alert to the danger and made a leaping save to keep the ball out.

The Card held on for three more minutes, and after yet another gritty tournament victory, the team was on to the quarterfinals for the second straight year.For Santa Clara, meanwhile, the loss was a difficult end to a promising season.“We put in a year’s worth of work just since the end of last season,” reflected Santa Clara Head Coach Jerry Smith.  “For us to have the regular season that we did, we got better and stronger, and to get back into the NCAA tournament and back into the Sweet Sixteen, I am so proud of this group for al the effort and commitment, and the only thing that knocked us out at the end was the undisputed number one team in the tournament.”

Stanford will continue its postseason in the Elite Eight next Friday against the Eagles of Boston College (18-3-2).