November 2007 archives

Nov 28th- Benched

Okay, I have been keeping quiet for a purpose, and believe you me, it is hard for me to be quiet. Faithful Readers (All 2 of ya) will note that I won the right to sit on the bench during the Stanford-USF game. I got my congratulatory email with instructions on what to do on game day, and the then the last sentence, “nothing on the internet”. Uh oh. I have  a stupid blog about Stanford Women’s Basketball on the internet. How am I NOT going to put anything on the “internet”? So I have been laying low lest I lose the golden ticket. I discuss this dilemma with my son. He states it is a free country with free speech and that  I can write what I want when I want. (Isn’t he cute? He’s only 14). So anyway, after a lengthy discuss about what is free speech and do we posses it and yelling “fire” in a crowded theater with the aforementioned son’s eyes glazing over, I get ready for game day.

Game Day
Game time minus 2 hours. I plan to meet R and our basketball friend S in an hour at R’s house at 6 PM, then the three of us will take a leisurely drive to Maples and arrive about 15 minutes before game time. I reread instructions. They say get there one hour before game time. Yikes, quick call to R, she suggests I drive myself, then, after stuffing dinner, I race like bat out of…Tennessee…. to Maples through rush hour traffic without the advantage of using the car pool lane. 

Game day minus one hour. I find the loading dock on the opposite end of the front entrance and make it though the tough security (A very nice gentleman waved me in and I found the Director of Basketball, Eileen). She shakes my hand and looks me right in the eye without me saying a word and says, you are C of the C and R Stanford blog aren’t you? Gulp! Busted before I began. I blame R. She must of told, somehow. (Of course not, for the record R did not ever tell nobody nothing).

I say yes and Eileen goes over the rules again, no input is number one. (Yeah, Tara, I play on this Tuesday basketball team, and have you ever tried a 2-2-1 press?) Number 2, do not yell anything from the bench as you can get the team a technical and then Tara will kill us all….well, I can’t remember if Eileen said exactly Tara will kill us all, but it was something to the effect that, Tara will be really mad and then not let us do special things like have people on the bench ever, ever again. Now would I want to ruin it for everyone? I should say not. Plus, I am on this Tuesday basketball team, and I know what it is like to yell things from the bench and then have technical fouls given out recklessly and everybody all mad and everything, but I digress wildly.

So, then the director of Basketball Operations says, now about the internet. (Here it comes). She said, “you can write about your experience being on the bench, but not…”

I finish the sentence for her. “…Anything said in the locker room?” 

“Exactly.” 

We are both relieved. I mean, I wouldn’t want to write about the way Tara makes adjustments during half time and then have some Tennessee fan read it and pass it along to Pat Summit and she uses that information to beat Stanford. And Eileen doesn’t want Tara to kill anyone. So here is the experience without what went on in the locker room. 

I am now watching practice, and call R to see where she and S are. They are stuck in traffic. Too bad. I never get tired of watching Stanford warm up, particularly so because Candice is out there leading, telling everyone what drill they are doing next, clapping her hands. I look up at the banners hanging in a near empty Maples, silent except for shoe scuffing and dribbling, and see the men’s basketball team banner. They have one National Championship, in 1942! The women have 2 in the latter half of the century, plus a whole lot more PAC-10 Championships. Take that, guys. Then women’s volleyball banner kicks everyone’s butt with 6 national championships. Dang. I pull out my cell phone to tell R if she hurries, she can watch the warm ups too. At that very moment Tara walks by and sees me with a cell phone and scowls at me. Maybe someone is dying tonight. At least that’s what I feel like at that moment. After she walks away, I secretly call R and tell her to hurry up and that I am already in trouble! 

Then I make small talk with Amy Tucker. Really. Mostly we talked about how tired and cranky everyone was coming back from the Virgin Islands (Not as fun as you think as you are stuck in the gym or hotel the whole time). 

I am to stick to the trainer and stay out of everyone’s way. My seat is right next to the Gatorade bottles. Then it is time to go in to the locker room for the pre game chalk talk. And now I can’t tell you any more. Which is too bad because it was really, really good! I can tell you that I saw Candice and Jayne close up! 

Back out on the floor for a slight pre-game warm up, this time with more fans in the house. With more people to watch, the Cardinal put on a show. Now, I played basketball and went to basketball camps in my day but I have never seen so may drills done with 2 or 3 basketballs at once. Someone throws the ball in, you pass it off and another one comes at your head for you to catch and shoot, too. 

Then Tara and I make small talk. Really! We talked about getting ready for Tennessee. Actually, Tara made it a point to come up to me and introduce herself and chit chat. Watching her over the years, she is adamant that every player and coach be an ambassador to the game and try their best to encourage fans to come back. When R and I have stalked, uh, I mean run into her players over the years, they follow her lead well. 

R and S finally show up and come up and say hi. They ask me about the locker room chalk talk and I tell them I am sworn to secrecy. Their seats are on the opposite side of the court on a diagonal to me, so we will be able to make faces at each other during the game. 

The players come back to the bench for the National Anthem and throw their warm up jerseys to the trainer one seat away but some miss and hit me. I am trying to shrink out of the way and not get in any trouble or anything. I am on the bench as they introduce the players. I love that Candice is introduced as 5-11-and-a-half. I get to be in the huddle for last minute instructions. I make my way back to my seat, hanging out with all the players on crutches. Melanie Murphy is the latest one to injury herself (torn ACL) at the Virgin Island Tournament. Michelle Harrison, also a torn ACL, is on my left, the trainer on my right. Someone says where’s the band? (Indeed the Stanford Band is MIA this game) 

Then the action begins. Okay, this may sound clichéd, but the action looks much faster from front row. Much faster then TV or even R’s amazingly close seats. And the best part is you can hear the players talking, which is cool. They call out switches and who has who, and if there is help. Basically, you hear them telling each other I got your back. This has the dual purpose of telling your teammates what is going on, and to motivate and inspire them to play hard. Freshmen Kayla Pederson shows she is tough, fast and aggressive. She looks poised and seasoned for her first year. Very impressive. 

As each player comes out of the game, they slap hands with everyone on the bench. When they get to me, they slap it just the same! Hee hee. At one point, both Candice and Jayne come out at the same time, slap Candice, slap Jayne, and I turn my head and look right at R and S. They were watching me with their green eyes and their mouths are hanging open! They are so jealous! The trainer tells me whenever anyone makes a three, Morgan Clyborn comes down the line and gives 10 to everyone on the bench. Candice makes a few and I have both palms ready! 

Number 50 for USF is one tough cookie. She is smaller than our centers, but is banging around. At one point she gets knocked to the ground by us and she turns to the ref and say, “If I were you, I woudda called a foul. The ref looks like he is going to give her a “T” but then decided against it. He turns to the lovely Candice, who gives him that million dollar smile and he smiles back and says something about ole #50. Nothing like home court advantage. About 5 plays later, USF actually makes a basket and 50 grabs the ball and throws it backward down her back so it bounces really high. The ref calls her for delay of game and gives her a personal foul for it! I know all about angering refs, see I play on this Tuesday basketball team…but I again digress. However, you know this is not over between #50 and this ref.

Stanford is building a lead and the ref calls time out and motions to the trainer. There is blood on the court and he wants her to clean and sanitize and also find out who is bleeding. Doesn’t seem to be any of the Cardinal. Both teams make use of the official time out. The starting 5 on the court at the time of the timeout sit in the bench chairs when Tara talks, and the rest of the team gathers round. 

Tara calls another time out and as I am listening, the crowd roars. It is the loudest noise I have heard all night. It turns out, a timeout contest consisting of sinking a putt from half court is going on, and the contestant actually made the putt! It is at first funny and then a little sad that the putt got the biggest hand of the night. 

Action resumes and #50 of USF gets a technical. I told you it wasn’t over. R and S look over from cross court. We all saw it coming. 

Half time Stanford has a comfortable lead, and we run to the locker room….and then….I can’t tell ya. Which is too bad, cuz it was good!

Second half opens with a lot of the subs playing. Hanna Donaghe plays her first game. Every time she touches the ball the bench cheers. She makes a basket or 2 and the bench full of starters stand up. Then she sinks a three and the bench erupts! I get my hands out for Morgan. Hannah ends up with 11 and she said sometign really cute int eh locker room, but, dang, I can't tell you!

The game is over and Stanford wins 96-61. The Director of Basketball runs back for the little balls to have the players throw out to the crowd. They are white this year. I take one to keep. I meet up with R and S, and hold up the ball and ask, remember that time I caught a red one form Candice? We all laugh. I debrief R and S about what was said at half time and we relive the game’s highlights. I great way to see a different view of the game.

Nov 26th- Rally Caps

Does Stanford ever worry? Being down 17 at the half, no worries for Stanford. But worries aplenty for the other team.

"I told them exactly what was going to happen in the second half, exactly," Staley said. "I told them what Candice Wiggins was going to do in the second half. She's built for these types of games. She came out and willed her team to win."

Wiggins scored 22 points to lead Stanford to a 63-54 victory and a third place finish at the Paradise Jam.

"For some reason, I was thinking 'Dang, we're down 19,' but it never crossed my mind we were going to lose the game. And I think that's maybe why we won," she said.

Wiggins had three assists and went 8-for-9 from the free throw line, including 4-for-4 during a 13-0 spurt that put the Cardinal ahead 61-52 with a minute to play. Candice had a little help from the 6 from Jayne Appel and the 13 from Jillian Harmon, who grabbed 10 rebounds. Although, both of Stanford's post players, Pedersen and Appel, both picked up early fouls. Appel fouled out with 4:23 to play. Uh oh, more running for Jayne in practice.

Stanford bounced back from their first loss to beat Old Dominion 69-61 at the Paradise Jam tourney in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It wasn't easy or pretty but Stanford got help from Kayla Pedersen and her 21 points.

Well, the bubble burst. Stanford has their first loss, to a slightly higher ranked team and it wasn’t even close. Oh sure, the final score  reads 66-54 and it was in an exhibition tournament, The Paradise Jam, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but it shows again Stanford can’t hang with the elite programs. How bad was it? Well, Connecticut scored the first nine points and took a 22-8 lead in the first half. At least the Cardinal battled back to make it  a respectable Huskie lead of 31-22 at the half. Then Uconn had a 23-6 run that gave the Huskies a 60-34 lead with 9:40 remaining in the game. To their credit, Stanford responded with a 16-2 run, pulling within 12 points on a layup by Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. But it wasn’t enough, as the Huskies pulled ahead, 64-50, with 3:10 remaining. Disappointing that they can’t hang with the big girls. Oh, Candice Wiggins led Stanford with 15 points; Jayne Appel added 13 points and eight rebounds.

The first Pac-10 Women's Basketball Player of the Week has been named and it's Jayne! Her week was highlighted by a career-high 30 points, 20 rebounds, and six blocks in Sunday's double over time win at Utah, helping Stnaford go 3-0 so far this season. In those three victories, Appel shot 61.5% from the field, averaging 22.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 3.33 blocks per game. The honor is the second of Appel's career. Way to go Jayne.

Stanford was playing unranked Utah, so C and R decide to go outside and play some basketball themselves, figuring Stanford has this game in hand. When they come back and check the box scores, imagine their surprise to see Stanford barely hung on for a 81-77 win. To make matters worse, it was a barn burner of a game, going into double overtime, making C and R sad they missed the fireworks.. And the game had plenty of goats and heroics. To put it more succulently, Candice was a goat and Jayne was a hero. 

One could argue the whole team was a goat in shooting, making just 29 of 81 field-goal attempts. My girl Candice, the aforementioned goat, was especially bad, going 4-of-17. Jayne was starting to look goat-like when she picked up her 4^th foul with 6 minutes in regulation. Then hero Melanie Murphy hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in regulation to force the first over time. 

More goats abounded in the second overtime, as Candice, who was having an off shooting night anyway, fouled out with just under three minutes left in the first over time.

"As soon as I fouled out, the first thing I heard was Jayne. She called everybody together and said 'Candice - we got you. This is for you. We got you,' " Wiggins said. Isn’t that cool? Jayne is starting to show leadership and raise her out of goathood. Then more goats in Kayla Pedeson for missing two free throws with 12 seconds left, leaving the Utes within two and then to Jayne for letting a little 5’5 guard dribble down court and make  a layup under her arms with under a second left to force the second over time. Jayne! 

In the second overtime, Stanford scored the first six points, including four by Appel. Jayne finished with 30 points and 20 rebounds, raising her up to hero status. Reading about it, it seems getting crushed by Team USA really demoralized the Cardinal. Stanford was lucky to escape with that win!

School was in session late Thursday night. Unfortunately, it was the Stanford’s Women’s basketball team getting schooled by the Team USA. 

R and I walked into Maples Pavilion to get a look at the Women’s US National Team, who was in town to get a tune up game for the 2008 Olympics. We made it just in time for warm-ups. We saw too-tall Lisa Leslie, and look, there’s Diana Taurusi, and Sue Bird. They all looked strong and powerful. On the other end of the floor, we saw Candice being the leader, ordering the Cardinal around on drills, and slapping hands with anyone who walked past. It was neat to see the Cardinal genuinely like each other. 

Back to the other side, and Taurusi hits 4 3-pointers in a row, effortlessly. On our side, Candice counters with 2 3-pointers in a row. Then the players exchange gifts at half court, and the Star Spangled Banner was song by a Stanford’s women’s A cappella group, with one of the members being a cheerleader. 

Then the action began. It was like watching women play against girls. The National team just looked bigger, stronger, faster. The speed at which they executed was fantastic. Stanford tried to keep up, but they were no match. Taurasi could glide to the hoop so fast, and she is so strong, there was no stopping her.

But to give the Cardinal credit, they kept it close in the first half, and caught up within 3, when then score was 27-24, and then the speed and strength and the experience took over. It didn’t hurt that Team USA shoot an astonishing near 60% in the game. I mean, they just didn’t miss. To be fair, when Team USA pulled away, Tara played her subs a good portion of the second half to get them some life experience, and then Kara Braxton cleaned up. Lisa Leslie might be tall and can rebound anything, but Kara can score at will. Big, strong, tall and aggressive, she looked good. Team USA cruised to a 97-62 win, a 35 point margin. 

I hope Stanford learned their lesson well. They still have a lot of work to make it to the next level. 

Oh no, It’s what Tara feared. Michelle Harrison is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Okay, as you all know, C greatly admires Candice Wiggins and thinks she is a special player. This, in turn, has lead to jokes about how much C thinks Candice can do no wrong. This leads to much exaggeration, such as, C thinks Candice can score 50 points with just one pinkie and nine toes tied behind her back, and R gets put out because she is a Jayne Appel fan and C doesn’t give her enough dues. Well, having said all that, C thinks Candice Wiggins single-handedly beat number three Rutgers, 60-58.

Oh yes, the rest of the team was there, and Jayne even helped by scoring 18 to Wiggins’ 19, and freshman Kayla Pederson was phenomenal, scoring 15 points and grabbing 16 rebounds for the Cardinal, who, incidentally, out rebounded Rutgers 50-32. But it was Wiggins who won that game. As the boring announcers said (where do they get those people, and can they show some enthusiasm?) great players make great plays, and when in close games, as this one was, comes down to the final seconds, you have to ask, which players want the ball in their hands? The answer to both this game was Wiggins.

Yes, there was some shot blocking, but it wasn’t Jayne, it was Kia Vaughn for Rutgers that stuffed the Cardinal. And the slashing and scoring at will player was Rutgers Epiphanny Prince, who had 21 for Rutgers. But when Rutgers had a one point lead and Stanford had the ball under their basket with 7 seconds on the shot clock, Wiggins dribbled through traffic and hit a running jumper from the top of the key as the shot clock expired with three minutes left. And it gave Stanford the confidence that they could win this thing.

Then, with the game tied at 58, Essence Carson of Rutgers missed a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left. Stanford scrambled for the rebound and it was Candice who got it. We watched waiting for Stanford to calla time out as there wasn’t any time to dribble all the way down court and get a shot off. But then Epiphanny Prince reached in hard and Candice shook off her arm. The game clock went off and the boring announcer said we are going into over time. But then the cameras showed the ref calling afoul on number 10. Prince got called for the reach in practically under her basket! There was no way Stanford could have gotten close to even take a shot. But she fouled Wiggins, only the best free throw shooter with one tenth of a second on the shot clock. A very large mental mistake on Prince’s part. And after C and R watched Stanford practice and knew Candice hits there things in her sleep, we knew it was in the bag. Candice sank the first one, nothing but net. Same with the second!!

"Every time I take free throws in practice, I try to simulate it's a game," she said. "I love to know if the game is on the line for free throws, I know we are going to win the game because I put that pressure on myself."

Rutgers in bounded the ball and actually got a shot off but it missed by a mile. It was great to see Candice surrounded by her teammates and to see the joy on her face as the team moved in a group hug/dance. 

 The announcers also beat to death the whole Don Imus racial quotes from last year, when Rutgers played in the finals and lost to Tennessee. Rutgers were hoping to come out and win and start anew and wipe away his ugly memory. Candice wouldn’t let them.

On a sour note, sophomore Michelle Harrison, was on crutches following her knee injury in Friday's 100-44 victory over Yale. She will be reevaluated when Stanford returns home.

Stanford beat Yale 100-44, and if you think that sounds bad, it is. It was Yale's worst loss in school history. Also, if you think Stanford beating Yale sounds odd, it is that, too. This was only the second meeting between the schools. Stanford also prevailed in that match-up, 75-61 at Maples Pavilion on Jan. 11, 1979.

However, back to reality, and the real test comes Sunday when Stanford plays number 3 Rutgers. Our sensational freshmen team of Kayla Pedersen and Jeannette Pohlen each added 15 points. Big sis Candice said, "I'm really proud of the freshmen." One big negative was that sophomore Michelle Harrison injured her knee on a fast break lay-up midway through the half and did not return.

Only R was able to attend the Stanford women’s basketball opener on Nov. 3rd – with her new courtside seats. Here is her tale.

OMG! C, not only am I impressed with the athleticism of the women that played on 11/3/07 at Stanford, but my new seats are really good.

So C, the starters were a shocker: Jill, Candice, Cissy, KAYLA and Ros! Where is JANE? So, I asked the guy that practiced with them, “yo, whatup with Jane not playing?” And he informed me that she has a shoulder injury – not serious.

Okay, back to watching these women (within earshot!!! – hello, Candice) and I am so impressed with their coordination. A baseball pass in the first few minutes down court to Jill and it is under thrown. Her maneuver to catch the ball would rival the best Jerry Rice catch. And she turns and puts the ball in the hoop – all in a day’s work.

So, as the game went on, I sat DIRECTLY across from former Cardinal player Molly Goodenbour, head coach of the Wildcats, members of the Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association, and noticed that she is beautiful…okay, I digress..

Back to Maples Pavilion, I watched Jill Harmon lead this team with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kayla added 13 points and 10 boards, but I want JANE!

Freshman Jeanette Pohlen scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds before falling to injury – and it seemed nobody noticed. NO one on the bench moved a muscle when she fell. Huh, I tell ya what I noticed, she is an incredible basketball player, hello?

Cissy Pierce scored 12 points while Rosalyn Gold-Onwude scored 11 points and is an obvious leader of this squad - the Cardinal defense exploded with 6 blocks by Morgan Clyburn, who I didn't even think was going to make the team. That surprised the heck out of me, as she is not as aggressive as Jayne.

With a 95-44 win, Tara gained insight via this exhibition endeavor and hopefully more effectively will challenge our USA team on the 15th that include all known women b-ballers of this decade – can’t wait – hello Diana Taurasi, Cheryl Ford ( who is yo’ daddy?), and the other Candace!!

C, can you join me in watching the next game? I know it’s a Thursday, I’m taping Survivor…

Stanford women's basketball preview.

Now Stanford is 7th, Cal is 13th! That's because the AP poll gave more recept to Bay Area Basketball. The teams were eighth and 14th, respectively in the USA Today/ESPN poll released earlier. Oh, by the way, Tennessee was No. 1 in both polls. Look out Dec 22!

Stanford women ranked eighth, Cal is 14th!