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WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - 81alum - 02-28-2016

Overview:

Lock-down defense and another monster game from Erica McCall quickly dispatched the depleted Ducks.  Erica is now a different player than she was at the start of the season, and if she keeps playing this way we will have excellent prospects in the two coming tournaments.

Prelim:

This has turned into the ultimate "trap" game.  We are fresh off the biggest win of the season and we are facing a team that has just lost its Chiney equivalent--Jillian Alleyne.  It would be so easy to let down ever so slightly.  But let's remember a couple of other facts.  Oregon came within 11 seconds and a missed jumper of beating us earlier this year.  We also did such a good job on Alleyne that she scored only 5 points, while her backup off the bench, Liz Brenner, scored 8 in limited minutes.  So Oregon nearly beat us with minimal contributions from Alleyne last time.  The players that killed us were the two Lexis --Lexi Bando and Lexi Petersen.  Those two guards were 8/13 from three point range.  Then Brenner, who started at C.al in place of Alleyne, is a fascinating story.  She is a 5th year senior who redshirted last year to focus on volleyball where she was an all-American her sophomore year, but she also does throws (javelin and shotput) in track and softball too.  A four sport athlete, but not all four at the same time for a couple of years.  But, yes, a 5th year 4 sport athlete--coached by Kelly Graves--is certainly capable of having the best day of her career in an emotional game.  I think the obvious strategy to use is to run run run and sub sub sub and just try to wear down this thin team by the fourth quarter.

Flow of the Game:

I took a friend to the game who had never seen a Stanford WBB game before, and after  a few minutes, he turned to me and said "this looks like college vs. high school."  By then it was 15-0 and what little morale Oregon could muster had ebbed away.  Our defense was very tight and it switched when it needed to, giving Oregon almost no open shots.  Later on they made some mid range jumpers and once in a while a guard got loose for a layup, but Oregon wound up 29% shooting for the game and significantly worse than that in the first half.

Meanwhile, our offensive spark continued from last game into the first quarter.  I've noticed over the last few games the increasing use of the short bounce-pass on pick-and-rolls and give-and-goes by quite a few players, and they have been working.  Karlie fed Erica for her first layup in this way.  Then later the  signature play of the quarter came when Bri missed a layup, Erica grabbed the-O board and missed, Kaylee grabbed another O board and missed, and then Erica grabbed a third O-board and made it.  By the end of the first quarter we had 11 O boards and 8 assists on 10 baskets.  It did look like college vs. high school.

As the game wore on Erica settled into her mid range jumper--frequently about 15 feet along the baseline.  No one ever seemed to try to cover her there.  She and Karlie both frequently reversed sides of the court until one or the other would come open.  The ball movement back and forth was some of the best I've seen, and instead of Lili heaving up a semi-open shot from three point range on those possessions when nothing came open, it was Erica shooting an open two from her patented spot. 

The last two games remind me of how games always used to be at Maples--coasting in the latter parts of the game, trying to get players time and avoid injuries.  Oregon looked like it came out of halftime ready to attempt to cut our lead--making two quick baskets--but after another 4 baskets by Erica, they settled back into their 25 point deficit for good.

Performances:

Erica was 12/18 for 25 points and 18 rebounds in 32 minutes.  Add 3 blocks and a couple of assists to that incredible performance.  She HAS to be Pac 12 player of the week after these two games.  That range of hers-it completely changes our whole offense, and so we have a new lease on life.  We would have won 4 of the games we lost earlier if she had been like this.

Bri deserves to be called out today.  Her slump is officially over.  She was 4/10 and 2/4 from three point range for 10 points, but also 4 assists and 4 steals.  If she can keep this up she should be our starting point guard--her ball handling was good and she was an offensive threat.

Despite this being a blowout, Kaylee and Kailee had somewhat poor offensive days.  Kaylee was 1/7 and Kailee was 2/5.    Kaylee had 4 blocks, though.  Alanna, however, went 3/8 for 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 17 minutes.  The supporting cast was just good enough to keep the game lopsided, although none of the posts not named Bird had breakout performances.

McPhee and Karlie both played good defense, both scored 6 points.  Karlie was 2/7 from downtown, but she had 5 assists to 0 turnovers--it was often Karlie that was feeding McCall.

As a team, we shot 43% so we cooled off from Friday, but gave up only 29%.  We outrebounded the Alleyne-less by a wide margin, we had 22 assists on 29 made baskets--reflecting our MUCH better ball movement and passing of late.

Post Game

This was senior day, and after the game Kiran, Tess, and Alex were honored, each spoke.  Someone asked Kiran, who had walked on her freshman year and then did not play the last two years, what it was like not to play.  She broke down--clearly overwhelmed with the occasion and with gratitude to be able to play her senior year.  The crowed clapped and cheered to encourage her.  It really brought the whole thing into perspective--the emotional investment these young people have in the game, their friends, and the team.

Conclusion

We do seem to be peaking at the right time of year.  Our likely opponents in the Pac 12 tournament could be Washington, Oregon State, and then UCLA or ASU.  The good news is that the two teams that have beaten us most convincingly will be playing in the other bracket so we won't get ASU or UCLA before the finals.  The bad news is that we will likely have to play Washington on what is essentially their home court.  It will be interesting to see how the tournament unfolds, and how Lili will do coming back from her grieving family.


Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - BobK - 02-28-2016

Bando didn't play against cal.  I don't know more

Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - TheFarm07 - 02-28-2016

We lead 24-4 after one quarter. Fears of us coming out sluggish after the milestone win over Oregon State was unfounded as we came out sharp and with a purpose, especially on defense. Though our shooting was not always on target, we more than made up for it with rebounding. In one quarter, we already have 11 offensive rebounds.

McCall is almost to a double-double in 10 minutes of play with 10 points and 9 rebounds (6 of them on the offensive end).

Defensively, we are playing swarming defense and limited the Ducks to 2/15 shooting.

Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - TheFarm07 - 02-28-2016

We lead 39-18 (15-14-2nd qtr), we dropped off on the offensive end as Tara started rotating in players and our offense receded to its stagnating ways. The high-pace, purposeful offense of the 1st quarter disappeared and if not for our hot shooting from 3-pt territory and a couple of offensive rebounds, it would have been worse. As good and heartening as the first quarter was, the second quarter was a reminder that we haven't completely shed our bad habits.

Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - TheFarm07 - 02-28-2016

We lead 54-34 (15-16) as I fear we are going through the motions. We look completely different than from the first quarter as Sniezek is making bad passes, our offense has disappeared and our defense isn't as crisp as before. I think we have checked out of this game and resorted to playing individually rather than the harmonious offense we had for the first ten minutes when we were working in tandem. Also, the two point guard lineup with Kailee at the 4 leaves us only with two reliable scoring threats in McCall and Karlie. I know Tara is wanting to give minutes to other players so they won't be rusty, but this is not the way I thought we were going to finish this game after the fantastic first quarter.

Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - Spiny_Norman - 02-28-2016

Meanwhile, UCLA is up 15 points on ASU in the 3rd quarter.  If UCLA wins, it will be the 3rd seed in the Pac 12 tournament.  If ASU can come back and defeat the Bruins (and Stanford does not blow its lead), Stanford will be the #3 seed.

Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - TheFarm07 - 02-28-2016

We win 69-42 (15-8) after emptying our bench halfway through the fourth and letting our three seniors (Picknell, Lakhian and Green) play with two freshmen (Smith, Romano). Can't say too much about the fourth with the scout team playing except it was nice to see them get extended minutes on their last regular season home game.

After starting the game hot (24-4), we mostly played as if we wanted to get the game over as the final three quarters was much closer (45-38), but I guess with the postseason coming up soon, Tara didn't want to risk either injury or revealing too many plays unnecessarily.

We finish the season 24-6 (14-4) awaiting our seed in the conference tourney with UCLA hanging on against Arizona State right now.

Re: WBB: Stanford vs. Oregon 11am Pacific - TheFarm07 - 02-28-2016

UCLA beat AZ State, so that clinches the #1 seed for Oregon State after their win over Ca.l today and drops us to the #4 seed, as UCLA holds the tiebreaker over us with their head-to-head win.

As the #4 seed, we'll face the winner of #5 Washington/#12 Colorado in the quarterfinals in Seattle on Friday with the possibility of a rematch against the Beavers in the semis.

Assuming that the Huskies beat the Buffaloes, it will be basically a home game for UW at Key Arena in Seattle, but if we are to prove ourselves in the postseason, then we will have to win in hostile territory.

Having Lili back will help and we'll need to focus on Kelsey Plum and Talia Walton defensively, as they are great shooters.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - chimera - 02-28-2016

Oregon has had the worst week.  Loera also hurt her knee and is out for the year so that is two players in the rotation (both starters?  I'm not sure) out for the year within one week.  We should be fine against UW if we keep up the level of play.  They are not at all deep and will have played a game the day before.  We are definitely on track to host NCAA games.  I'd say just one win in the P-12 tournament should clinch it, and maybe even if we somehow lose to UW or CO we host, depending on what other possible hosts do.  Win two P-12 tourney games or the whole shebang and maybe we move to a 3 seed. 

I was ok with the flow of the game.  Trap game after a big win.  Senior Day, which is always a bit funky.  Early start.  Opponent we should easily beat.  We coasted after getting the big lead but the key is we did get the big lead.  And our defense was good all game.  Bird is on fire.  Her shot is so pretty and easy.  Hard to believe it took this long for her to break it out.  But then remember that not that long ago she was shaky on her shorter jump shots.  Takes time to get really good at longer shots.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - 81alum - 02-28-2016

Official Pac 12 bracket is out

http://pac-12.com/womens-basketball/womens-basketball-tournament

We won the tournament last year, but we could easily have lost any of those three games:

Stanford 65 UCLA 62
Stanford 59 ASU 56
Stanford 61 C.al 60

I am in fact worried about Washington.  They are up to 23 on Sagarin and are fighting for seeding in the NCAAs.  It will be at home for them and they and Plum have beaten us there before.  It is by far the hardest draw for the four bye teams, so even if we get past them we will have to work at it and be a bit depleted for the semis.  Getting a re-re-match with OSU will be interesting.  They would be well prepared for us, but I do think we can match them physically.  The finals, should we be so fortunate, are another matter.  UCLA seems to be coming on strong, and we were not competitive with them.  I think I may fear them more than ASU, given how close we came to beating ASU last time--we are well practiced for them.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - Jskass - 02-28-2016

Go Colorado!

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - FarmDad.01 - 02-28-2016

A couple of interesting developments the past two weekends.

First is McCall's newly-unveiled game from the perimeter and even beyond. A welcome side effect is opening up the floor; with better passing lanes, team assists have soared. If Stanford faces OSU in the PAC-12 semis, will Hamblin come out to challenge (thus opening up the O-board)?

Second, Thompson's absence against the Oregons prompted Tara to play Samuelson and McPhee at the same time -- adding three or four inches to the backcourt, which has resulted in an improvement in overall rebounding. And today, Kiran Lakhian (6'0") played just about all of Qtr. 4 more than capably, both ways, suggesting she'd be a capable sub should Karlie or Brit get into foul trouble. The question going forward is whether Tara reverts to the two small-guard lineup.

As of today (Sunday), Sagarin has Stanford at #8. The team should also jump up in both upcoming polls. I think getting to the semis cements a 4-seed plus 1st Round home court. I think winning it all in Seattle guarantees at least a high NCAA 3-seed.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - 81alum - 02-28-2016

Anyone notice that as Erica's midrange jumper game has exploded, who has been feeding her assists?  Today's assists of McCall shots (10 of 12 were assisted):
Karlie 3
Bri 3
Marta 2
Kaylee 1
Alanna 1

Friday's assists of McCall shots (10 of her 11 baskets were assisted):
Karlie 3
Marta 3
McPhee 2
Alanna 1
Bri 1

Combined:
Karlie 6
Marta 5
Bri 4
Alanna 2
McPhee 2
Kaylee 1

An interesting question is why is Karlie our most effective guard at getting the ball to McCall?  I presume the answer has something to do with defenders coming out to defend her, leaving wide open passing lanes.  It simply reinforces what we already know about Karlie--she is a smart, all-around player who contributes to the team in many more ways than just her gorgeous three point shot.

Let's also be clear--these shots are not solo efforts by Erica to bail her team out.  This is different from some of those Chiney games where Chiney had to manufacture points almost by herself.  Erica's success is overwhelmingly the product of an offensive system that seems to be pretty new and has been working for at least three games now.  Erica is moving back and forth across the half court to favored spots, and the rest of the team is looking to feed her the ball on those spots, and she is of course executing once she gets the ball.

As we head into the Pac 12 tournament, the scouting reports on Erica will change and teams will adjust.  They would be foolish not to take away our best offensive weapon, so I think we have to expect that they will front Erica or double her or something--and thus we will need other players to exploit whatever openings are left by Erica drawing the defense to herself.

So here is the question: what will the other coaches do to attempt to shut down Erica now that her impact is obvious, and what should we do to be ready for it?


Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - CompSci87 - 02-28-2016

There was a nice Senior Day recognition after the game for Alex Green, Kiran Lakhian, and Tess Picknell.

The most touching moment was when a fan asked Kiran what it was like not being on the team for a couple of years. Kiran broke into tears on how much she had missed it and thanked Tara profusely for giving her a second chance to be on the team. Kiran also had a nice game against Oregon, playing 11 minutes in the 3rd and 4th quarters with 5 points on 100% shooting, 1 assist, 1 rebound, and 1 steal.


Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - 81alum - 02-28-2016

(02-28-2016, 07:45 PM)CompSci87 link Wrote:There was a nice Senior Day recognition after the game for Alex Green, Kiran Lakhian, and Tess Picknell.

The most touching moment was when a fan asked Kiran what it was like not being on the team for a couple of years. Kiran broke into tears on how much she had missed it and thanked Tara profusely for giving her a second chance to be on the team. Kiran also had a nice game against Oregon, playing 11 minutes in the 3rd and 4th quarters with 5 points on 100% shooting, 1 assist, 1 rebound, and 1 steal.

And Tess's Dad's story about the rattlesnake was a hit, with her Mom delivering the punch line: "we killed it and ate it!"  Did anyone see Alanna's expression as the story was told?  I don't think they have rattlesnakes in Australia.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - Jskass - 02-28-2016

think they have worse snakes in Australia.

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2012/07/australias-10-most-dangerous-snakes/


Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - CompSci87 - 02-28-2016

(02-28-2016, 08:08 PM)Jskass link Wrote:think they have worse snakes in Australia.

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2012/07/australias-10-most-dangerous-snakes/

Hee hee, I just started to post the same link. I bet we both turned it up in the same Google search.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - Jskass - 02-28-2016

Great minds think alike. Enjoyed the game today, though my vocal support chased two people away from sitting in front of me!

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - TheFarm07 - 02-28-2016

(02-28-2016, 07:41 PM)81alum link Wrote:As we head into the Pac 12 tournament, the scouting reports on Erica will change and teams will adjust.  They would be foolish not to take away our best offensive weapon, so I think we have to expect that they will front Erica or double her or something--and thus we will need other players to exploit whatever openings are left by Erica drawing the defense to herself.

So here is the question: what will the other coaches do to attempt to shut down Erica now that her impact is obvious, and what should we do to be ready for it?

I hope she hasn't abandon trying to score in the paint. If she can do both with regularity and reliability, she will definitely be an All-American candidate next year and she'll be extremely hard to plan against. There are few defenders that can match with a 6'3" forward who can shoot long-range jumpers and battle under the basket.

If opposing coaches start to focus their defense on her, that will leave room for other players and we must make them pay. When Kailee or Kaylee has the ball in the high post, defenders are giving them a lot of room. I am not asking them to swish the same jumpers Erica now can, but if we can somehow turn that into an advantage, that will be key.

Also, we should not fall into the Chiney trap of becoming too reliant on Erica. As you mentioned 81alum, it doesn't looked like it this weekend, but as Erica becomes more and more reliable, our other players must be ready to help her get out of the double teams she'll be facing.

Re: WBB: Stanford 69 Oregon 42 - crackpot - 02-28-2016

(02-28-2016, 08:37 PM)Jskass link Wrote:Great minds think alike. Enjoyed the game today, though my vocal support chased two people away from sitting in front of me!

Can we just exile all these people to a special part of Maples? Or better yet, have them stay home and watch with the volume off?

You can sit by me anytime!