The Stanford Cardinal entered today's
match-up with the Tennessee Lady Vols brimming with confidence.
Stanford had just annihilated The University of Pacific by 61
points Friday night and they were playing in the bouncy,
comforting confines of Maples Pavilion. This was the year that
Stanford was going to return to national prominence. This was the
year that senior Nicole Powell was going to show the nation that
she deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as UConn's
Diana Taurasi and Duke's Alana Beard. This was the year Stanford
was going to end a six-game losing streak to Tennessee and
exorcise their demons of the past. In three out of the last four
match-ups between these two teams, Stanford had held a lead late
into the game and watched as Tennessee stormed back to win.
Stanford was looking to change all of that this afternoon.
However, it was not to be. Tennessee clawed
their way back from an early 13-point deficit and eventually took
the game in overtime, 70-66. Although Powell led Stanford with a
game high 32 points and 16 rebounds, her offensive touch that
came so easily early on was no where to be found in crunch time,
as she finished 7-for-25 in the second half and overtime. She
didn't get much help from her teammates either, with
Stanford unable to score a single point in the last five minutes
of regulation. A tough loss to swallow, this game will haunt the
Cardinal for many years to come.
The starting line-up for Stanford consisted
of juniors Kelley Suminski and Susan Borchardt in the
backcourt, junior Sebnem Kimyacioglu on the wing, and Powell and
junior Chelsea Trotter in the paint. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt
countered with the backcourt trio of Loree Moore, Shanna Zolman,
and Tasha Butts plus Shyra Ely and Ashley Robinson in the paint.
Tennessee got out to a quick 2-0 lead as
Butts quickly drove into the paint for an easy bucket. Trotter
then went to work for Stanford, as she scored four consecutive
points for Stanford, and the Card took a 4-2 lead. The Lady Vols
were playing a zone and Trotter was fed the ball early to break
it. First off the bench for the Stanford was frosh center Kristen Newlin to bolster their interior play. Down by two at the 15
minute mark, Stanford started a 7-0 run that was capped off by a
Powell three-pointer. During the run, Trotter showed her
offensive prowess once again as Borchardt made a sweet entry pass
to Trotter, who drop-stepped to lose Robinson to score an easy
bucket. Things were looking good for Stanford at this point; they
were pounding the ball inside and making Tennessee aware that
their hosts were more than a three-point shooting team.
After Ely closed the gap to three points on
a short jumper to make it 11-8, Stanford went on a 9-2 tear that
made the Cardinal lead 10 with six minutes to go. During this
run, Suminski showed she isn't just a long bomber, as she
dribbled into the paint, shook off two defenders, and canned the
jumper. Stanford closed out the first half with a 29-18 lead,
holding the Lady Vols to an abysmal 23% field-goal percentage.
Powell lead the way for Stanford, as she went 6-for-10 from the
field for 14 points and seven rebounds. Stanford was smelling an
upset and were only 20 minutes away from exorcising their demons
of previous years.
In the second half, Pat Summitt made the
necessary adjustments to get her team back into the game. The
Lady Vols employed a full-court press which resulted in Stanford
turnovers, quick shots and bad decisions. Stanford did not score
until two minutes into the half, when Kimyacioglu fired a bullet
pass to Powell, who made a quick turnaround jumper and got fouled
in the process. Stanford and Tennessee continued to duke it out,
though the Lady Vols were gaining more and more confidence along
the way, as their shots were falling and Stanford was stone cold
from all parts of the court. Tennessee got within two points on a
huge Zolman three, and the Lady Vols were not backing down. They
whittled the lead to two with pressure defense, offensive
rebounding and solid ball movement. Stanford made some good
defensive stops at times, but could not back it up with the
necessary offense. It would appear that the Tennessee demons were
coming out in full force, as Stanford started to play scared and
relied on Powell too much.
With 32.2 seconds to go, Tennessee's
Loree Moore drove to the hoop to apparently tie the game up at 56
a piece. However, she was called for the offensive foul and it
appeared that the momentum had swung in Stanford's favor.
Moore had fouled out of the game and Stanford had the chance to
increase its lead to a two-possession game. As Suminski was
attempting to get the ball across the court, Tennessee's
LaToya Davis came out of nowhere to make the biggest steal of the
game. She went all the way for the easy basket, and Tennessee had
tied the game at 56. Nicole Powell attempted to hit the game
winning shot in the waning moments, but it was not to be, as the
ball clanked off the rim. Stanford still had a chance, as
overtime beckoned, but Tennessee was clearly in charge.
Tennessee scored the first points of the
overtime period and sprinted to take a four-point lead. However,
a Powell trey and a Trotter three-point play gave Stanford the
edge once again. Despite the efforts of the Cardinal, Tennessee
proved to be too strong, as the Lady Vols capped the game with a
8-4 run to seal the deal and once again break the hearts of
Cardinal fans in Palo Alto.
Player Analysis
It was a tough defeat to swallow and
undoubtedly, Nicole Powell will feel most of the heat from this
loss. She attempted 35 field goals for the game, while the rest
of the squad only took 30 shots. During the Lady Vols run in the
second half, she started to look tight and many of her shots were
short. She tried time and time again to be the savior, but the
ball would just not fall in the hoop for her. While many will
criticize Powell's uncharacteristic penchant to shoot first,
pass later, it appeared that she was the only player who really
wanted the ball when it counted the most. While her offense was
not clicking for her in the end, she made many key defensive
stops and grabbed defensive rebounds that would give Stanford
another chance to score. Powell simply ran out of gas and as a
result, her offense suffered. Like many great players before her,
Powell found a way to help her team when she could not buy a
basket. If she can put this game behind her, she will continue to
dominate the competition.
Every player has a weaknesses and
unfortunately, Tennessee was able to exploit Kelley Suminski's
to the fullest. Her ballhandling was suspect, as she had
difficulty handling Tennessee's full-court press, and it led
to either turnovers or surrendering the ball to Powell. Suminski's
miscue with 32.2 seconds was probably the worst of her five
turnovers of the game, as it resulted in Tennessee sending the
game into overtime. Despite all the negatives, Suminski displayed
an overall game that will bode well for Stanford in the future.
She scored all 11 of her points either posting up or driving to
the hoop. Her dedication to improving her quickness and
athleticism showed, as she was able to blow by her defenders and
take the ball to the hole. She also played good perimeter defense
for most of the game, another aspect that has improved in her
three years on the Farm.
Beyond Nicole Powell's performance, the
post play of Stanford was a strength that can be relied on in
future games. Chelsea Trotter played a tough game, and she
matched up well with the 6'5" Ashley Robinson and 6'3"
Shyra Ely. She has some serious post moves, consisting of
drop-step maneuvers and spin moves that can shake her defenders.
She boxed out well, which lead her to grabbing six rebounds,
including some key offensive rebounds off of her teammates'
missed shots. It was a rough and physical game and she more than
held her own ground. Azella Perryman, in just her second game of
the season, made a quick impression with her tenacious rebounding
and tough mentality. She got in great position and grabbed
rebounds with ferocity. She looked a little bit rusty and awkward
on offense, but that is to be expected. Her game is all about
grabbing rebounds and it showed today. Perryman brings tenacity
and toughness that every team needs, a player willing to get down
and dirty and bang in the paint. When she is completely healthy,
she will be hard to stop. Frosh Kristen Newlin also played some
quality minutes for Stanford. While she is still inexperienced on
the court, she will bring a lot to the team in terms of her
overall play and composure. She has excellent fundamentals and is
equally adept on offense and defense. Another asset that she
brings is her ability to track the ball wherever it may be. There
was one sequence in the first half where she blocked Brittany Jackson's drive to the hoop and still had the ability to
maintain possession of the ball. When she does gain experience,
she will be a force to be reckoned with.
Sebnem Kimyacioglu continues to struggle
with her outside stroke. However, she made up for it with her
defensive plays and heady court sense. In order for Stanford to
advance deep into the post-season, she needs to find her stride
again and hit her shots. She can be a lethal shooter when she is
on, and opponents will have to respect her abilities. T'Nae Thiel
played some heavy minutes, which is surprising due to her recent
recovery from a stress fracture. She doesn't quite look in
game shape yet, but that is to be expected as she, like Perryman,
is playing just her second game of the season. Thiel wasn't
able to contain Robinson and Ely today, but once healthy, she
will be a defensive presence in the paint to be reckoned with.
Stanford still has the personnel and ability
to reach the Final Four. Their play for the first 35 minutes
indicates this. How Stanford responds to the adversity of this
loss and how they deal with such a mental meltdown will determine
just how far the Cardinal will go this March. A positive that can
be drawn from this defeat is Stanford can hang with a Top 5
opponent without resorting to their (three-point) bread and
butter. Though Stanford did fire off 21 attempts from beyond the
arc, many of those shots were out of desperation in the second
half. Stanford built their lead with good ball movement, nice
inside play, and intense defense. If Stanford can somehow learn
to overcome these late-game collapses, they will be difficult to
contend with in the NCAAs. Texas Tech will be a difficult
opponent to play next weekend, but they represent a good gauge at
how well Nicole Powell & Co. can recover from this crushing
defeat.
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