The No. 6 Stanford women’s basketball team kicked off its 2014-15 season with a resounding 105-50 victory against Vanguard at Maples Pavilion on Sunday.
Sophomore guard Lili Thompson led all scorers with 26 points. She contributed points in nearly every fashion: scoring off the drive, from behind the 3-point arc, at the free-throw line and on jump shots.
“Today, I just felt really good,” Thompson said. “And my teammates were finding positions to put me in. [The new offense] puts more of a focus on the guards and so some of the scoring is going to shift over.”
Sophomore guard Karlie Samuelson was the second leading scorer for the Cardinal, with 17 points on the day. Senior point guard Amber Orrange, a selection for the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, scored only two points in her limited 16 minutes of action, though she did lead the team with three steals. Sophomore guard Briana Roberson led the Cardinal with six assists.
In the team’s first game without former standout Chiney Ogwumike ‘14, the Cardinal forwards had an impressive performance, with sophomore forward Erica McCall and freshman forward Kaylee Johnson earning double-doubles. McCall notched 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Johnson, a freshman from Wyoming, contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds.
“I really just listened to [coaches] Tara, Kate, Amy and Tempie and they wanted to come in and run in transition and be that rebounder and be a screener,” Johnson said. “I was super, super nervous; I was obviously excited, but there was definitely some anxiety. All the upperclassmen helped me and once I finally got started, I wasn’t nervous anymore.”
As a result of losing such a strong presence down low from Ogwumike and forward Mikaela Ruef, head coach Tara VanDerveer abandoned her triangle offense and developed a new method of attack that is more guard-centric. VanDerveer’s new offense encourages players to attack the rim, push the pace of the game, and to cut and screen.
“[The new offense] worked pretty well today,” Thompson said. “We’ve been transitioning since the summer and so I think everyone’s really comfortable with it and [it was the] first time today doing it against someone other than ourselves and our practice guys, so it was nice to see how it works against someone who doesn’t see it every day.”
VanDerveer, however, was a bit more critical than Thompson.
“We have a lot of work to do,” VanDerveer said. “It’s very early and it’s very new. But I think people have bought in and they’re working very hard.
“I was disappointed with so many illegal screens called,” VanDerveer added. “I don’t know if I agreed but we got to work on that.”
VanDerveer did, however, seem happy with her team’s speed, which she intends to capitalize on throughout the season and stressed as one of the team’s strengths this year.
“That’s how we want to play,” VanDerveer said. “You don’t have to pace yourself because you can go hard and then [someone else] can go hard; I call it ‘tag team.’ [It allows you to] put some different people in.”
The Cardinal began the game with a full-court press and kept up the intensity with a strong defensive effort, forcing 16 turnovers, racking up 35 defensive rebounds to Vanguard’s 11, and holding the Lions to 50 points.
Despite a slow start, the Cardinal notched a 53.9 percent field goal percentage, and shot 33.3 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
The Cardinal also exhibited the depth of their bench, which scored 41 points. All but two of the players on Stanford’s roster, including Johnson and Taylor Rooks, both freshmen, contributed. Freshman guard Brittany McPhee missed the game due to an injury and so never even saw court action to score.
Offensive rebounds also played a huge role in the Cardinal’s win, as the team totaled significant second-chance points.
“I thought it was a really good first game. I’m excited about the leadership on our team; it’s not a one person show. We had four different people in double figures and I think they’re going to get better,” VanDerveer said. “We’re just scratching the surface of how good we’re going to be.”
Stanford will play one more exhibition match against UC San Diego this Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., before kicking off the regular season against Boston College on Friday, November 14.
Contact Alexa Philippou at aphil723 ‘at’ stanford.edu.