No. 15 Stanford women’s basketball (7-2) split a pair of games against top-15 teams over the past few days, first losing 77-69 to No. 5 Texas (9-0) in Austin, Texas on Sunday before beating No. 14 Tennessee (7-3) at home on Wednesday, 69-55.
Both games featured strong play from juniors Lili Thompson and Erica McCall, the most consistent contributors to the team this season. The two are the only players to average double-digit points per game (19.4 and 14.2, respectively), while McCall also averages a double-double with 10.9 rebounds per game.
Against the Longhorns, their combined 35 points, however, would not be enough for Stanford to overcome its rebounding problems and a career day from Texas’s Empress Davenport, who notched 23 points. The Longhorns out-rebounded the Cardinal 44-29, and Stanford could only pull down 8 offensive rebounds compared to Texas’ 28 defensive boards.
Though the Cardinal held a 9-7 lead midway through the first quarter, the Longhorns would end the period with a four-point lead. Early in the second, Texas went up by 11, but two layups from McCall and two three’s from sophomore Brittany McPhee brought the score within two with 2:59 left in the half.
From there, Stanford kept the game within striking distance until McPhee’s fourth three of the game, which pulled Stanford within four points, gave the team hope of completing the comeback with 3:34 to play. Yet Texas’ 14-of-18 free-throw shooting from that point on carried the Longhorns to an eight-point victory.
Thompson and McCall also led the way a few days later in the team’s dominant victory over rival Tennessee, one of the most historic women’s basketball programs. The two teams have faced each other 33 times, though the most recent one on Wednesday was the only time that neither team had been ranked in the top 10 going into the game.
“Any time you beat Tennessee, it’s a great night,” head coach Tara VanDerveer said. “We had to battle. It’s a huge win.”
Tennessee had been struggling coming into the matchup, losing two of its past four games to Texas and Virginia Tech. While Jaime Nared, who played in her first game of the season since breaking her hand, as well as Bashaara Graves and Diamond DeShields were able to put up double-digits against the Cardinal and cut down a 21-point lead to seven with 3:17 to play, the Cardinal would maintain its lead to win its second game against a ranked team this season.
While the Lady Vols kept the game within striking distance during the first quarter, they only scored 9 total points in the second period, which, combined with a slow third quarter, dug them into a 21-point deficit. Though the team rallied back in the fourth, during which Stanford committed six of its 20 turnovers, the Cardinal sealed the win off layups from freshman Marta Sniezek and Thompson, a three from Thompson and several free-throws.
“The whole time [junior forward] Kailee Johnson kept reminding us that Tennessee can come back,” McCall said. “We lost to Texas but we learned a lot. It was great coming home and getting the win. We’re tasting candy now.”
Stanford dominated in the paint, scoring 40 of its 69 points there, and shot a season-high 50 percent from the field in the victory.
The Cardinal will return to the court Saturday, Dec. 19 against Cornell at Maples Pavilion. Tip off will be at 2 p.m.
Contact Alexa Philippou at aphil723 ‘at’ stanford.edu.