December 17, 2003

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Palo Alto Online

Stanford needs to learn from last-minute setback

by Rick Eymer

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and her players viewed their victory over Stanford on Sunday through politically correct eyes, but even the Lady Vols have to be wondering if maybe Tennessee gets into the Cardinal's heads a little bit.

For the third time in four years, Stanford carried a lead into the final minutes of its game against No. 2 Tennessee, only to see the Lady Vols take over and race to victory.

On Sunday, the seventh-ranked Cardinal lost, 70-66, in overtime, after leading by 14 points with 15:09 to play in regulation following freshman Kristen Newlin's layup.

The lead was 11 nine minutes later and still Stanford couldn't hold on.

The game was tied at 56 with 19 seconds left in regulation, and the ball in Nicole Powell's hand. She did everything she could to win the game, but missed a layup in the final second.

Stanford led by eight with 4:54 left, and then went scoreless the rest of the way, missing eight shots.

"It was very disappointing not to take advantage of a great opportunity," said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer. "We proved we can play with people; now we have to find a way to win. It was there for the taking."

The Cardinal did salvage a win over the weekend, beating visiting Pacific on Friday, 86-25, and Powell earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors after recording her fourth double-double of the season and her 33rd career. It was her sixth Player of the Week award.

Tennessee, along with top-ranked Connecticut, is the team Stanford yearns to become: always a threat to challenge for the national championship. The Cardinal (6-1) have been there, but haven't reached a Final Four since 1997, coincidentally the last time they beat the Lady Vols.

Connecticut and Tennessee played for the national title last year, and have combined for seven of the last nine championships.

It hasn't been much of a rivalry lately. Tennessee owns a 15-4 record against the Cardinal, including the past seven in a row.

"This was a big game so we're happy with a win," said Tennessee's Ashley Robinson. "When we can beat a top team it shows how good we are. Even though we're at Tennessee, we doubt ourselves sometimes so it's always good to beat a top team."

That doubt may be creeping into the minds at Stanford. After beating No. 10 Georgia on the last day of November, the Cardinal had to feel confident. But losing such a gut-wrenching game to the Lady Vols had to take its toll. Powell and Kelley Suminski had stunned looks on their faces as they bravely spoke to the media afterward.

Will Stanford be able to rebound when it hits road for a game at Rice on Thursday and No. 4 Texas Tech on Sunday? The Cardinal need another big win to set themselves straight before Pac-10 play begins just after Christmas. A prescription that includes victories over the Owls and Lady Raiders would be just the remedy.

The return of Azella Perryman and T'Nae Thiel to the lineup, two of the team's top rebounders and toughest inside players, also helps. Perryman has been back for three games following a left foot injury, and has 16 rebounds in her past two games. Thiel has participated in the last two after her left foot injury.

Stanford is good enough to dream large this year; it just has to avoid major discrepancies like getting outscored in points off turnovers, 11-7 (9-0 in the second half), and second chance points, 24-13, as it did against Tennessee.

"People have to carry their weight," said VanDerveer. "One play can do it against a team like Tennessee. You slip up once -- one mistake -- and you pay."

Stanford made several mistakes and still had a chance to win. The biggest mistake may have been relying on Powell to do just about everything.

The Cardinal beat a very good No. 2-ranked Kansas State team last year without Powell. In that game, Suminski, Pinewood grad Sebnem Kimyacioglu and Susan Borchardt combined for 46 of Stanford's 63 points.

Against Tennessee, that same trio accounted for 11 points, all of them from Suminski.

Powell, who finished with 32 points, had a terrific first half against the Lady Vols with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, with seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Perhaps the assumption was she would continue that level of play in the second half.

Instead Powell was 4-of-16 in the second half while the rest of the team was 6-of-15. Powell missed the last nine shots she attempted in the second half, covering the final 11:22.

"I felt like I could hit those shots," said Powell, who played all 45 minutes. "Those are my shots. I have to knock them down. Was I tired? Maybe, but that's when you need to be mentally tougher."

Powell did grab six of her game-high 16 rebounds, blocked a shot, made a steal and played tenacious defense over that 11:22 period, and went on to score seven of Stanford's 10 points in overtime. Even with her shot not falling, she kept playing.

"For four years this is something I looked forward to: beating Tennessee," Powell said. "It's pretty disappointing."

Powell ran the offense, bringing the ball up court as much as possible against Tennessee's defensive pressure, and she looked for her teammates. It seemed like her teammates kept looking for her.

"I saw Nicole running our offense and we had some people, I thought, who played tight," said VanDerveer. "Nicole can create things for other people but when the shots don't go she tries to do a little more.

"It's not a good situation to be dependent on one person," said VanDerveer. "Thirty-five shots? That's depending on one person, plus she ran the offense."

Stanford center Chelsea Trotter turned in a solid game, scoring 13 points -- three in overtime -- on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbing six rebounds. Powell, Trotter and Suminski were a combined 23-of-51 from the field while the other six shot a combined 4-of-14.

"I needed to do more," said Suminski. "It's not fair to Nicole to have to do all that."

Stanford has money players other than Powell. The win over Kansas State showed that last season, and seven different players have already scored in double figures this year. There's a lot of talent on that bench, and it's good enough to take a 14-point lead against the No.2-ranked team in the nation.

Now they have to find out if it's good enough to finish against the top teams in the country. A road trip into Texas is another great opportunity.

"She obviously had a heavy load to carry in the second half," Summitt said of Powell. "Nicole is one of the top five players in this (senior) class. I have plenty of good things to say about her. This is one of the best Stanford teams I've seen. I've watched a lot of tape and they have good three-point shooting threats across the board and they've demonstrated they can get the inside and be productive. I see good balance. That team is good enough to get to the Final Four. They have all the pieces."

Now they have to solve the elusive puzzle that is the Final Four.

Powell and Krista Rappahahn each score 17 points in the win over Pacific. Newlin added 12.

The 61-point margin of victory was the third-largest in Stanford history and the most since a 64-point win over San Diego State in 1990. The 25 points allowed were second best in school history to the 23 points allowed to Santa Clara in 1976.

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