Stanford needs to win more on the road Stanford needs to win more on the road (December 19, 2003)

Inability to beat nationally-ranked opponents away from home may be only thing separating Cardinal from the nation's elite

by Rick Eymer

The Stanford women's basketball team has earned its spot on the national scene after years of success. The Cardinal have reached the NCAA tournament every year beginning in 1988; setting such a high level of excellence that winning 12 Pac-10 titles in 15 years just doesn't seem like enough.

Stanford, ranked seventh in the nation entering Sunday's nationally televised (Fox Sports) game at No. 4 Texas Tech at 10 a.m., wants to horde in on the status enjoyed by Connecticut and Tennessee as the nation's elite.

Stanford's lack of success in the NCAA tournament since reaching the Final Four in 1997 has been well-documented: one measly trip as far as the third round in six years. Part of the reason for this lack of success is the Cardinal's inability to beat nationally-ranked opponents on the road.

A victory on Sunday over the Lady Raiders (9-0) would accomplish more for Stanford (6-1) than losing at home to Tennessee. Here's why: it would prove to the Cardinal players they really are as good as anybody in the nation no matter where they play, and it would end a four-year streak of futility against the top teams on the road.

Texas Tech is the top-ranked defensive team in the nation, allowing 46 points a game, and Stanford is a quality offensive team, averaging 72 points a game.

"Playing these games is beneficial," said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer. "It's a huge challenge, and not negative in any way."

Junior power forward T'Nae Thiel, one of the team's best offensive rebounders, returns to the starting lineup for the Cardinal this week. She missed the first five games with a left foot injury, and came off the bench the next two games. Her inside presence, along with junior Azella Perryman, who also returns to action after an injury, is a huge bonus.

Pinewood grad Sebnem Kimyacioglu will come off the bench. She's made just two of her last 20 shots, and is shooting just over 24 percent for the season. While it may be her worst slump at the collegiate level, there's no reason to think it will continue. Kimyacioglu is a career 41 percent shooter.

VanDerveer spoke of going "toe-to-toe for 40 minutes" against the Lady Vols. Playing one of the best teams in the nation tough is terrific for schools like Santa Clara, which held a lead against both Georgia and Oregon before losing this season, and took solace in that. It shows that the Santa Clara program is on the way up.

Stanford's program arrived when it won the Pac-10 title in 1988-89 with an 18-0 mark (its first undefeated conference season ever) and reached the NCAA Midwest Regional Final before losing to another national power in Louisiana Tech, ranked third in the nation at the time.

The Cardinal should expect to beat nationally-ranked opponents at home, something they have traditionally accomplished since VanDerveer took over the reigns. Stanford is 44-11 (.800) against teams ranked in the top 25 at Maples Pavilion since that 1988-89 season. That's an amazing winning percentage worthy of a national powerhouse considering that 11 of those victories were over opponents ranked in the top 10, and three were No. 1.

Home has always been kind to the Cardinal. They own an overall 323-75 (.812) record at Maples Pavilion. Stanford has lost two home games or less in 15 of the past 17 seasons.

Stanford isn't bothered by neutral courts either. Over the same time period, the Cardinal are 21-13 (.618) against ranked opponents, most of those games coming in postseason play, including five wins over top 10 foes, and once over a No. 1 team.

It's on the opposition's court where Stanford has lacked lately. The Cardinal have lost the last eight times -- and are 14-25 (.359) since 1988 -- they've played a nationally-ranked opponent on their home court, dating to a win over then No. 15 Arizona in January of 2000. They haven't beaten a nonconference opponent since knocking off then No. 5 Texas Tech, 80-71, on Jan. 31, 1998. That's another reason Sunday's game is so important.

The Lady Raiders were 29-6 last year, and reached the NCAA Midwest Regional final last year. They return four starters from that team. Stanford is 6-3 against them overall, but only 1-2 in Lubbock.

"Our team can learn some very good things from this game," VanDerveer said after losing to Tennessee.

Those lessons will be put to the test this weekend. Nicole Powell, coming off a 32-point, 16-rebound performance against Tennessee, will again assume a prominent role for the Cardinal. Look for her assists to go up, and her scoring to come down.

Powell (23.3 points a game, 11.6 rebounds) has always shown a willingness to share the ball, but she needs her teammates to remember what got them to Stanford, and made them successful. That could start happening in Texas this week.

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