Publication Date: Friday, February 20, 2004
STANFORD BASKETBALL
UCLA is on tap next for first-place Cardinal
UCLA is on tap next for first-place Cardinal
(February 20, 2004) Stanford men, women closing in on Pac-10 championships
by Rick Eymer
Both the men's and women's basketball teams at Stanford continue an important week in the Pac-10 when they play UCLA on Saturday.
While the top-ranked men's team play at Pauley Pavilion at 1 p.m. in a game televised by CBS, the women host the Bruins at Maples Pavilion at 3 p.m.
The Stanford men entered the week undefeated, and with a chance to clinch the regular-season title. The women, currently in first place by a half-game, entered the week with a chance to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the conference.
Stanford has an interesting history with UCLA in men's basketball. The Cardinal hold a slim 4-3 edge in their past seven dealings with the Bruins, yet have beaten them the last six times they've met in Westwood.
Saturday's game marks the 100th meeting on UCLA's home court. The Bruins have won 70 of those contests after dominating the all-time series between 1945 and 1996. During that 51-year period, Stanford won just 26 of 125 meetings.
Since then, Stanford has won 12 of 16 meetings. Two of those UCLA wins, however, came when the Cardinal were the top-ranked team in the nation.
Stanford took control of its first game against UCLA early, grabbing a 31-7 lead and cruising to a 67-52 win. It could be a lot different this time around. For starters, senior Justin Davis will miss the game with a left knee injury and he enjoyed one of his best games ever against the Bruins with 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting.
Sophomore center Matt Haryasz will likely see more action after returning from an ankle sprain. The Bruins aren't one of his favorite teams though, as he's just 3-of-15 from the field with seven points in three career games.
Chris Hernandez struggled against UCLA earlier in the season but has enjoyed some success against the Bruins as a freshman, when he scored a then career-high 14 points and recorded four assists against them.
Junior forward Josh Childress has scored in double figures in four of five games against UCLA.
Meanwhile, Stanford seniors Nicole Powell and Katie Denny will be playing their final home games on Saturday.
Powell, named a finalist for both the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award and State Farm Wade Trophy, leads the Cardinal with a 20.7 scoring average and 11.1 rebounding average.
She's one of the most decorated players in school history, and recognized as one of the top players in the nation. She'll likely be a first round draft pick in the WNBA this year.
An All-American the past two years, Powell ranks first in Stanford history in career rebounds per game (9.4), second in points per game (17.1), second in free throw percentage (83.2; 412-of-495), second in total rebounds (1,019), fifth in assists (517), fourth in 3-pointers made (179) and fourth in total points (1,849). In 108 career games, she has recorded the six triple-doubles and 43 double-doubles, including 14 double-double games this season.
Denny has appeared in 81 games during her career at Stanford, with a career-high 18 points against Princeton in her first appearance of the 2002-03 season.
Susan Borchardt and Chelsea Trotter are academic seniors, though both retain a year of eligibility after redshirt seasons.
Stanford owns a 31-19 record over the Bruins in their all-time series, including the last nine in succession.
For results of Thursday night's Stanford-USC men's and women's games, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com.
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