February 25, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

Tears and cheers for Stanford women in home finale

by Rick Eymer

The Stanford women's basketball team is going on the road, where it hasn't had much success this season; to finish off the Pac-10 Conference race and Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer couldn't be happier.

The Cardinal travel to play Oregon on Thursday and to play Oregon State on Saturday.

"We can play well anywhere," said VanDerveer. "That's where the first round of the NCAA tournament will be held, so it's good timing for us. We love going to Oregon."

Tenth-ranked Stanford has a one-game lead with two games to play after beating visiting USC, 75-57, last Thursday, and defeating visiting UCLA, 63-54, on Saturday.

The Cardinal (13-3, 20-5) continue to prove they can dominate at Maples Pavilion, winning their 28th consecutive conference game there and improving to 14-1 there this season.

The road has been less kind: six wins and four losses, three to unranked teams.

"We've had some good news on the road," said Stanford's Susan Borchardt. "The win at Washington was a good one. To get some confidence going into the tournament we need to get good play in Oregon."

At the time, it was a good win over the Huskies. But time has also exposed Washington and regulated it to the second division. Beating the Bruins at UCLA in overtime has proven to be Stanford's best road victory of the year.

Watch out for UCLA and Arizona. Those are the contenders to the throne. Don't be surprised to see either team, or possibly both, in the championship game of the conference tournament.

Here's how Stanford stakes up against the Top 25 as compared with the rest of the Pac-10. The Cardinal have two wins against ranked competition, one over a top 10 squad. Arizona, USC and Arizona State can also make the same claim. UCLA, Oregon State, Oregon and California all have at least one win over a top 25 foe.

What does all that mean? Well, that anything can still happen. Stanford could falter in Oregon and lose the top seed at the Pac-10 tournament.

"There are a lot of good teams in our conference," said VanDerveer. "People can beat each other."

Oregon State, however, is 8-8 in the Pac-10 and Oregon is just 4-12. That offers good news to Stanford, which wrapped up its home schedule in a big way last weekend.

Nicole Powell played her final regular-season home game on Saturday against the Bruins and spearheaded a second-half rally.

Her final appearance in Maples was successful. She finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season, and the 10th in her last 12 games after returning from a sprained ankle. She has 45 career doubles, and six triple-doubles, in 110 games.

"It's important at the end of the year to be playing your best basketball," said Powell. "This is really the first time we've had everybody healthy and together at the same time."

Powell, who got teary-eyed during the pre-game ceremony to honor her and fellow seniors Katie Denny and Chelsea Trotter (an athletic junior), didn't know what to expect before the game.

"I didn't know how I would feel," said Powell, who had 10 points and 13 rebounds in the second half. "I didn't expect to cry at all. It's been a special experience for my whole family and for all the seniors, Katie and Chelsea and their families too. It was pretty emotional. But UCLA didn't care about senior day. We had to get focused."

Pinewood grad Sebnem Kimyacioglu added 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting as Stanford won its 10th straight over UCLA.

Kelley Suminski had 12 points and T'Nae Thiel 10 as Stanford won for the 45th time in its last 48 home games overall.

"Nicole is such a good player, and we knew we couldn't keep her under wraps," said UCLA coach Kathy Olivier. "She was more aggressive in the second half and absolutely got some key rebounds. Then she hit that key 3-pointer that got the crowd all crazy and that's all she wrote after that."

"In the first half they got the better of us," said VanDerveer. "To me, the second half was Nicole getting a rebound and pushing it. She did a great job on the boards."

Against the Women of Troy, Powell went for 18 points and 10 rebounds. Stanford also received big games from Azella Perryman (17 points, eight rebounds) and Suminski (16 points).

VanDerveer was also pleased with the return of freshman center Kristen Newlin, who added nine points in 19 minutes after missing the previous four games with a bone bruise in her right knee.

"We missed Kristen," said VanDerveer. "Having her back was huge. We need to keep her healthy. Even when she gets beat on a play she still blocks the shot. She's a presence in there."

Newlin sure felt better about playing than sitting, even if she couldn't quite express that.

"It was great. I love playing basketball," she said. "Any time I can be on the court besides watching it's a whole different perspective. I was ready to come in and help the team."
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