January 18, 2006

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Palo Alto Online

Stanford remains atop Pac-10 after solid win over Cal

by Rick Eymer

There's plenty of work ahead for the Stanford women's basketball team but resting atop the Pac-10 standings heading into the midway point of conference play still has to feel pretty good.

The 14th-ranked Cardinal (6-1, 11-4) have six more games in Maples Pavilion, a place it loses about as often as it snows at the equator, after beating visiting Cal, 87-75, on Saturday afternoon.

Stanford will be back at home on Thursday when Arizona visits for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Wildcats are making their first appearance in the Bay Area since their tragic loss of senior center Shawntinice Polk. Her absence will cast a pall over the proceedings, though it will be business as usual on the court.

This has become of the more interesting rivalries in the Pac-10, as the Wildcats are the last team to beat Stanford on its home court in two consecutive seasons. That rarity occurred in the 1999-00 and 00-01 seasons.

In fact, only Arizona has accomplished the feat since USC won five straight at Stanford finishing with the 1986-87 season. Cal and UCLA also did it in the mid-80s.

The Wildcats are also 4-9 against the Cardinal in 13 previous meetings, the best mark by any conference team (matching Washington and Oregon) over that span.

Arizona State, ranked as high as ninth as recently as Jan. 2, visits Maples on Saturday. Former Stanford player and assistant coach Charli Turner Thorne would love to pin a home loss on the Cardinal for the first time since she took over in Tempe 10 years ago. The Sun Devils have not won on Stanford's home court since 1984.

Candice Wiggins scored 33 points and Brooke Smith added 22 in Stanford's win over California.

Wiggins scored 30 points or more for the third time in four games as the Cardinal maintained its hold on first place, a half-game up on USC and a full game ahead of Washington and Arizona State.

Smith made 11 of her 16 shots from the field and Stanford won its 40th consecutive home conference game. Krista Rappahahn added 18 points.

The Cardinal attempted 32 three-pointers, making 14 of them, against a young Cal that was without its leading scorer and head coach.

"It's OK with me if it's Rap and Candice," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "That's what people have to decide: leave Candice and Rap open or double team Brooke."

Rappahahn, one of just two seniors on the roster, made a career-tying 6-of-14 from long range while Wiggins made a career-high 7-of-14. Rappahahn played despite not practicing all year and Wiggins being on the verge of an illness.

Rappahahn had an MRI on her left foot during the week and VanDerveer wasn't even sure she would be able to play. Rappahahn said her foot was fine.

"I just wanted to be out there," she said. "That was my goal all week. I was so antsy that I came out early to shoot."

Rappahahn was at Maples Pavilion practicing her shots at 10:15 a.m., nearly four hours before game time.

"I tell Krista keep shooting or she's coming out," VanDerveer said. "I'm surprised when she misses. She hasn't practiced all week and she doesn't miss a beat."

The 14 treys were the most by a Stanford team since making 15 of 29 against UCLA last year. It also matches the sixth-best effort in team history. The 32 attempts were third most in history, and the most in five years.

"We're all finding our rhythm, me included," Wiggins said. "As this team gets better, we're starting to find our identity."

In case you missed it, Wiggins scored from everywhere on the court; driving through several defenders as well as hitting the long shots. She put up a game-high 23 shots but still found time for a game-high eight assists and six steals, too.

Stanford's 87 points were the most allowed by the Bears, who led the Pac-10 in scoring defense coming into the game. Cal's 75 points were the most allowed by the Cardinal this year.

Cal was without freshman center Devanei Hampton, who was suspended for the game because of her involvement, with redshirt teammate Jessica Lawson, in a fight at a girls' basketball game at Castlemont High in Oakland on Tuesday night.

Cal coach Joanne Boyle has been in North Carolina all week dealing with a family illness. Assistant coach Lindsay Gottlieb was in charge.

"The days of 39-point games are over," VanDerveer said. "We knew that when they (the current freshmen) signed last year. They are big time players and they were without their best player today."

Cal usually starts four freshmen; three of them - Ashley Walker, Alexis Gray-Lawson and Jene Morris - accounted for 61 points and 19 (of 34) rebounds against Stanford.

Junior center Kristen Newlin returned to action, playing 15 minutes after missing eight games.

Cal led by eight early and was still ahead 22-15 with 9:44 left in the first half. Over the next 13:19 spanning both halves, the Cardinal went on a 41-16 run to take an 18-point edge with 16:25 left.

The Bears managed to draw within six points in the final 5:32 before Stanford pushed its lead the rest of the way.

Gray-Lawson promised things would be different in Feb. 11's rematch.

"We haven't lost at home this year and we don't plan to," she said after scoring a career-high 30.

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