The Stanford women’s basketball team ends its two-week break for finals with a game against visiting UNLV at 2 p.m. Saturday, a nonconference contest that should provide a nice tuneup for Thursday’s 6 p.m. game with visiting No. 7 Tennessee.
The 18th-ranked Cardinal (5-4) won’t be overlooking the Lady Rebels (5-3), as there’s more to the season than getting ready for the Lady Vols. There’s the steady supply of nationally-ranked teams in the Pac-12 Conference to contend with for example.
UNLV opened the season with four wins and last week beat Gonzaga, a team Stanford has had problems with in the past. Former UCLA coach Kathy Oliver, who knows Stanford’s tendencies as well as anyone, leads the Lady Rebels.
In Stanford’s previous appearance, host Baylor put the hurt on the Cardinal with a dominating performance.
Stanford and UNLV are meeting for the eighth time and the first since a Dec. 30, 1993 meeting. The Cardinal has won the past five in the series.
Brittany McPhee’s availability is still in doubt as she continues to recover from an ankle injury. She’s been limited to two games, with a scoring average of 16.5 per game.
Kaylee Johnson is the only healthy senior and she’s doing her part, averaging 4.7 points and 6.4 rebounds.
Meanwhile, several of the freshmen and sophomores have stepped up and produced at a high level. DeJonai Carrington, Kiana Williams, Anna Wilson and Alexa Romano are among those who have had good games.
Alanna Smith continues to play at a high level, averaging 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds a contest. Carrington, who stepped into McPhee’s spot in the starting lineup, averages 11.7 and 7.7, respectively. Those are good numbers to be gambling with against a team like UNLV.
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports