On Sunday at 2:00 PM PT on ESPN and Varsity Network Radio, #15 Stanford women’s basketball will welcome #9 Indiana to Maples Pavilion. Stanford comes in at 1-0 overall while Indiana comes in at 1-0.
Last time out: Stanford defeated Hawaii 87-40. Kiki Iriafen led the way with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
RECAP: #15 Stanford WBB dominates Hawaii
On Indiana: Like Stanford, Indiana got bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament last season after getting a #1 seed. They’re looking for redemption this season as well and are looking to this game as a chance to prove they still belong in the national title conversation.
The Hoosiers are led by graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes, who averaged 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. She plays extremely hard and is tough to slow down. Senior guard Sydney Parrish averaged 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season and is the number two option with Grace Berger now in the WNBA. Sophomore guard Yarden Garzon is the number three option, averaging 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds last season.
Last season, the Hoosiers averaged 80.9 points per game on 49.7% shooting from the field, 36.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 76.5% shooting from the foul line. They averaged 36.3 rebounds, 18.3 assists, 7.9 steals, 4.9 blocks, and 12.6 turnovers per game on a +4.3 rebound and +3.1 turnover margin. Their opponents averaged 62.1 points per game on 38.7% shooting from the field, 31.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 67.6% from the foul line. They also averaged 32.6 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 6.2 steals, 3.0 blocks, and 15.7 turnovers per game.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is contain Holmes. She accounts for over a quarter of their scoring production. If you slow her down, that forces others to have to really step up.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is take care of the ball. Indiana is used to being on the positive side of the turnover ledger. If Stanford wins that battle and has fewer turnovers, that could give them the edge to win this game.
Finally, Stanford needs to win the battle inside. Both Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen should look to have big performances. If those two collectively have their way, Stanford should win this one.
Prediction: I got Stanford winning because they are at home. I think it’s close to a toss up matchup and would be hard to predict if it were at a neutral site. If it was at Indiana, I’d pick the Hoosiers. I just think home court advantage makes the difference here. Stanford 72 Indiana 69 is my prediction.
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