On Wednesday at 8:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks, #2 Stanford women’s basketball will face Cal Poly at home. Stanford comes in at 4-0 overall while Cal Poly comes in at 1-1.
Last time out: Stanford defeated Portland 87-47 on Sunday on the road. Haley Jones led the way for Stanford with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
RECAP: #2 Stanford WBB powers past Portland
On Cal Poly: The Mustangs won their exhibition game 90-48 over UC Santa Cruz before falling to UCLA 84-48 in their regular season opener. They bounced back with an 81-49 victory over Simpson University, which counted as a win.
The Mustangs are led by senior forward Julia Nielacna, who is averaging 12.5 points per game on 63.2% shooting from the field. Sophomore guard Sydney Bourland is the number two scorer on this Mustangs team, averaging 9.5 points per game on 52.9% shooting from the field.
As a team, the Mustangs are averaging 64.5 points per game on 46.6% shooting from the field, 20.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 63.2% shooting from the foul line. They also average a -0.5 rebound margin, 17.5 assists, 3.0 blocks, 6.5 steals, 19.5 turnovers, and a 0.9 assist to turnover ratio. Their opponents average 66.5 points per game on 38.5% shooting from the field, 27.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 70.2% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is contain Nielacna and Bourland. If those two players can’t get going, this entire Mustang team is going to have a really long night.
Secondly, Stanford needs to take advantage of their size. Against these smaller teams, Stanford has to dominate inside and win the rebounding battle by a wide margin. If that trend continues, Stanford will win with ease.
Finally, Stanford needs to take care of the ball. Heading into a huge game against #1 South Carolina on Sunday, Stanford needs to make sure they don’t get sloppy in this game. They need to play clean and build good habits for what will be a tough game on Sunday.
Prediction: I got Stanford winning with ease. I think they’ll hit the century mark on the nose, winning 100-43.
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