On Friday at 7:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Bay Area and Varsity Network radio, #2 Stanford women’s basketball will take on Bay Area rival Cal in the first of a two-game series. The two teams will run it back in Berkeley on Sunday at 4:00 PM PT. Stanford comes in at 13-3 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12 while Cal comes in at 9-4 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Sunday, Stanford picked up a gritty 83-73 victory at Utah. Stanford sophomore forward Cameron Brink led the way for the Cardinal with 24 points and 11 rebounds while senior guard Lexie Hull had 21 points. Brink picked up Pac-12 WBB Player of the Week honors as a result of the week she had.
RECAP: #2 Stanford WBB edges out Utah in Salt Lake City
On Cal: The Golden Bears are led by freshman guard Jayda Curry, who despite being 5’6” packs quite a punch, averaging 19.5 points per game on 42.5% shooting from the field, 35.6% shooting from 3-point range, and 75.7% shooting from the foul line. Curry is one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12 and could end up being Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Junior forward Evelien Lutje Schipholt (10.6 points & 8.3 rebounds) and junior guard Cailyn Crocker (10.3 points) are both scoring in double figures on average while junior guard Jazlen Green (9.2 points) is approaching double figures as well.
Cal was off to a really good start in the non-conference, but they’re behind the eight ball a bit in conference play with their 0-2 start and COVID pause. It’s clear that head coach and Stanford alum Charmin Smith has them trending in the right direction. She’s bringing in talented players and it’s just a matter of getting them developed and experienced.
As a team, the Bears average 71.6 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field, 34.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 77.3% shooting from the foul line. They average 39.8 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 7.8 steals, 4.9 blocks, and 15.4 turnovers per game. They also average a +2.6 rebound margin and a +1.0 turnover margin. Their opponents are averaging 65.6 points per game on 37.0% shooting from the field, 36.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 73.5% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they have to do is contain Curry. If she goes off and has a big night, Cal will feed off that and could make this interesting. If she has a below average night, I’m not sure Cal has the firepower or depth to hang with Stanford. Keying in on her has to be priority number one.
Secondly, Stanford needs to take advantage of their size and dominate the glass. Stanford averages a +9.9 rebound margin per game and should be the more dominant team inside. The real key to winning this battle will be to keep Lutje Schipholt off the glass. She’s a real physical player inside and one of the better rebounders in the league.
Lastly, Stanford needs to hit shots from the perimeter. When Stanford has their threes falling and also mid-range jumpers, they’re really tough to beat. When those shots aren’t falling, they’re missing out on a big part of their game. Hannah Jump and Ashten Prechtel have done a great job knocking down their shots the last few games. They need to keep it up.
Prediction: Cal is an improved team from a year ago. They have more depth and a freshman in Jayda Curry who is one of the best in the Pac-12. They’re certainly trending in the right direction and should be a force to be reckoned with in coming seasons. However, this year’s Cal team is still young and figuring things out a bit. Stanford on the other hand is the defending national champions. I think Stanford wins this game rather handily 81-64.
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