On Sunday, #15 Stanford women’s basketball blew the doors off #9 Indiana by a final score of 96-64. The third highest point total the Cardinal have had against a top ten team since the 1999-2000 season. Stanford junior forward Kiki Iriafen (20 points, 11 rebounds, & 1 block) and senior forward Cameron Brink (20 points, 17 rebounds, & 4 blocks) led the way for the Cardinal. Iriafen was named a National Player of the Week by the USBWA (U.S. Basketball Writers Association). Indiana guards Sara Scalia and Sydney Parish both had 15 points for the Hoosiers. Stanford improves to 2-0 overall and #6 in the AP Top 25 Poll while Indiana falls to 1-1 overall and #18 in the AP Top 25 Poll.
BOX SCORE: Indiana at Stanford-Sunday, November 12th
VIDEO: Stanford WBB Postgame Press Conference | Indiana
VIDEO: Indiana WBB Postgame Press Conference | Stanford
As I often like to say during blowouts, this one was one-way traffic for the Cardinal. It’s an expression I’ve borrowed from tennis legend Brad Gilbert. It certainly applied in this one. From the opening tip, the Cardinal put the hurt on the Hoosiers.
“Thank you for being here and I guess first of all what a great opportunity to play such a terrific team like Indiana,” Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer said after the game. “They have inside game, they have an outside game, they're extremely well coached and I think that this was a great test for our team and our team passed it with flying colors.
“I want to just give a lot of credit to Cam and Kiki. They are our, they're the foundation of this team along with Hannah and Talana. Those four led the way with how they played, how they've been practicing, how locked in they were in practice getting ready for this game and I'm really excited for them and really proud of them. Cam and Kiki have been playing so well together and a lot of times they, you know, they don't get to play together that much in practice but they led the way in scoring and their defense. Just a great team effort.”
Stanford led 16-8 with 4:06 to go in the 1st quarter. Brink was off to a hot start with 8 points on 3-4 shooting from the field and 2-2 shooting from 3-point range. Elena Bosgana got the party started with a 3-pointer of her own. The Cardinal were in a nice rhythm.
At the end of the 1st quarter, Stanford led 26-15. Brink was balling out with 10 points and six rebounds. She also just recorded her 300th career block.
Stanford continued to expand their lead, going up 37-20 with 6:44 to go in the 2nd quarter. Brink was up to 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. She was doing a great job of shutting down Indiana’s leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes, holding her to zero points.
At halftime, Stanford led 54-26. Iriafen (14 points, 7 rebounds, & 1 block) and Brink (12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, & 2 blocks) were leading the Cardinal. Parrish was leading the Hoosiers with 11 points.
The 3rd quarter was not any better for Indiana as Stanford led 67-36 with 4:34 to go in the quarter. Iriafen was leading the way for the Cardinal with 18 points, seven rebounds, and one block. The Hoosiers needed a hug.
At the end of the 3rd quarter, Stanford led 75-42. Brink was up to 16 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks, and one steal. She had two blocks in a span of like five seconds to end the quarter. She was unleashing her inner Mark Eaton.
Stanford would lead 83-50 with 4:35 to go. Kiki Iriafen (20 points), Cameron Brink (18 points), Hannah Jump (12 points), and Elena Bosgana (10 points) were all in double figures for the Cardinal.
“Yeah, I think it’s incredible,” Iriafen said of playing with Brink. “This is our first year being able to really be on the floor together at the same time. I think we just balance each other out. We have great energy and we kinda just play off each other. We’re always looking for each other. Cameron does a really good job of looking for the high-low. But it’s a lot of fun and I think it just, playing together like makes it easy. Easy on our team, too.”
“I think, like I’m biased, but not really: But Kiki is definitely the most improved player in the country,” Brink said of Iriafen. “Like year growth from last year to this year is insane. And it’s just, you know, I’m lucky to be a part of her ride. So I mean, I think she’s gonna surprise a lot of people this year. I’m really excited.”
In the end, Stanford walked out with a 96-64 victory. Given that Indiana came in as the higher ranked team, this was truly a statement win for the Cardinal on their home floor. They blew the doors off the Hoosiers, giving them a dose of reality.
“You know we gotta going early,” VanDerveer said. “We were knocking down threes, we were going inside to Cam and Kiki, and I mean you know there they were finishing on the block, you know, we had a great contributions from Hannah, from Elena, Nunu, Chloe, Jzaniya, everybody really stepped up.
“What I saw out there today was unselfish basketball. Whoever had the hot hand, we're feeding them, people just stayed with things, and quite honestly we talked about this in the locker room: I think this is just the tip of the iceberg of how good this team can be. You know, we just need to keep we got to build on the good things and you know make some corrections. I think we can play better defense but this is a great team. Indiana is a really really talented team and our team took the challenge and again led by Kiki and Cam, they're captains, they're leaders and they did their job.”
“Testament to Tara, she’s done a really great job of just taking us in,” Brink added. “I mean, we’re just a completely different team this year and it’s just been so much fun. I’m sure you guys can tell. Like, we love playing with each other. So yeah, we want teams to keep sleeping on us. Like sure. Since my freshman year we’ve always been top five. So, it’s fun to hunt instead of be the hunted, I guess.”
By the way, for those that don’t know, the word “Hoosier” comes from the old Saxon word “Hoo” which means hill. Thus, a “Hoosier” is a person of the hills. Well after the way this game went, I’m sure the Hoosiers would have preferred to go up to the foothills and take a bit of a hiatus from basketball. Maybe even a walk up the Dish to clear their minds.
“Very impressive team that Stanford was today,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said after the game. “When you have the post play that they had with Cameron and Kiki, I thought they were really really terrific and then the outside scoring, shooting. Especially in the first half. You know, making eight threes. Kids were willing to give up outside shots, too. But they stuck’em and you have to pick your poison from time to time and give those guys credit. They hit shots for them and I thought we, really it was just a good old fashioned butt kickin’. That’s what it looked like.
“I thought Stanford was terrific and we just, we had some good moments but certainly you need a lot of really good moments to beat a team like that that had the combination going on of inside and outside today. So, I’m still proud of our kids. We’re gonna learn from it. It was a great early matchup for us, great test, there’s certainly a lot of things we gotta get better at and improve. This game proves that and has showed that to us. And so, still really proud of our team because they fight to the bitter end and I’m always really proud of them from that respect. But, Stanford was really good today.”
“I know I’ve never lost by what was it? Like 40 some points ever in my life,” Parrish added. “And I don’t think a lot of the girls on the team have. And so I think coach was saying this might be a blessing in disguise. Widens our eyes a little bit and realizes that hey we have a number by our name, but we gotta bring it everywhere we go. Whether it’s at home or when we’re in Florida playing another team with two bigs like Tennessee, we have to be better. A lot better playing two big posts like Kiki and Cam. And that’s on me and McKenzie to start the game.”
Going back to the Cardinal, this game just showed how dangerous they are when they have Brink and Iriafen doing their thing in the post. Most teams would be elated to have one player of their level inside. But to have two? That’s scary.
After the game, VanDerveer also addressed the passing away of former Indiana head coach Bobby Knight. Knight is one of the greatest coaches of all-time and had a huge impact on VanDerveer back when she was a student at Indiana.
“I’m really just, even seeing those striped pants that some people think are ugly, I love them,” VanDerveer said. “It just brought me back to being there and just how much he helped me be like who I am as a coach. I mean obviously, we have different personalities. But I learned so much. I took his coaching class, he said you can come to practice and watch, I don’t think he knew I was going to come to every practice. But I learned a lot. I learned a lot about running practices and he was a great teacher and he was a great friend. So, I just get kinda emotional thinking about it honestly.”
Up next for Stanford is a home game against Cal Poly on Thursday at 7:00 PM PT. That will air on Stanford Live Stream and Varsity Network radio.
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