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Game Preview: No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Stanford
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The two power conference schools face-off in San Francisco.
Before No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball takes a break for the Christmas holiday, they travel to San Francisco to face the Stanford Cardinal in the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic. It is the first game of a Friday night doubleheader, with the No. 1 UCLA Bruins taking on the Creighton Blue Jays following the Buckeyes.
It’s also the first time in five years that the two programs will face each other, and first time ever that legendary coach Tara VanDerveer isn’t coaching the matchup on the sidelines.
From looking at records and ranking, it’s a game in the Buckeyes’ favor, but it's also the first power conference game for head coach Kevin McGuff’s team. Are the scarlet and gray ready to take on a true test from an ACC opponent?
Ohio State faces a team with Stanford on the front of the jersey, but it’s not the same Cardinal side many are used to watching.
Last season, former Ohio State and Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer announced her transition out of coaching. After three national championships, four Big Ten championships and 42 conference trophies between the regular season and Pac-12 tournament, VanDerveer stepped aside with one of her former players Kate Paye taking the helm.
It was the first of many big scale transitions for the Cardinal this offseason. On the court, Pac-12 Player of the Year Cameron Brink left for the WNBA and senior Kiki Iriafen surprised many when she made the in-state transfer to the USC Trojans. Then, to make it even more interesting, the Cardinal switched conference to the anything-but-appropriately named Atlantic Coast Conference.
Now, the 2021 National Champions are regrouping, and trying to transition back into a conference regularly atop the conversation of the best teams in college basketball.
This season, Stanford if 8-3, with each loss coming against power conference schools. First it was the Indiana Hoosiers. The Big Ten side that is trying to reestablish its own identity shocked Paye’s side the first week after they returned to the top 25, in the first season since 1999 that Stanford wasn’t on the preseason rankings.
During the SEC - ACC Challenge, Stanford traveled to Baton Rouge and nearly shocked the then No. 5 LSU Tigers before head coach Kim Mulkey’s side forced overtime and carried the momentum to a six-point win. Stanford’s next game wasn’t that close and then unranked California Golden Bears humbled the Cardinal 83-63.
Despite the bumps along the way, Stanford is undefeated at home and Friday night might as well be a home game, traveling one hour north to take on the Scarlet and Gray.
There are similarities between Stanford and Ohio State. For one, they’re both newly formed rosters. For the Cardinal, their starting lineup features only one player who started for VanDerveer last season, the remaining four likely starters are three players who made frequent appearances off the Stanford bench and transfer Tess Heal from Santa Clara.
The catalyst for the Cardinal is forward Nunu Agara. Stepping into a big role left by Brink and Iriafen, Agara leads Stanford with 17.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds. How Agara goes, the Cardinal usually follow.
Against Cal, the forward had 13 points and six rebounds, playing under her average. Before playing the Buckeyes, the Minnesotan had eight points and seven rebounds in a game against University of Texas San Antonio in a 72-67 win where the visiting Roadrunners shocked Stanford on their home court, but not enough to come away with the upset.
Agara will face off against forward Ajae Petty, who is coming on strong for the Buckeyes after transferring from Kentucky in the offseason. Petty averages 8.4 rebounds in the last six games, with two double-doubles.
Stanford’s forward will get the ball on the elbow and try to either move to the basket or take a shot, forcing the Buckeyes defense to try and anticipate her movement. Guess wrong and it opens up opportunities around the court, especially from deep.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25798399/2189969635.jpg "Stanford v California")
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Against LSU, Stanford took 30 threes in the game, hitting 30 percent. Should Ohio State not get back quickly on defense, or close down shooters, it could make the night difficult for the Buckeyes.
However, the reason Stanford fell in Baton Rouge after leading late in the second half was LSU increasing the defensive pressure. Playing with a relatively new and young group means they’re susceptible to making mistakes. Stanford averages 15 turnovers per game over the last six games and the press of Ohio State could exploit it.
How the press operates will depend on the availability of freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge. After taking a hit and landing hard against Ball State on Dec. 10, Cambridge has missed two games for Ohio State. While graduate senior Madison Greene operates the havoc-inducing full court press well, Cambridge’s extra speed over her experienced teammate gives the Buckeye press another level of intensity.
Following Ohio State’s win Tuesday over Grand Valley State, McGuff didn’t sound too hopeful that Cambridge would return against the Cardinal.
Offensively for the Buckeyes, junior guard Chance Gray is excelling from deep, with a career high 3.2 made three-point shots per game and 16.5 points per game. Making Gray even more of a commodity after playing against Stanford for two years with the Oregon Ducks. Gray shared Tuesday that Stanford is a whole new team and the experience doesn’t carry over, but Paye hasn’t veered too far from VanDerveer’s system.
Friday is the lone chance for the Buckeyes to show their ability against power schools this non-conference season. All of Ohio State’s previous 10 non-conference games came against mid-major programs. Aside from a close win against the Belmont Bruins, there hasn’t been much of a challenge for the Scarlet and Gray, outside of maybe keeping intensity up against teams when they’re leading by 20 to 30 points.
That opportunity isn’t as likely against Stanford, regardless of the speed bumps the team is going over in their rebuilding mode.
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
G - Tess Heal
G - Jzaniya Harriel
G - Elana Bosgana
F - Brooke Demetre
F - Nunu Agara
This game will be back and forth, but once Ohio State’s offense hits its stride, the press will cause issues for Stanford. If Cambridge returns, the freshman will have a double-double in points and assists, finding Gray, Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry.
Stanford will make it a game late, but the Buckeyes will hold off the Cardinal in the final minutes.
Date: Friday, Dec. 20, 2024
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Television: FS1
Stream: Fox Sports Go
The Buckeyes have 17 games remaining after Friday, and they’re all Big Ten games. It starts Sunday, Dec. 29 in New Jersey against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, with freshman Kiyomi McMiller and senior Destiny Adams making Rutgers more dangerous than in past seasons.
After Rutgers, the Buckeyes welcome the Northwestern Wildcats and then the competition hits another level when Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor to face the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 8.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The two power conference schools face-off in San Francisco.
Before No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball takes a break for the Christmas holiday, they travel to San Francisco to face the Stanford Cardinal in the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic. It is the first game of a Friday night doubleheader, with the No. 1 UCLA Bruins taking on the Creighton Blue Jays following the Buckeyes.
It’s also the first time in five years that the two programs will face each other, and first time ever that legendary coach Tara VanDerveer isn’t coaching the matchup on the sidelines.
From looking at records and ranking, it’s a game in the Buckeyes’ favor, but it's also the first power conference game for head coach Kevin McGuff’s team. Are the scarlet and gray ready to take on a true test from an ACC opponent?
Preview
Ohio State faces a team with Stanford on the front of the jersey, but it’s not the same Cardinal side many are used to watching.
Last season, former Ohio State and Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer announced her transition out of coaching. After three national championships, four Big Ten championships and 42 conference trophies between the regular season and Pac-12 tournament, VanDerveer stepped aside with one of her former players Kate Paye taking the helm.
It was the first of many big scale transitions for the Cardinal this offseason. On the court, Pac-12 Player of the Year Cameron Brink left for the WNBA and senior Kiki Iriafen surprised many when she made the in-state transfer to the USC Trojans. Then, to make it even more interesting, the Cardinal switched conference to the anything-but-appropriately named Atlantic Coast Conference.
Now, the 2021 National Champions are regrouping, and trying to transition back into a conference regularly atop the conversation of the best teams in college basketball.
This season, Stanford if 8-3, with each loss coming against power conference schools. First it was the Indiana Hoosiers. The Big Ten side that is trying to reestablish its own identity shocked Paye’s side the first week after they returned to the top 25, in the first season since 1999 that Stanford wasn’t on the preseason rankings.
During the SEC - ACC Challenge, Stanford traveled to Baton Rouge and nearly shocked the then No. 5 LSU Tigers before head coach Kim Mulkey’s side forced overtime and carried the momentum to a six-point win. Stanford’s next game wasn’t that close and then unranked California Golden Bears humbled the Cardinal 83-63.
Despite the bumps along the way, Stanford is undefeated at home and Friday night might as well be a home game, traveling one hour north to take on the Scarlet and Gray.
There are similarities between Stanford and Ohio State. For one, they’re both newly formed rosters. For the Cardinal, their starting lineup features only one player who started for VanDerveer last season, the remaining four likely starters are three players who made frequent appearances off the Stanford bench and transfer Tess Heal from Santa Clara.
The catalyst for the Cardinal is forward Nunu Agara. Stepping into a big role left by Brink and Iriafen, Agara leads Stanford with 17.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds. How Agara goes, the Cardinal usually follow.
Against Cal, the forward had 13 points and six rebounds, playing under her average. Before playing the Buckeyes, the Minnesotan had eight points and seven rebounds in a game against University of Texas San Antonio in a 72-67 win where the visiting Roadrunners shocked Stanford on their home court, but not enough to come away with the upset.
Agara will face off against forward Ajae Petty, who is coming on strong for the Buckeyes after transferring from Kentucky in the offseason. Petty averages 8.4 rebounds in the last six games, with two double-doubles.
Stanford’s forward will get the ball on the elbow and try to either move to the basket or take a shot, forcing the Buckeyes defense to try and anticipate her movement. Guess wrong and it opens up opportunities around the court, especially from deep.
Against LSU, Stanford took 30 threes in the game, hitting 30 percent. Should Ohio State not get back quickly on defense, or close down shooters, it could make the night difficult for the Buckeyes.
However, the reason Stanford fell in Baton Rouge after leading late in the second half was LSU increasing the defensive pressure. Playing with a relatively new and young group means they’re susceptible to making mistakes. Stanford averages 15 turnovers per game over the last six games and the press of Ohio State could exploit it.
How the press operates will depend on the availability of freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge. After taking a hit and landing hard against Ball State on Dec. 10, Cambridge has missed two games for Ohio State. While graduate senior Madison Greene operates the havoc-inducing full court press well, Cambridge’s extra speed over her experienced teammate gives the Buckeye press another level of intensity.
Following Ohio State’s win Tuesday over Grand Valley State, McGuff didn’t sound too hopeful that Cambridge would return against the Cardinal.
Offensively for the Buckeyes, junior guard Chance Gray is excelling from deep, with a career high 3.2 made three-point shots per game and 16.5 points per game. Making Gray even more of a commodity after playing against Stanford for two years with the Oregon Ducks. Gray shared Tuesday that Stanford is a whole new team and the experience doesn’t carry over, but Paye hasn’t veered too far from VanDerveer’s system.
Friday is the lone chance for the Buckeyes to show their ability against power schools this non-conference season. All of Ohio State’s previous 10 non-conference games came against mid-major programs. Aside from a close win against the Belmont Bruins, there hasn’t been much of a challenge for the Scarlet and Gray, outside of maybe keeping intensity up against teams when they’re leading by 20 to 30 points.
That opportunity isn’t as likely against Stanford, regardless of the speed bumps the team is going over in their rebuilding mode.
Projected Starters
Ohio State
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
Lineup Notes
- Madison Greene scored a season high eight points against Grand Valley State on Tuesday, and will start if Cambridge is unable to play.
- Of Chance Gray’s 11 games scoring at least 20 points in her career, four came this year with the Buckeyes.
- Chance Gray is 38 points away from scoring her 1,000th NCAA point.
Stanford
G - Tess Heal
G - Jzaniya Harriel
G - Elana Bosgana
F - Brooke Demetre
F - Nunu Agara
Lineup Notes
- Tess Heal was a two-time All-WCC Selection and WCC Rookie of the Year with the Santa Clara Broncos.
- Former Purdue Boilermaker and B1G Freshman of the Year (media) transferred to Stanford in the offseason and 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds with the Cardinal.
- Elana Bosgana started all 36 games for Stanford last season and is averaging 6.5 more points per game this season (13.2 ppg).
Prediction
This game will be back and forth, but once Ohio State’s offense hits its stride, the press will cause issues for Stanford. If Cambridge returns, the freshman will have a double-double in points and assists, finding Gray, Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry.
Stanford will make it a game late, but the Buckeyes will hold off the Cardinal in the final minutes.
How to Watch
Date: Friday, Dec. 20, 2024
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Television: FS1
Stream: Fox Sports Go
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 76, Stanford 70
Big Ten on the Other Side
The Buckeyes have 17 games remaining after Friday, and they’re all Big Ten games. It starts Sunday, Dec. 29 in New Jersey against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, with freshman Kiyomi McMiller and senior Destiny Adams making Rutgers more dangerous than in past seasons.
After Rutgers, the Buckeyes welcome the Northwestern Wildcats and then the competition hits another level when Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor to face the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 8.
Continue reading...