Jeanette Pohlen attempts offbalance shot/AP Photo by Steve Yeater
The No. 2-ranked Stanford women know they will face defenses that focus their attention on the Cardinal's potent inside game, so when the Cardinal begins a game by hitting a bunch of three-pointers it bodes well for the future.
Eighteen of Stanford's first 22 points in the Cardinal's 76-51 road victory at UC Davis (2-2) on Sunday were the product of three-pointers.
Three of those six three-pointers were supplied by JJ Hones, who did not start the game but entered the game less than two minutes into it and played 32 minutes.
Unfortunately, that was practically the extent of the Cardinal's long-range success. The Cardinal, which improved to 4-0, made only two more three-pointers the rest of the game and finished 8-for-27 from beyond the arc .
Outside shooting will be critical for Stanford this season to take the pressure off Jayne Appel and Nneka Ogwumike inside. Both had to be patient on Sunday before getting their scoring opportunities.
Appel was the team's leading scorer for the first time this season. She did not score for the first 11 minutes, but finished with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting and also added nine rebounds. Kayla Pedersen was the team's top rebounder with 11 and added 17 points, but she hurt her three-point shooting percentage by hitting only 2 of 7 from out there. Ogwumike, who came into the game as the team's top scorer, had only one point in the first half, but finished with 11.
The three frontcourt starters remain the Cardinal's top three scorers but their positions changed a bit. Pedersen now leads the team averaging 18.8 points, Ogwumike is next at 17.8 and Appel is third at 16.5.
The Cardinal plays its next five games at home, as the competition begins to get more challenging. The homestand starts with a Nov. 27 game against Utah and continues with home contests against Gonzaga, DePaul, Duke and Tennessee, the last one being on Dec. 19.
For more Bay Area college basketball and football, go to jakestakeonsports.com.
See also:
STANFORD MEN USE SMALL LINEUP WITH SUCCESS
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VANDERVEER SAYS THIS STANFORD TEAM BETTER THAN LAST YEAR. IS IT?
PEDERSEN LEADS STANFORD IN HOME OPENER
APPEL NOT TEAM'S TOP SCORER -- AGAIN
EX-STANFORD PLAYERS IN NBA: JARRON COLLINS HAS BIG GAME
ACCOLADES FOR STANFORD'S RECRUITING CLASS
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PAC-10 MEN'S UPDATE: UCLA, OREGON STATE LOSE OPENERS
OGWUMIKE PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
STANFORD WOMEN GET BY NO. 25 RUTGERS
STANFORD MEN LOSE OPENER TO SAN DIEGO
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