Stanford (11-2) stifled former Pac-12 foe Oregon (12-2) en route to a 64-53 victory in Chase Center on Sunday.
Kate Paye, her players, and several members of the media were all in agreement: this Stanford team is at its best turning defense into offense. And even though the offense never fully clicked, the defense was so dominant that Stanford led nearly wire-to-wire.
As is often the case in larger arenas, both teams struggled to shoot from the outside in the first half, combining to hit 1-12 from three. The Cardinal instead relied on their versatility, quickness, length, and sound principles to make life hard for the Ducks. The old adage is that defense travels, and that’s every bit as important in professional arenas as it is in true road environments.
Stanford held Oregon to a season-low 53 points, roughly 25 points below their average. The Ducks finished with anemic shooting splits of 32/14/71, and committed 16 turnovers compared to just 8 assists. The Cardinal also rebound 35 out of 40 defensive rebounding opportunities, holding the Ducks to a season-low 12.5 ORB%, something even the Betts sisters of UCLA couldn’t accomplish.
The frontcourt of Stanford is long. While neither Nunu Agara nor Lara Somfai is a true center, both provide excellent defense. They, along with reserve Alexandra Eschmeyer, are very switchable, and opposing guards come to regret hunting those matchups. Their footspeed is excellent, their length is intimidating, and their understanding of positioning is effective. They also finish possessions, currently ranking 5th in the country at defensive rebounding rate.
Stanford jumped out to a 31-25 lead at the half. Courtney Ogden was spectacular, scoring 13 for the Cardinal in an otherwise gritty game. Nunu Agara did not have her normal scoring prowess, but controlled the glass, pulling down 8 boards in the first 20 minutes and keeping Oregon to one shot per trip.
Oregon managed a 12-3 start to the third quarter to briefly take the lead. The Cardinal used the media timeout to regroup. After play resumed they rattled off an 8-0 run in just over a minute. Lara Somfai got things started with a three, and two more jump shots from Ogden pushed the Stanford advantage to 42-37.
Stanford never trailed again, using a dominant 20-12 fourth quarter to pull away late. The lead ballooned to as many as 12 in the final minutes, as Oregon’s meager attempts at trapping the Cardinal were expertly picked apart, leading to quick and easy baskets.
Courtney Ogden led all scorers with 20 points, showcasing elite three-level scoring. She’s shown flashes of that since she stepped on campus, but this season Courtney is putting it all together. It’s clear that Kate Paye is scheming to find her more scoring opportunities. It was a marvel to see the variety of ways they created one-on-one matchups for her and got her to her spots. Courtney creates so much space with her jab step and always plays on balance. She has already converted 26 mid-range jumpers this season.
After early foul trouble, freshman forward Lara Somfai finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, recording a double-double in the second half alone. It was her second time playing in a pro arena. Lara mentioned feeling nerves during the McDonald’s All-American game, but felt much more comfortable today. Perhaps most encouraging for her is her 2-3 performance from beyond the arc. Her shot looks good and the staff gives her a green light. Her 22% number from deep will keep climbing.
The backcourt duo of Chloe Clardy and Hailee Swain added 11 and 10, respectively. Chloe continues to lead the team in several statistical categories, including minutes, threes, and assists, despite coming off the bench.
Eight different players combined for 11 steals, led by Ogden’s 4. Forcing turnovers has been the one area defensively where this team has not excelled this year. If they can continue to generate steals, they can become one of the very best defenses in the nation.
Oregon coach Kelly Graves was effusive in his praise of Kate Paye. He says that she’s in many ways a direct continuation of Tara, but with some effective new wrinkles of her own. As this team continues to gain experience, that should scare the ACC.
This win moves Stanford to 4-0 on the season against former Pac-12 opponents, following victories against Washington State, Cal, and Washington. As things stand now, this is a Quad 1 win, the first of the year for the Cardinal.