Stanford continues title defense in Sweet 16 matchup with Maryland
Stanford women’s coach Tara VanDerveer surprised a few folks Thursday when asked about her game-planning for Friday’s Sweet 16 game against a Maryland team that prefers a fast pace.
The defending NCAA Tournament champions generally play a more deliberate style, but Vanderveer said she’s keeping her options open.
“I like our team running too, and I like open-court basketball,” VanDerveer said at the Spokane Arena, where the Cardinal and Terrapins will tip off at 6:30 p.m.
Warming to the subject, VanDerveer said “the more we can play open court, really show the ballet of basketball, the moving, cutting, not have it be a wrestling match, not have it be so physical that you’re fouling all the time.”
Whether the Cardinal actually plan to run with the Terrapins remains to be seen, especially with such high stakes. The winner will face Ohio State or Texas on Sunday night for a spot in the Final Four next weekend in Minneapolis.
Stanford, top seed in the Spokane Region, is a slight favorite. The Cardinal (30-3) have won 22 straight games and claimed the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles.
They also beat the Terrapins by 18 in a Thanksgiving tournament in the Bahamas, though both teams were missing key players.
“I think we’ll see a better version of Maryland, and Maryland will see a better version of Stanford,” VanDerveer said. “I expect it to be both teams’ best games. You have to work hard to beat a Maryland team.”
The fourth-seeded Terrapins (23-8) finished in a virtual four-way tie in the Big Ten, but lost in the tournament quarterfinals to No. 10 Indiana.
They redeemed themselves in the first two rounds, played on Maryland’s home court. Maryland blew out Delaware by 31 points, then dominated No. 23 Florida Gulf Coast in transition to win 89-65 and advance to Spokane.
“We love where we’re at,” said Maryland coach Brenda Frese, who claimed a Final Four berth with the Terps in Spokane in 2015. “We love this group. They’re really locked in right now and focused. I love how they’ve attacked the tournament.”
The Terrapins are also healthy for the first time in weeks.
Guards Diamond Miller (13.2 points per game) and Ashley Owusu (14.7 ppg and a 42% shooter from long range) are back.
“A healthy Maryland is a scary Maryland,” said forward Angel Reese, a third-team All-American who averages a team high 17.5 points and 10.7 boards.
“I mean, just being able to see this team, everything that we’ve been through, going through the adversity that we hit, I think that’s what made us so strong,” Reese said.
Stanford counters with a balanced lineup led by first-team All-American Haley Jones, one of the most versatile top-tier players in the nation.
A former No. 1 overall recruit, Jones averages 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Senior guard Lexie Hull, who prepped at Central Valley, averages 13.2 points, 5.2 boards and is shooting 41% from long range.
Hull is also coming off a career-high 36-point performance to help the Cardinal break open a tight game with Kansas an advance to the regionals.
Inside, the Cardinal are getting a big season from sophomore forward Cameron Brink, who earned third-team All-American honors after averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, both team highs.
“Anyone on their team would be starting at any other program,” Frese said of the Cardinal. “They’re really deep. Tremendous length. I mean, obviously they’re top 25 (in) scoring, top 15 in rebounding, top five in blocks. They do so many things well.”