Series History: Stanford leads 42-14 Last Meeting: March 8, 2012 (Stanford 76, Washington 57) - Los Angeles, Calif. TV: Pac-12 Network (P-x-P: Krista Blunk, Analyst: Mary Murphy) Webcast: None Radio: 90.1 KZSU (P-x-P: Preston Chin)
STANFORD, Calif. - No. 4/5 Stanford makes the first of two straight trips to Seattle as it tips off the final weekend of the regular season Thursday night at Washington. Thursday's 7 p.m. contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Network with Krista Blunk and Mary Murphy on the call, and on the radio at 90.1 KZSU and http://kzsulive.stanford.edu with Preston Chin calling the action.
Last Time Out
Junior forward Chiney Ogwumike stole the show at Stanford's 74-50 Senior Day win over Oregon, enjoying a record-setting performance that included 27 points and a Stanford single-game record 24 rebounds, which led to her Stanford career-record 52nd double-double. Her 24 rebounds, which eclipsed the previous mark of 23 set by older sister Nnemkadi Ogwumike on Jan. 23, 2010 against Oregon, also brought her career tally to 1,010, making her the sixth player in Stanford history to reach the 1,000-rebound mark as well as join the 1,000-1,000 Club for points and rebounds. In addition to her scoring and rebounding, Ogwumike also passed out four assists, made four steals and blocked three shots. Senior Day honoree Joslyn Tinkle scored four points with five rebounds and a pair of blocks, while the second honoree, redshirt junior Mikaela Ruef, scored five points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Cardinal pulled down a total of 55 rebounds.
About Washington
Washington (19-8, 11-5 Pac-12) enters Thursday's game looking to regroup after suffering a road sweep at the hands of Utah and Colorado last weekend. With Kevin McGuff in his second year at the helm in Seattle, the Huskies are led by the play of Kristi Kingma (14.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg). The Huskies announced Tuesday that reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Jazmine Davis (19.2 ppg, 3.24 apg) and Talia Walton (13.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg) will serve one-game suspensions Thursday for a violation of team rules.
Against Washington
Stanford leads the all-time series with Washington, 42-14, and is on a 13-game winning streak heading into this season's first meeting with the Huskies. The teams previously met at last year's Pac-12 Tournament in Los Angeles, a 76-57 Stanford quarterfinal win.
Stanford In The National Polls
Stanford remained at No. 4 in this week's Associated Press Poll and at No. 5 in the USA Today Sports Coaches' Poll.
In The Pac-12 Statistics
Through Feb. 24, Stanford ranked in the top three of 14 statistical categories amongst Pac-12 schools: scoring defense (52.5 ppg - first), scoring margin (+18.9 - first), field-goal percentage (45.9 - first), field-goal percentage defense (32.3 - first), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (23.8 - first), free-throw percentage (72.5 - first), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.18 - first), scoring offense (71.4 ppg - second), rebounding defense (34.0 rpg - third), assists (14.25 apg - second), blocked shots (5.00 bpg - second), defensive rebounds (29.6 drpg - second), 3-point field-goal percentage (31.6 - third) and rebounding margin (+8.5 - third). Individually, Chiney Ogwumike leads the conference in scoring (22.7 ppg), rebounding (12.7 rpg), field-goal percentage (58.2) and double-doubles (22), is second with a 80.7 free-throw percentage and fourth with 1.64 blocks per game. Senior forward Joslyn Tinkle leads the conference with 1.86 blocks per game, is eighth with a 48.6 field-goal percentage and sixth with a 3-point field-goal percentage of 33.7. Amber Orrange is second in the Pac-12 with a 1.64 assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth with 4.32 assists per game.
In the National Statistics
Through the latest national statistical update (Feb. 25), Stanford ranked in the top 20 of eight categories: field-goal percentage defense (32.3 - second), 3-point field-goal defense (23.8 - second), turnovers per game (12.1 - fourth), field-goal percentage (45.9 - eighth), scoring margin (+18.9 - 11th), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.18 - 11th), rebound margin (+8.5 - 13th) and scoring defense (52.5 - 18th). Chiney Ogwumike is the only player to rank in the national top five in scoring (22.7 ppg - third), field-goal percentage (58.2 - fourth) and rebounding (12.7 rpg - fifth) in addition to ranking second with 22 double-doubles.
Ogwumike Named To USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Top 20 List Chiney Ogwumike was named to the USBWA's Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Top 20 Watch List Tuesday morning. Besides being the only player ranked in the national top five in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage and double-doubles, the consensus national player of the year has shined brightest against the nation's top competition, averaging 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 53.5 percent over 10 games against Top-25 teams. Ogwumike's efforts in have helped Stanford go 8-2 against those Top-25 teams, including a perfect 6-0 away from home that started with the Cardinal's 71-69 win over then-No. 1/1 Baylor on Nov. 16 in Honolulu.
Ogwumike's Record-Setting Sunday
Sunday's 74-50 win over Oregon featured Chiney Ogwumike breaking multiple Stanford records as well as establishing herself in one of the Cardinal's elite clubs alongside legendary names from the past. Against the Ducks Ogwumike scored 27 points with 24 rebounds, establishing Stanford's career double-doubles record (52) and the school's single-game rebounding mark (24). In both cases, Chiney eclipsed the record held by older sister Nnemkadi Ogwumike, and Chiney's 24 rebounds brought her career haul to over 1,000 making her just the sixth player in Cardinal history to reach the 1,000-rebound mark and also join the 1,000-1,000 Club for points and rebounds.
One Of Stanford's Best Defensive Teams?
Sunday's defensive effort against Oregon continued the Cardinal's stellar performance this season on that side of the court. In Sunday's win the Cardinal held the Ducks to just 50 points on 25.7 percent shooting from the field and 14.3 percent from the arc. Oregon's point total and shooting percentage lowered Stanford's opponents scoring (52.5 ppg) and field-goal percentage (31.6 percent) to figures well below the program single-season records of 53.9 points per game and a 33.6 opponents' field-goal percentage. All this season, Stanford has not allowed an opponent to score 70 points, currently on pace to become the first Stanford team to do that for a full season.
Super Friends Enjoy A Nice Senior Weekend
Stanford's two fourth-year players, senior Joslyn Tinkle and redshirt junior Mikaela Ruef, enjoyed a fun Senior Weekend with family, friends and solid efforts on the court. Tinkle opened her send-off weekend Friday by becoming Stanford's 34th member of the 1,000-Point Club with 11 points against Oregon State. For the weekend, Tinkle averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.00 blocks but her most special moment was following Sunday's win over Oregon, when she was honored alongside parents Wayne and Lisa Tinkle, the first time during Joslyn's career that both parents had been able to be at Maples Pavilion together to watch her play.
Ruef, meanwhile, continued with the hard-nosed play that has her making a case for All-Pac-12 consideration. The Beavercreek, Ohio native averaged 5.5 points over the wins, but as usual made her contributions on the boards, averaging 9.5 rebounds, in the rotation as she had six assists Friday against Oregon State, and on defense as she not only blocked a shot in each game but contributed to the dogged defensive effort that limited the Beavers and Ducks to a combined 103 points and 29.0-percent shooting for the weekend.
Put Orrange In The Director's Chair
Sophomore point guard Amber Orrange continued to hone her superb direction of the Stanford offense over the sweep of Oregon State and Oregon. The Houston native not only passed out 5.50 assists a game but also made her mark shooting the ball, going a combined 13-for-19 (68.4 percent) and averaging 13.5 points over the weekend. On the year, she is averaging 10.4 points a game, third-best on the team, with a team-leading 121 assists.
Going For Another Undefeated February
Thursday's game at Washington is Stanford's February finale, and a win would represent the sixth straight year in which the Cardinal went unbeaten during the month. Since Stanford's last February loss, a 72-57 setback against California on Feb. 4, 2007, the Cardinal has now won 54 straight February contests.
Pac-12 Tournament Seeding Outlook
Stanford, which clinched a first-round bye at the Pac-12 Tournament with Feb. 17's 68-57 win at UCLA, can earn the Pac-12 Tournament's top seed and a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title with a weekend sweep of Washington and Washington State. While Stanford and California enter this weekend atop the Pac-12 table with matching 15-1 records, the Cardinal would own the tiebreaker of highest overall winning percentage if the teams finish the weekend with matching 17-1 records.
Ogwumike Thrives Against Top-25 Competition
Feb. 17's 68-57 win at then-No. 15/16 UCLA was the 10th of the season for Stanford against a Top-25 team. So far this season, the Cardinal is 8-2 in those games thanks in part to the performance of Chiney Ogwumike, who is making the best case for national player of the year honors. The junior forward, who is the only player in the nation ranked in the NCAA's top six in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage and double-doubles entering this week, has turned up her performance over this season's 10 games against Top-25 teams, averaging 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 53.5 percent.
Ogwumike Named To Capital One Academic All-America Team
Proving that she achieves at a high level in the classroom as well as on the court, Chiney Ogwumike was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Team on Feb. 21. Ogwumike, owner of a 3.41 cumulative grade-point average and majoring in international relations, was one of just five spots on the women's basketball Academic All-America Team.
