Nov. 17, 2012

Game #4

No. 4/4 Stanford Cardinal (3-0)

- at -

Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (1-1)

Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic
Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 - 9 p.m. PT
Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, Hawaii

Series History: Stanford leads 7-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 30, 2008 (Stanford 83, Hawai'i 54) - Honolulu, Hawaii
TV: Oceanic Time Warner Cable
Webcast: https://secure.oceanic.com/Streaming/
Radio: 90.1 KZSU (P-x-P: Preston Chin)

Game Notes vs. Hawai'i

STANFORD, Calif. - Fresh off of a victory over No. 1/1 Baylor, fourth-ranked Stanford gets right back into action Saturday at the Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic against host Hawai'i at 9 p.m. PT. Saturday's contest will be aired on Oceanic Time Warner Cable in Hawaii, and a live stream is available at https://secure.oceanic.com/Streaming/. The game is also on the radio at 90.1 KZSU with Preston Chin on the call.

Last Time Out
The Cardinal stunned top-ranked Baylor, and much of the nation Friday, with a 71-69 win in Honolulu. Chiney Ogwumike made what would end up being the winning bucket on a drive and reverse layup with 22 seconds remaining, then pulled down the final defensive rebound as time expired to cap an 18-point, eight-rebound performance. Redshirt junior Mikaela Ruef, making her first collegiate start, provided the hustle and heart for the Cardinal, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds and passing out three assists. Sophomore Taylor Greenfield went 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-for-6 on 3-point attempts for 16 points, Toni Kokenis scored 15 points and Joslyn Tinkle went for 11 points and four rebounds as four Cardinal players scored in double figures. Stanford shot 50.9 percent in the contest and beat Baylor in the battle of the boards by a 40-28 margin.

About Hawai'i
Hawai'i, playing its first season as a member of the Big West, nabbed its first win of the young campaign Friday night, defeating Tennessee-Martin 73-69. Kamilah Martin led the Rainbow Wahine with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Ashleigh Karaitiana also pulled down 10 boards. With first-year head coach Laura Beeman at the helm, Hawai'i is led by the play of Martin (13.0 ppg, 12.5 rpg) and Destiny King (10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

Against Hawai'i
Saturday's game will be the eighth all-time meeting between the Cardinal and Rainbow Wahine, with Stanford capturing the previous seven. Saturday's contest will be the fourth straight meeting in Honolulu, with Stanford winning the most recent one 83-54 back on Nov. 30, 2008.

Stanford Topples No. 1 Baylor
Stanford answered the call Friday in Honolulu, upending No. 1 Baylor and ending the 42-game winning streak of the defending national champion with a 71-69 victory at the Stan Sheriff Center. Chiney Ogwumike made her case as the frontrunner for national player of the year with an 18-point, eight-rebound performance, and an 8-for-14 shooting effort against the nation's reigning player and defender of the year Brittney Griner. Redshirt junior forward Mikaela Ruef, in her first career start, grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds and gamely took on the task of defending Griner, helping hold the superstar to just four points on 2-for-5 shooting in the first half.

Sophomore Taylor Greenfield went 6-for-9 from the field, including four 3-pointers, scoring 16 points while Toni Kokenis (15 points) and Joslyn Tinkle (11 points, four rebounds) scored in double figures, and point guard Amber Orrange went for eight points and three assists.

That's How A Player Of the Year Performs
Chiney Ogwumike, a consensus national player of the year candidate, took a big step in the right direction for her campaign in Friday's win over No. 1 Baylor, scoring 18 points with eight rebounds while going 8-for-14 from the field. Ogwumike didn't just succeed in her usual spots inside the paint, but she showed her sharpened dribble-drive move from the perimeter and her quick first step in beating defenders for lay-ups. The Cypress, Texas native even showed off her newly-improved outside shot, hitting the first 3-pointer of her career. In what could be viewed as the play of the game, Ogwumike, with 22 seconds remaining and Stanford clinging to a two-point lead, took the Baylor defense to the rim for a reverse lay-up that made it a two-possession game and showed why in crunch time she is the Cardinal's go-to player.

New Looks For The Cardinal
Friday against Baylor, Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer sent out a different starting lineup from the two fives that had started against Fresno State and Santa Clara. Chiney Ogwumike, Amber Orrange and Joslyn Tinkle remained in the starting five, but this time VanDerveer inserted Mikaela Ruef and Toni Kokenis to replace Erica Payne and Jasmine Camp from Sunday at SCU. The third different starting lineup marked the first time since 2004-05 that the Cardinal head coach had gone with three different starting lineups in the first three games. That season, VanDerveer stuck with Candice Wiggins, Kelley Suminski and Sebnem Kimyacioglu over the first three games, but rotated Brooke Smith, T'Nae Thiel and Azella Perryman in and out of the starting five.

Kokenis Shines In First Start
Junior guard Toni Kokenis made her first start of the campaign Friday against Baylor and didn't miss a beat after seeing limited action over the first two games. The Second City Sparkplug scored 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including a 5-for-6 showing from the free throw line in the 71-69 win over No. 1 Baylor. She also passed out three assists in a display of her playmaking abilities. On the year, Kokenis is averaging 9.0 points over 18.3 minutes per game.