Stanford's women's basketball team survived a single-minded, determined, aggressive UCLA team to win their twentieth (including two shared titles) PAC-10 championship. It should be expected that a school that has been undefeated if not unchallenged in PAC-10 competition for over two years, would be the favourite to win the tournament. The only problem with that assumption was reality.
Image : Toni Kokenis attempts to drive around Doreena Campbell
For most of the game UCLA was in the lead. Even more surprising, the Bruins dictated the pace and style of the game. UCLA defenders prevented the Cardinal from consistently getting the ball inside to the taller, bigger front court players. On the few occasions when the ball did reach a post player, they were double-teamed, tied-up or forced to take an out-of-rhythm shot. Stanford's first half shooting percentage was an anaemic 34.8%. UCLA's respectable 45.8% gave the Bruins a 30-21 half-time lead.
No one in the Staples Center, least of all, the UCLA team expected Stanford to give up. After all, the Stanford seniors had played their way into three consecutive NCAA semi-finals and last year, were defeated by the Connecticut in the finals. UCLA kept the pressure on in the second half but Stanford's defence, improved shooting percentage and opportunistic scoring permitted the Cardinal to tie the score 47-47 with a jump shot by senior Nnemkadi Ogwumike with a little more than six minutes remaining in the game. Two ties and two lead changes later, Stanford freshman, Toni Kokhenis, hit a jump shot that put Stanford ahead 51-48. The final score was 64-55. Kokhenis scored 10 of her game and career high 17 points in the final 5:16 of the game. High scorer for UCLA was senior, Doreena Campbell with 16 points.
UCLA made a valiant attempt to dethrone the perennial PAC-10 champion Stanford. It was the kind of effort fitting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of PAC-10 women's sports. UCLA finished the 2010-2011 season with a 27-4 record. Three of the losses were handed to them by the 29-2 Stanford team.
Notables in attendance included former United States Secretary of State and current Stanford University professor, Condoleeza Rice and former USC, Olympic and WNBA player Lisa Leslie in a broadcasting role.
Box Score and Play-by-Play:
Image/ report courtesy Calvin Morris
