Stanford will play Oregon State at 6 p.m. tonight for the conference tournament championship. The Beavers swept the regular season series with both wins by three points, and the first was in double overtime.
The Cardinal defeated a tough Oregon squad Saturday night 71-56. Oregon scored 25 of their points in the first quarter and the Cardinal responded with a resolute defensive performance against the fastest rising program in the conference.
"I'm really proud of our team and how we battled," said head coach Tara VanDerveer in the post-game press conference. "Oregon has a great young team and I think our seniors, our juniors ... stepped up for us. We did not want it to be an all-Oregon final. I thought the difference for us in the second half was our defense. We really stoked up our defense in the second quarter and the rest of the game.
"The rebounding of Kale (Kaylee Johnson) and Bird (Erica McCall), they really battled in there. I'm really proud of how hard they played and just their determination. Kale has been -- just her coming back (from injury) has meant so much to our team. We're really excited she's been out there and playing so well. And Bird has been hanging in there the whole time, working really hard. (She has) great passion for the game. It's really exciting that these two young women had such an exciting and great game for our team."
Back in the Pac-12 Network studio after the game, former Cardinal Rosalyn Gold-Onwude called Johnson's performance the "x-factor" of the game. It was certainly unexpected if viewed only through the context of this season. But the junior from Wyoming has battled injury and is returning to the form that allows her to complement her tough defense and rebounding with opportunistic scoring.
She finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. McCall also had a double-double -- 17 points and 15 rebounds -- to lead the Cardinal against an imposing Oregon front line (freshmen Mallory McGwire and Ruthy Hebard are 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4, respectively).
VanDerveer praised Johnson's energy and ability to quarterback the team on the court.
"She missed so much of the season and it's been frustrating for her," VanDerveer said. "I've enjoyed watching her grow and become a team leader for us."
Stanford started the game well, but the young Ducks (their top five players include three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior) raced ahead as the Cardinal struggled to respond with similar energy. That noticeably changed in the second half with better "benergy" (see interview with Johnson and Chiney Ogwumike linked below) and defensive pressure.
"The fact that we've been in super tough games when we've already been down really helped boost us, especially in the second half and that late first-half run," McCall said. "Really proud of how the whole team reacted to us being down. The upperclassmen really pushed and I'm really proud of how my buddy right here rebounded. I think that helped us push the tempo and get good baskets."
The Cardinal ended the first half on a 7-0 run and clearly yanked momentum away from Oregon.
Stanford playing Oregon State in the final isn't surprising. The two teams were the most consistent in conference play and are separated by the smallest margin on the court. VanDerveer said the Cardinal played well for about 75% of the game against Oregon. That needs to be better Sunday night.
"We're going to need to play 100% of the time well against Oregon State," she said. "They are an experienced team, a very talented team and a very well-coached team. We've lost to them twice and our team is going to have to have a chip on their shoulder and bring it."
Stanford Athletics highlight video
Chiney Ogwumike talks "benergy" with Kaylee Johnson
http://pac-12.com/videos/kaylee-joh...rd-pac-12-womens-basketball-tournament-finals
Pac-12 Network recap
The Cardinal defeated a tough Oregon squad Saturday night 71-56. Oregon scored 25 of their points in the first quarter and the Cardinal responded with a resolute defensive performance against the fastest rising program in the conference.
"I'm really proud of our team and how we battled," said head coach Tara VanDerveer in the post-game press conference. "Oregon has a great young team and I think our seniors, our juniors ... stepped up for us. We did not want it to be an all-Oregon final. I thought the difference for us in the second half was our defense. We really stoked up our defense in the second quarter and the rest of the game.
"The rebounding of Kale (Kaylee Johnson) and Bird (Erica McCall), they really battled in there. I'm really proud of how hard they played and just their determination. Kale has been -- just her coming back (from injury) has meant so much to our team. We're really excited she's been out there and playing so well. And Bird has been hanging in there the whole time, working really hard. (She has) great passion for the game. It's really exciting that these two young women had such an exciting and great game for our team."
Back in the Pac-12 Network studio after the game, former Cardinal Rosalyn Gold-Onwude called Johnson's performance the "x-factor" of the game. It was certainly unexpected if viewed only through the context of this season. But the junior from Wyoming has battled injury and is returning to the form that allows her to complement her tough defense and rebounding with opportunistic scoring.
She finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. McCall also had a double-double -- 17 points and 15 rebounds -- to lead the Cardinal against an imposing Oregon front line (freshmen Mallory McGwire and Ruthy Hebard are 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4, respectively).
VanDerveer praised Johnson's energy and ability to quarterback the team on the court.
"She missed so much of the season and it's been frustrating for her," VanDerveer said. "I've enjoyed watching her grow and become a team leader for us."
Stanford started the game well, but the young Ducks (their top five players include three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior) raced ahead as the Cardinal struggled to respond with similar energy. That noticeably changed in the second half with better "benergy" (see interview with Johnson and Chiney Ogwumike linked below) and defensive pressure.
"The fact that we've been in super tough games when we've already been down really helped boost us, especially in the second half and that late first-half run," McCall said. "Really proud of how the whole team reacted to us being down. The upperclassmen really pushed and I'm really proud of how my buddy right here rebounded. I think that helped us push the tempo and get good baskets."
The Cardinal ended the first half on a 7-0 run and clearly yanked momentum away from Oregon.
Stanford playing Oregon State in the final isn't surprising. The two teams were the most consistent in conference play and are separated by the smallest margin on the court. VanDerveer said the Cardinal played well for about 75% of the game against Oregon. That needs to be better Sunday night.
"We're going to need to play 100% of the time well against Oregon State," she said. "They are an experienced team, a very talented team and a very well-coached team. We've lost to them twice and our team is going to have to have a chip on their shoulder and bring it."
Stanford Athletics highlight video
Chiney Ogwumike talks "benergy" with Kaylee Johnson
http://pac-12.com/videos/kaylee-joh...rd-pac-12-womens-basketball-tournament-finals
Pac-12 Network recap
