Brittany McPhee scored 31 of her 33 points in the second half to carry the Cardinal to a road upset of No. 6 Oregon. The 78-65 win in Eugene completed an unlikely road sweep of the Oregon schools and moves Stanford into a tie for first in the Pac-12. This team has come a long way from its struggles in the non-conference.'
In my opinion, the performance by McPhee was one of the best by an individual player in recent program history. The situation matters: Alanna Smith scored 33 points against Ohio State Nov. 25 in an overtime loss in a mostly empty Las Vegas gym, and McPhee's performance was in a hostile environment to propel her team to a win.
This is one of the toughest road trips in the country. Oregon and Oregon State have great fan support and very talented teams. For Stanford to win both required great defensive efforts and finding the hot hands on offense.
McPhee had a special second half Sunday, but without freshman Kiana Williams it's possible Stanford is run out of the gym in the first quarter. This may seem like heresy, but she flashes some Candice Wiggins ability and personality on the court. Her speed, athleticism and improving outside shot -- something she considered a weakness before her senior year of high school -- is tied together by a great positive energy that she brings to the court.
Stanford will be favored in each of the next six games of the regular season (Utah, Colorado, Cal, @Cal, @Washington and @Washington State) and is in a great position for a strong close before the tournament.
In my opinion, the performance by McPhee was one of the best by an individual player in recent program history. The situation matters: Alanna Smith scored 33 points against Ohio State Nov. 25 in an overtime loss in a mostly empty Las Vegas gym, and McPhee's performance was in a hostile environment to propel her team to a win.
This is one of the toughest road trips in the country. Oregon and Oregon State have great fan support and very talented teams. For Stanford to win both required great defensive efforts and finding the hot hands on offense.
McPhee had a special second half Sunday, but without freshman Kiana Williams it's possible Stanford is run out of the gym in the first quarter. This may seem like heresy, but she flashes some Candice Wiggins ability and personality on the court. Her speed, athleticism and improving outside shot -- something she considered a weakness before her senior year of high school -- is tied together by a great positive energy that she brings to the court.
Stanford will be favored in each of the next six games of the regular season (Utah, Colorado, Cal, @Cal, @Washington and @Washington State) and is in a great position for a strong close before the tournament.
