Nov. 14, 2004
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Seventh-ranked Stanford posted a 64-40 win in exhibition over Love & Basketball today at the Leavey Center on the campus of Santa Clara. The Cardinal was especially strong on the boards, pulling down 60 rebounds to Love & Basketball's 32.
Sophomore center Kristen Newlin (Riverton, Wyo./Riverton) led the way with nine points, as 10 different Cardinal players scored. Junior Brooke Smith (Saint Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic) started at center today and finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
In the opening minutes, Love & Basketball took a 7-4 lead, but a layup from senior forward T'Nae Thiel (Weatherford, Texas/Weatherford) and a three-point field goal from freshman guard Candice Wiggins (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) put the Cardinal up 9-7 with 15 minutes left in the half, and Stanford never relinquished the lead again.
Love & Basketball pulled within four points late in the first half, but senior forward Azella Perryman (Anchorage, Alaska/East) and Smith each knocked in a shot to give the Cardinal an eight-point cushion at the break.
Stanford returned to the floor in the second half and connected on 42% of its shot attempts en route to the 24-point victory. Sophomore Markisha Coleman (East Palo Alto, Calif./Eastside College Prep) came off the bench and scored seven points in the second half to help the Cardinal extend its lead.
Former UCLA standout Michelle Greco (`03), a member of the WNBA's Seattle Storm, scored nearly half of Love & Basketball's points with 17. The squad has gone 5-2 in the preseason college circuit, defeating future Stanford foes Pepperdine and UCLA. The team's only other loss came against USC last week (86-73).
Stanford will make its regular season debut against un-ranked Utah on Friday at 6 p.m. (MT), and will open the home season versus Pacific next Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Leavey Center at Santa Clara.