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		Stanford women smash Tennessee, Connecticut up next By Morris Phillips December 19, 2009

	If pursuing a national championship is like a run for the presidency, after Saturday’s results, we can now project a winner in the important swing state of Tennessee. “I want this to be loud and clear, Stanford was by far the best team on the floor today,’’ coach Pat Summitt said after her Lady Vols were beaten soundly by the Cardinal, 67-52. “They looked like a Final Four team.” Now Stanford looks to state its case in the important state of Connecticut on Wednesday, where Geno Auriemma’s Huskies are riding a 47-game winning streak. When Tara VanDerveer scheduled Gonzaga, DePaul, Duke, Tennessee and Connecticut for a December to remember, the Stanford coach created an NCAA tournament-style gauntlet for her Cardinal to run through. After double-digit wins in the first four contests, Wednesday’s meeting with Connecticut projects as a championship game preview, months before the national champion is crowned in the first week of April. But based on their stellar play thus far, Stanford has only one hurdle in front of them, and they will take measure of it on Wednesday in Hartford. “It’s going to be great,” Summitt said when asked her thoughts on Stanford-Connecticut. “I’m going to pop some popcorn and watch it.” What’s already clear is that this is the best Stanford team since the 1992 team captured the national championship. With only one starter under 6’1”, Stanford is long and disruptive, which led to the Vols shooting just 32 percent for the game, and a 44-34 edge on the boards for the Cardinal. But Stanford is also experienced, unselfish and extremely humble. Without much recent success against the top programs until the last two weeks, the Cardinal have a healthy opinion of themselves despite the overwhelming body of work they’ve put together this month. “I know our team, they’re not going to be complacent,” VanDerveer said when asked how much weight should be assigned to the Tennessee win. “I think we can play better, and we’re going to have to where we’re going next week.” From the near full house at Maples Pavilion to the throng of media, Tennessee-Stanford had the feel of a heavyweight bout. But the excitement seemed to lead to a lot of missed shots. Stanford opened 1 of 9, before Jayne Appel beat 6’6” Kelly Cain down the floor for a layup more than seven minutes in. It took another four minutes for J.J. Hones to hit a 3-pointer that gave the Cardinal their first lead, 15-13. In a game with only one starter on either team under six-feet, shots were contested and driving lanes closed fast. But once Stanford got going, they gave glimpses of what makes them so difficult to stop. Offensively, they space the floor so well with Appel, a terrific post scorer as well as a proficient passer, anchoring the middle. If too much attention is paid to Appel, Jeanette Pohlen, Hones and Rosalyn Gold-Onwude camp out at the 3-point line ready to make teams pay. Beyond that, opponents only have to worry about Stanford’s leading scorers thus far this season in Nnemkadi Ogwumike, a dominant offensive rebounder, and Kayla Pedersen, who at 6’3” is a tough cover for a perimeter defender whether she drives hard to the hoop or pulls up for a mid-range jumper. On Saturday, Pedersen never came off the floor, compiling 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. “I’m not taking her out unless she asks me too,” VanDerveer said of Pedersen. “And even then I might argue with her.” “(Pedersen)’s a great utility player because she does so much,” Summitt said enviously. Stanford bothered Tennessee’s top threats, Glory Johnson and Angie Bjorklund, with sticky defense, applied simply. With Stanford’s overall size, just moving their feet and raising their arms is often enough to disrupt any offense. Combined with rebounding that was much better than their previous outing against Duke, Tennessee was cooked. The Vols managed just four assists for the game and they saw things fall apart quickly after their encouraging start. Stanford’s 18-4 run midway through the opening half erased a small deficit and helped the Cardinal establish a 12-point lead at the break. Stanford hit 10 of their last 19 shots before halftime, after missing eight of their first nine.