Seniors to close out run

By Jacob Saperstein

Staff Writer

Thursday, February 14, 2002

After four years of toil, sweat, heartbreak and joy, the five seniors on the women’s basketball team have reached the end of their four-year journey. Come Sunday, there will be no more Brickyard Club, no more of Maples’ bouncing floor, no more “All Right Now” emanating from the Band.

The next time Bethany Donaphin, Cori Enghusen, Enjoli Izidor, Lauren St. Clair and Lindsey Yamasaki watch a regular season game at Maples Pavilion, it will be as spectators, rather than participants — though they may still have a couple games there left. Given the Cardinal’s outstanding record, a first round game in the NCAA tournament at Maples as a No. 1 through No. 4 seed is highly likely.

In their four years on the court, the seniors have played over 100 games, with the Cardinal enjoying a .713 winning percentage during that time.

However, in that period the team never won an outright Pacific 10 Conference title, nor did it advance past the second round of the NCAA tournament. While the seniors have been successful, they are now entering their last chance to accomplish all of their goals.

“I’m really excited,” said guard Yamasaki. “Everyone’s going to be there, everyone stands and cheers and talks about all you’ve accomplished. But to me, I haven’t accomplished all I want to yet and I still have a chance to do that.”

Tonight the team has the opportunity to accomplish the first goal: an outright regular season Pac-10 championship. A win over Washington would expand the No. 2 Cardinal’s lead over the Huskies to four games with only three left to play.

For the first time in Pac-10 history, the regular-season conference winner will not get an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. That bid, and the official Pac-10 championship, will be determined in the conference tournament that will be held in Eugene, Ore. Nevertheless, a win tonight will seal the No. 1 seed in the tournament for the Cardinal (24-1, 14-0 Pac-10).

This year’s senior class has been a crucial part of the team’s success. Yamasaki has been an offensive force and leads the team in scoring with 16.6 points per contest. Donaphin, the other senior starter, gives the Cardinal a strong inside presence with her excellent post play.

Even though the other three seniors have gotten less playing time, their importance to the team has been evident in ways that aren’t apparent in the box score. All three have started at least one game this season and have also come off the bench to give the team much-needed energy and leadership. Izidor and St. Clair have played multiple positions, while Enghusen has come on strong toward the end of the season to bolster the team’s inside game.

While the team needs only one win in its next four games to capture the title, it can’t take the Washington schools for granted. Last month’s 75-67 victory over the Huskies was one of the closest games of the year for the Cardinal. At one point, Stanford led by as many as 14, but Washington hung around until the end.

Washington (15-8, 10-4) is led by the play of forward Loree Payne, who averages 14.2 points per game. The Huskies have won five straight games since facing the Cardinal, taking over second place in the conference with a win over Arizona State last weekend.

“We haven’t swept Washington in several years,” said head coach Tara VanDerveer. “They have some very talented players and they are especially offensively skilled — they are excellent shooters and passers.”

For the Cardinal, sophomore Nicole Powell is coming off of her fourth Pac-10 Player of the Week award and is continuing her record-setting season. She has also been named as one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award.

Paired with Yamasaki, the two have been unstoppable in Conference play, and hope to continue their dominance over the weekend against the Washington schools.

“[Washington] plays a really good team game,” VanDerveer said. “They want what we have. We’re in first place and they’re in second. I expect a great game: this is a tournament game against a tournament-caliber team.”

Yamasaki, for one, will try to keep a level head as she takes the Maples floor for the last time.

“I keep telling myself that it’s not going to be an emotional thing because there’s a lot more of the season to go,” she said. “I feel like it’s not over.”

Article URL: The Stanford Daily