We're Headed to the Sweet Sixteen in Chicago!!

On Saturday March 30 at 3:30 PM Pacific Time the Cardinal will face #11 seed Missouri State Lady Bears in the Wintrust Arena in Chicago and on ESPN 2. It's not easy to take on a Cinderella team of Midwestern sweethearts in the heart of the Midwest. The arena in Chicago will be packed with folks who have driven there from Springfield to scream their loudest. This is one of the biggest moments in the history of Lady Bear basketball.

Their assistant coach, Jackie Stiles, was the NCAA all-time leading scorer, before Kelsey Plum broke her record in 2017. In 2001, Jackie led the Lady Bears to the Final Four, averaging 30 points a game. Ironically, the team they defeated that year in the Elite Eight 104 to 87 was Washington (Kelsey Plum's school.) Their head coach, Kellie Harper, played point guard for Pat Summit and led Tennessee to two national championships. So, we're talking about a team that believes - and they're playing great. Elle Ruffridge is a 5'-3" packet of long-ball dynamite, who was named Miss Iowa Basketball two years ago when she graduated from Pocahontas High School, in Pocahontas, Iowa. So, you get what we're up against here. These kids can play and they are passionate.

The Bears knocked off #6 DePaul 89 - 78 in Round One and #3 Iowa State in Round Two to reach the Sweet Sixteen so they're no fluke. In those two games the Bears shot 18 for 38 in 3's or 47%. They play tough defense and pretty much shut down the DePaul Blue Demons who normally make a living beyond the arc.

Against DePaul, Missouri State had four players in double figures Danielle Gitzen (5'-10" Sr. Guard)  and Alexa Willard (6'-2" Jr. Guard) both had 20 points, Elle Ruffridge (5'-3" So. Guard) had 15 and Brice Calip (5'-8" So. Guard) had 12. In order to beat the Bears we need to come out firing from the opening tip, play gangbusters defense, and outrebound them. Someone should remind Shannon that they're Bears - Kim Mulkey (Baylor Coach) says she always plays great against Bears.

This link pulls up the more than one hour streaming video of the Bear's win in Round Two over the Iowa State Cyclones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNaJVU8H1Cw

Below is a bracket of our side of the bracket going through Chicago.  Click on the image to enlarge

The Chicago bracket - click on image to enlarge

Isn't March fun!!
 

Stanford Goes Into Action Friday Evening at 6:00 PM Against Either Cal or Washington State

Barring a major meltdown by the Cal Bears on Thursday Evening against the Cougars in Las Vegas, the Stanford Cardinal will begin their post season against the Bears at 6:00 PM on Friday March 8th.

As you remember we lost to Cal by one point at the buzzer in Haas Arena on January 31st and then trounced them in Maples by 25 points on February 2. The Cardinal should be able to defeat the Bears on a neutral court - the MGM Garden Court Arena in Las Vegas. You know the Bears are led by two terrific seniors Kristine Anigwe and Asha Thomas, and they'll play their hearts out on Friday evening. But it's asking a great deal of those two great players who play a lot of minutes, to go into the fourth quarter in back to back games Thursday and Friday evenings and beat a fresh Cardinal team. Far from impossible, but highly unlikely.

Pac-12 Tourney Bracket - click on image to enlarge

On Saturday the 9th, once again barring a major upset, Stanford should play Oregon State at
8:30 PM. These two teams have only played once this season and Stanford won at Maples by seven points. Ten days later, OSU beat Oregon by five in Corvallis. So on a neutral floor this game between two evenly matched teams should be one of the hardest fought of the PAC12 tournament. Both should enter the game ranked in the top ten in the nation, both lost a key starter early in the conference season, and both come in playing their best basketball of the season. I'm picking the Cardinal by five.

Hopefully, Sunday at 5 PM the Cardinal will play for the championship most likely against the Oregon Ducks. You know how the Ducks embarrassed Stanford in Maples last month - this game will be different. You need to be there.   

Malcolm McFall