Tara VanDerveer prefers “the ballet of basketball” over a slower, extra bodily recreation that may typically resemble a wrestling match. She ought to get her want Friday evening when No. 1 Stanford faces No. 4 Maryland within the Candy 16 of the NCAA Match.
The matchup (6:30 p.m., ESPN) within the Spokane Regional options two of the highest scoring offenses within the nation. The Terrapins are sixth at 79.2 factors a recreation, whereas Stanford is twenty fifth at 74.4.
“I'd count on this recreation tomorrow to be a really enjoyable recreation, up-tempo recreation, an thrilling recreation to observe. Each of our groups actually are excessive octane offenses,” VanDerveer stated Thursday. “Individuals don’t wish to watch rugby in a 94-by-50 wood flooring. I believe each of our groups play actually thrilling and actually open basketball. It’s going to be who does it higher on that day.”
Each groups raced previous their opponents final weekend. Second-ranked Stanford (30-3) beat Montana State 78-37 and Kansas 91-65. Maryland (23-8), ranked thirteenth, beat Delaware 102-71 and No. 23 Florida Golf Coast 89-65.
“We’ve seen on movie simply how aggressive Maryland is offensively and the way a lot they wish to run the ground,” senior guard Anna Wilson stated. “I believe we’re able to get our trainers on and sustain with them.”
Stanford beat Maryland 86-68 on Nov. 27 within the Bahamas, however each groups had been shorthanded. Pac-12 Participant of the 12 months Cameron Brink was sick and solely performed 9 minutes, whereas the Terrapins had solely seven gamers obtainable resulting from accidents and sickness.
“I believe we’ll see a greater model of Maryland and I believe Maryland will see a greater model of Stanford,” VanDerveer stated. “November is November basketball. We’re speaking March basketball, which at this level each groups are taking part in their finest.”
The final time these groups met within the event was additionally in Spokane, when the Cardinal beat the Terrapins 98-87 within the 2008 Elite Eight.
Stanford has reached the Candy 16 each season since that matchup, culminating within the title final yr. It has superior to the regional last in eight of the final 11 tournaments.
The sport will function a homecoming for senior starters Lacie and Lexie Hull. Lexie scored a career-high 36 factors towards Kansas to make sure the journey residence. She additionally had six rebounds, six steals and numerous flooring burns, which illustrated the twins’ mentality.
“We stay on this world, identical to the portal world, the iPhone, every thing about me and I and egocentric stuff,” VanDerveer stated. “They’re extremely unselfish gamers. They simply do what our workforce wants them to do. They do loads of the gritty work, on the ground for the ball, exceptionally aggressive.”
If Stanford advances, the Hulls will get a second recreation at residence Sunday, an Elite Eight matchup towards the winner of Friday’s Ohio State-Texas recreation.