Preview: Stanford Women’s Basketball looks to get back on track at No. 16 North Carolina
On Sunday, Stanford women’s basketball will face No. 16 North Carolina on the road. Tipoff is set for 10:00 AM PT on ESPN. Stanford comes in at 12-3 overall and 1-1 in the ACC while North Carolina comes in at 13-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.
Last time out: Stanford fell to NC State on the road on New Year’s Day by a final score of 74-46. Chloe Clardy was out with an illness and did not make the trip for the Cardinal.
RECAP: Stanford Women’s Basketball falls to NC State in Raleigh
On North Carolina: The Tarheels are off to a strong start, only dropping games to No. 4 UCLA, No. 2 Texas, and No. 13 Louisville. Louisville being their lone ACC loss. In ACC play, the Tarheels have defeated Boston College and Cal. Boston College they thrashed 90-39 on the road and Cal they defeated handily at home by a final score of 71-55.
The Tarheels are led by former Stanford guard and senior Indya Nivar, who is averaging 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Redshirt sophomore forward Ciera Toomey is the number two scoring option, averaging 11.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Elina Aarnisalo (10.2 points), freshman guard Nyla Brooks (10.2 points), and senior forward Nyla Harris (10.1 points) are also scoring in double figures.
As a team, the Tarheels average 80.0 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field, 35.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 63.0% shooting from the foul line. They average 38.7 rebounds, 17.3 assists, 10.8 steals, 3.8 blocks, and 13.0 turnovers per game. They also average a +8.0 rebound margin and a +6.6 turnover margin. Their opponents average 56.5 points per game on 37.8% shooting from the field, 30.03% shooting from 3-point range, and 68.2% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is simply make shots. If Clardy is once again out due to her illness, they’re going to need others to pick up the slack and maintain a good offensive flow. Scoring 46 points against NC State was nowhere near the level of offense Stanford needed to have. If the shots aren’t falling, I don’t see them winning this game.
Secondly, Stanford needs Nunu Agara to get rolling in particular. The junior forward is averaging 15.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, leading the team in scoring. If Stanford wants any chance of wining this game, it’s going to have start with Agara having a strong performance.
Finally, Stanford needs to impose their will inside. Freshman forward Lara Somfai is averaging 10.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, doing a great job inside on the glass. Stanford averages a +9.1 rebound margin per game. If they win the rebounding battle and are the more physical team in the paint, that would be huge.
Prediction: I got North Carolina winning, but I think Stanford will make it competitive. They just saw the men’s team bounce back from a tough loss to beat No. 16 Louisville, so that should serve as inspiration for them. I think this one will be tight. 76-73 North Carolina escapes with a win is how I see this one going.
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