After spending part of the year practicing on college courts with wooden tables, Stanford moved on to the sport’s biggest stage.
The cardinal was forced to stay away from his academy for two months this season due to local restrictions on COVID-19, creating obstacles beyond the distraction requirements imposed on teams across the country.
In each challenge, coach Tara VanDerveer told her players that her “middle name has to be flexible”, relying on the team’s leadership and maturity to move forward.
Stanford saw the result of that compromise on Friday, when Haley Jones took down a 32-second baseline jumper to secure a 66-65 victory against South Carolina’s No. 1 teammate in a Four final at the Alamodome.
“Having this long season, it affected everyone in a different way,” said Jones. “I mentioned before how we are united. So, being able to shoot and get the team to hit the target means a lot, because we go through such extraordinary circumstances ”.
VanDerveer said that the final sequence of the game could perhaps be attributed to karma, as the Cardinal survived a late attack by Gamecocks.
When Destanni Henderson of South Carolina hit a 3-point ball with 39.1 seconds remaining, South Carolina regained the lead by 1 point for the first time since the first quarter.
After Jones’ basket put Stanford back in front, South Carolina made a comeback with 15 seconds left. The Gamecocks defense attacked to make a foul or create a robbery, forcing a mid-court turn with about 5 seconds remaining. Brea Beal drove and tried a tray that resonated with the iron, and Aliyah Boston’s attempt to retreat went off target at the doorbell.
“It was hectic, but we knew we had to go back and do everything we could,” said Jones. “We left everything out there and, luckily, it was worth it.”
Stanford steps forward to face Arizona in the final of the NCAA Tournament at 5 pm Sunday at Alamodome, with the Cardinal trying to win the national championship for the first time since 1992.
In 29 years since his last title, Stanford has reached 11 final games and two games for the national title.
“It is surreal. I don’t think it really hit me yet, ”said Jones. “It means a lot. Stanford is a historically excellent program, we still are now, and we plan to be in the years to come. … Being able to bring us back to this stage of the national championship is just an honor. “
A victory on Sunday would make Stanford the fourth program to claim three or more national championships, joining Baylor (three), Tennessee (eight) and Connecticut (11).
Jones finished with 24 points from 11 of 14 shots, while Lexie Hull added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Kiana Williams, formed by Wagner, finished with 8 points.
Stanford hit 5 of 8 points beyond the arc, setting a new record of 3 points in a tournament with 55. Connecticut kept the previous mark after hitting 54 in 2015.
“It has been a very difficult year. I think it could have broken many different teams, ”said Jones. “We have a lot of love, respect and trust in each other. That means much more than any previous attempt, any previous season, any game win I have ever participated in. It kind of means more. “
South Carolina ends the year 26 to 5, having reached the Final Four for the third time in the last six tournaments.
Zia Cooke led the Gamecocks with 25 points. Henderson added 18, while Boston double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
“It was in our hands, but we couldn’t make it,” said Cooke. “It will stay, because it was a great game. Last four. It is a dream to be here. So, this will only motivate us. “
South Carolina built an 11-2 lead outside the gate, but the Gamecocks’ attack began to stagnate in the middle of the first quarter, beginning a period of more than five minutes without a point and more than nine minutes without a field goal. . After hitting five of the first seven shots, South Carolina limited itself to three-in-22 shots for the rest of the time.
The drought allowed Stanford to climb an 11-0 streak, appearing ahead for the first time at 17-15 at the start of the second period. The cardinal also scored the last five points of the interval for a 31-25 advantage in the interval.
Stanford built his biggest protection of the game with a nine point margin at the start of the third quarter, but South Carolina used a 7-0 blast and later an 8-2 run to tie it with 43.
Gamecocks shot 71.4 percent during the third quarter, hitting 4 out of 7 from beyond the arc. Cooke led the attack through South Carolina, scoring 11 points in the fourth in a 4 out of 5 and 3 in 3 shot in the 3 point range. But Jones matched Cooke shot by shot, also scoring 11 points in the third quarter to help Stanford take a 52-49 lead for the fourth period.
South Carolina remained within six points in the final period, creating a tense finish.
“This is one of those, survive and move forward. It was not a beautiful game for us, ”said VanDerveer. “Our team showed a lot of determination, a lot of heart. It is good to have a little karma on your way. “
Twitter: @GregLuca