STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — In mid-November, No. 2 Stanford is far from as sharp as coach Tara VanDerveer knows her team needs to be.
With South Carolina up next this weekend, the Cardinal will have a better gauge soon enough where they stand with the nation’s best.
“It’s a win-win,” VanDerveer said of seeing the No. 1 Gamecocks on Sunday.
Hannah Jump matched her career high with a season-best 24 points and also equaled her career best of eight 3-pointers, leading the Cardinal past Cal Poly 80-43 on Wednesday night.
All of Jump’s shots were from beyond the arc, where she finished 8 of 15. Her teammates keep reminding her to look for her shot at every chance.
“That confidence from my teammates really kind of gets me in the groove,” she said. “Once I hit one, once I hit two, I feel good.”
Niki Kovacikova scored 11 points as the only player in double figures for the Mustangs (1-2), who return their top three scorers.
Stanford (5-0) used a 17-0 first-quarter run to take charge and led 27-8 midway through the second.
The Cardinal scored 27 points off 20 turnovers by Cal Poly on the way to winning their 17th straight home game at Maples Pavilion. They had beaten Cal State Northridge 104-40 in their last home game one week earlier.
Scrappy Cal Poly is playing with energy but still finding a rhythm given the Mustangs’ young roster featuring eight newcomers with five freshmen and three transfers.
Former Stanford guard Anna Wilson flew in from Denver for this game and Sunday’s preseason showdown against No. 1 South Carolina.
VICK’S INJURY
Cal Poly senior guard Maddie Vick, the Mustangs’ returning leader in scoring, minutes and assists, tore the ACL in her left knee a few weeks ago and will have surgery in a month. It’s her sixth operation on the same knee and second ACL tear.
She plans to turn it into a positive, chasing her dream of coaching and will help first-year coach Shanele Stires. “I kind of have to put my emotions aside and do everything I can to support the team and throw myself into the next chapter in life, which is hopefully coaching,” Vick said.
BET ON BETTS
At 6-foot-7, Stanford freshman Lauren Betts continues to impress Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer for her ability to contributed on both ends and run the floor. She shot 5 of 6 for 13 points, had seven rebounds and blocked three shots.
“Lauren was unstoppable on the block,” VanDerveer said.
BIG PICTURE
Cal Poly: Cal Poly shot 9 of 21 from deep and was outrebounded 44-23. … The Mustangs trail the all-time series with Stanford 9-1. … Cal Poly committed a shot-clock violation turnover on the game’s initial possession.
Stanford: Stanford is 49-3 over the past two seasons when Jump makes at least one 3-pointer. … VanDerveer is 4-0 vs. Cal Poly in her 37 seasons on The Farm.
UP NEXT
Cal Poly: Plays at Fresno State on Friday before South Carolina visits San Luis Obispo on Tuesday. That’s quite a daunting two-game stretch but Stires felt so fortunate Stanford had an opening in its schedule then South Carolina was also able to make it work after the game at Stanford.
“We got a little bit lucky that Stanford still had a spot available and once they had scheduled South Carolina we were able to kind of get South Carolina on the back side,” Stires said. “So it really set up nicely to engage with both these programs.”
Stanford: Hosts Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks in a nationally televised game Sunday afternoon. Stanford then heads to Honolulu, Hawaii, for three games in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown.
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