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Can't undermine heart and dedication
By Maureen Mullen, Special to CNNSI.com With two seconds remaining in Friday's game against Stanford, Cal senior Courtney Johnson stole the ball and put in a lay-up, for her sixth steal and 34th point of the game. As the buzzer sounded, it signified a 82-73 win and the end of four years of frustration for Johnson and the other Golden Bear seniors. "I was just thinking oh my god, it actually happened," said Johnson. "I had been visualizing this game all week. Every year we spend so much time talking about this game, and this year we aren't just talking we are showing people." Seldom is the emotion of a contest as transparent as it was at Maples Pavilion on Friday. The Cardinal shuffled through the motions, sat back on their heels, seeming to think that despite the score, when the game expired they would somehow be on top. "We really beat ourselves more than anything, we got a little lackadaisical, a little complacent," said junior Lauren St. Clair, who shot a disastrous 2-for-10 in the game. "Up until this point we really made a good turn around, and maybe that made us a little to comfortable." In contrast to the lackadaisical nature of the Cardinal, Cal's desire to win could be seen in every pass, steal, shot and rebound. Not only were the Golden Bears making their shots, shooting nearly 52 percent on the game, they also excelled defensively and on the boards. The true catalyst for the victory, however, was the inspired play of Califonia's senior leaders. Most notably Johnson and fellow guard Kenya Corley could not be stopped by the Stanford defense. They slashed through the lane, forcing fouls and getting layups against players almost a full foot taller than them, then raced back down the floor to defend the Cardinal off the dribble. In addition to Johnson's career high 34 points, Corley added 22 as well as 6 rebounds. Johnson is currently sixth on the all-time Pac-10 career steals list, and needs just six more steals to move ahead of fifth place, former national team player, Jennifer Azzi of Stanford. Cal's performance against Stanford sent out a huge signals to the rest of the Pac-10, and showed that the apparent three-way lock on the top spot can definitely be held in question. While one should not take any credit away from the Stanford program, which after encountering several tough obstacles this season, would have loved to put the seal on its 16th straight victory over its Bay Area rival, it was time for California to win. The Bears had not beaten Stanford since 1993, and had never won a conference game at Maples Pavilion. Not only do the Golden Bears boast one of the conference's most experienced teams, they have found a way to harness the experience and give them tallies in the win column. It is also nice to see first-year head coach Caren Horstmeyer succeed in turning around a crumbling program. Even the greatest Cal fan would have thought the Bears would be looking at a 6-5 mark in conference play after finishing a disastrous ninth last season But the Cardinal learned, and the rest of the Pac-10 should listen up -- you can't undermine heart and dedication. Final farewellCal isn't the only team that has benefited from its senior leaders, Washington State has also exceeded expectations this year, with five seniors at its helm.The Cougar seniors, led by Katie Nyseth and Yvonne Volkman will bid farewell to the their home court this weekend, as they play their last home contests against Stanford and California. Washington State, which won only one game last season, has already recorded five wins with five games remaining in their conference season. Senior Joanna Smith drained four three-pointers last weekend, taking over the lead on the Washington State all-time three-pointer charts with 137 treys in her time with the Cougars. With Smith is highlighting the record books, Nyseth continues to shine for Washington State both on the court and in the classroom, garnering national recognition all season. Nyseth, despite her small size, is a huge presence for the Cougars, running the team and contributing a consistent three-point shot. Meanwhile senior Volkman has come on strong in recent games, most notably leading the Cougars in its first win at Oregon's MacArthur court since 1992. Postseason prospectsWhile there is still three weeks of games remaining, and the Pac-10 race is far from decided, questions are beginning to rise, assessing the conference's playoff hopes.Five Pac-10 teams have dwindled on the fringes of the top 25 throughout the season, however not a single squad has held a consistent ranking all season. Since the conference teams are really beating up on each other and not a single team has posted a victory over a top 10 team, it is hard to assess how the conference rates with the rest of the nation. Stanford, Oregon and Arizona all found their way to the NCAA tournament last year, and would love to return to the big dance. However all three teams will have to prove themselves in the final weeks of conference play, and can only afford to lose one game at most if they want to have a comfortable chance. Meanwhile Arizona State has made the most consistent showing this season in the Pac-10, and seems to be coming on strong when it matters most. In addition the Sun Devils, played No. 1 Tennessee in a close loss on Dec. 29 in Phoenix, which will give them the national prestige they need to get a good seed. If the Sun Devils finish out with five wins in the final three weeks, they won't have to worry about receiving a tournament bid. Rather they will be more concerned with whether they can secure a hosting site. While Washington fell out of the top 25 rankings this week, seniors Megan Franza and LeAnn Sheets would like nothing more than to return to the NCAA tournament after last seeing tournament action their freshman year. The Huskies need four convincing victories if they want a spot. And then were brought to the question of California. While they are fourth in the conference race, the Golden Bears stand at an even .500 in overall play, leaving them out of NCAA contention. However if they continue to play well Courtney Johnson and Kenya Corley could lead their team to the WNIT. Maureen Mullen is a reporter for The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper of Stanford University.
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