Oregon St (15) @ Stanford (4) - 2/21/20

[WestCoast]

not only their competition but also pass the eye test - was at game last night. Slocum phenomenal, even with her elbows.

I read that another Cardinal fan who posted on The Cardboard thought OSU was overly aggressive last night and threw a few elbows. I know that Stanford plays tight defense and gets into the offensive players frequently with effective double teams. That is a calling card of playing for Tara. I didn't see (and neither did the refs) anything egregious last night. I saw Dodson got hit by Jones with an inadvertent blow, but the refs reviewed and concluded it wasn't a foul.

Playing in the PAC-12 Conference typically means a physical battle every game due to the amount of contact that is allowed. OSU has had to adjust how it plays. All 12 teams in the conference have had to do so. I'm not used to reading that OSU is acrually giving more than it is receiving. In any event, bodies were on the floor yesterday as Cardinal players were frequently attempting to take charges while moving sideways and fighting through screens throughout the game. If OSU looked more physical than Stanford last night, all I can say is that would be a welcomed compliment to a team that has been accused as being too "soft" this season.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Exactly @WestCoast , maybe the Beavs have gotten tired of getting beaten up and are fighting back. They should.

 

[WestCoast]

Hmm, I think I'd split the difference. I think it was pretty physical in the first half, especially when Slocum outright shoved Williams to the floor. But early in the second half the refs called two back-to-back fouls on Slocum for twice grabbing/elbowing Williams, and I think that plus a quick foul on Jones calmed things down. The second half seemed much less physical, overall, than the first, and I suspect the refs came out of the half intending to tamp things down a bit.

I saw the game a little bit differently from my admittedly orange-colored bias. Williams was bodied and bounced off Slocum to the floor in the first half when Williams got up tight on Slocum. The Hulls are very skilled at doing just that and drawing charges. Slocum was called for one of those two fouls as she fought through a moving Stanford screen. Slocum raised that issue as soon as that call was made. I didn't see any elbows extended by Slocum on either of those defensive fouls. I would agree that the refs likely called those two fouls quickly on Slocum to send a message.

OSU typically is last in the conference in fouls committed and has developed a reputation for being a little soft and allergic to contact. That needs to change.

 

[CompSci87]

Orange-colored indeed!