PALO ALTO — The game was as anticlimactic as Tara VanDerveer wishes her pursuit of history was.
To match Mike Krzyzewski with 1,202 wins, VanDerveer’s Stanford easily defeated Oregon in Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal started the game on a 20-0 run, weathered an injury to star center Cameron Brink and coasted to a blowout win.
VanDerveer, whose humility has been a constant through all the necessary adaptations to sustain unparalleled success, treated Friday night’s game like any other.
“Honestly, coming to the game tonight, it was just, ‘We’re playing Oregon,’” VanDerveer said postgame. “We prepared, watched a lot of video this afternoon. I guess I just don’t allow myself to go there. I want to do a great job for our team. It’s a number. I know it’s a big number, since I’m old. But it’s not the point of what I’m doing at all.”
Oregon coach Kelly Graves is the first to congratulate Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer on her 1,202nd career victory following an 88-63 victory over the Ducks at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. VanDerveer is now tied with Mike Krzyzewski for most victories all time. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
When the final horn sounded on Stanford’s 88-63 win, VanDerveer clapped her hands and greeted Oregon. After shaking hands with the opponents, her team hugged her, with Brink and Kiki Iriafen lifting her off the court. Then Stanford formed a celebratory arm tunnel for their coach to run through.
“You know, Tara’s a little bit older so I didn’t want to hurt her too much,” Iriafen said of the bear hug. “I just wanted to show her my love, show her that we all love her and we’re really happy for her.”
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer is hoisted by Kiki Iriafen next to Cameron Brink after defeating Oregon, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, earning her 1,202nd victory, tying her with Mike Krzyzewski for the most wins by a college basketball coach. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
More festivities are sure to come Sunday, when the 70-year-old Hall of Famer will have a chance to claim the all-time record in men’s and women’s college basketball as the Cardinal (16-2, 5-1 Pac-12) host Oregon State.
Krzyzewski reached 13 Final Fours, the same as VanDerveer so far. His teams won five NCAA titles, hers three. She’s got two more National Coach of the Year awards on her trophy case, he’s got two more Olympic gold medals.
It took Krzyzewski 47 seasons to reach 1,202 victories. VanDerveer needed 45, 38 of which have come at Stanford. She has never cared much of the record, not even knowing the exact number she was chasing in the weeks leading up to Sunday.
“What’s most important is not the record at all, it’s doing a great job for this team today and tomorrow and each game,” VanDerveer told this news organization earlier this month. “And that 10 years from now, I’m getting Christmas cards from kids I coached and they’ve got families, and they’re sending pictures of their children. Being part of their life in a real positive way. They’ll ask for advice. That’s much more important than the record.”
Those players she has coached have included stars like Jennifer Azzi, Kate Starbird, Candice Wiggins and the Ogwumike sisters. VanDerveer’s current star, two-time All-American Cameron Brink, left with 3:45 left in the first quarter with a left leg injury and was ruled out for game.
Brink banged knees with an Oregon player and got helped off the court by two teammates, eventually limping to the locker room. Her injury allowed Oregon to score their first points of the game, interrupting a dominant 20-0 start from Stanford.
Stanford’s Cameron Brink #22 scores in the first half against Oregon’s Phillipina Kyie #15 during an NCAA basketball game at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stops were harder for Stanford to come by with Brink sidelined, and Oregon trimmed the deficit to six with a 21-9 run. But the Cardinal finished the half strong, heading into half with a 43-26 lead. Freshman forward Nunu Agara provided a jolt toward the end of the second quarter.
A loss last week in Boulder delayed VanDerveer’s milestone, but unranked Oregon didn’t pose nearly as big a threat as No. 3 Colorado. Even with Brink limited to six minutes, Stanford carved up the Ducks’ soft 2-3 zone and swung the ball with precision to create open looks. Stanford stretched its lead back to 20 entering the fourth quarter and cruised to the win.
Iriafen put together a third straight monster game, tallying 21 points and 15 rebounds before earning a standing ovation when she fouled out. Guard Talana Lepolo (13 points, 8 assists, 1 turnover) also engineered Stanford’s offense as the floor general.
Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen #44 scores 2 of her 21 points along the baseline against Oregon’s Sarah Rambus #23, in the second half, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
The Colorado loss’s silver lining was that it allowed VanDerveer to make history in front of her home fans. Former Stanford football star Andrew Luck sat in the second row on the baseline Friday and said he plans to attend Sunday’s potentially historic game, too.
“She cares about Stanford, she cares about sports, she does it the right way,” Luck told this news organization at halftime. “I’m sure if I played for her, I’d be terrified of her. But yeah, I’m just a fan. This record, she’s going to break this record, and it’s well-deserved. She’s a titan.”
Stanford alum and former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck cheers on the Stanford women’s basketball team against Oregon at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
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