Harmon Edges Closer
Tagged in: Kiwis Abroad, Tall Ferns
Tall Ferns forward Jillian Harmon sits on the cusp of a major US college milestone.
Harmon needs 23 more points to become the 29th women’s player in Stanford University history to score 1000 career points, and has at least eight games remaining this season to reach four digits.
The 21-year-old senior equaled her season-high of 18 points (8/13 FG, 1/3 3pt, 1/1 FT) and added four rebounds, four assists and a steal in 36 minutes of action in the Cardinal’s 58-41 home win over number three California on Saturday.
The result avenged a loss to the Lady Bears earlier this season, leaving the two teams in a tie for the Pac-10 conference lead at 11-1, while Stanford improved to 20-4 overall and moved up to number four in the national rankings.
Harmon, who will get a chance to move past 1000 points with two home games against Oregon State and Oregon this week, has been the catalyst to Stanford’s current seven-game winning streak, averaging 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game during the run, while shooting at 52.6 percent from the field.
Fellow women’s national team-mate Micaela Cocks went for 19 points (5/9 FG, 4/5 3pt, 5/6 FT), three assists, three steals and two rebounds in the full 40 minutes as her Oregon Ducks beat Washington 77-69 at home on Saturday.
Cocks scored 17 of her 19 points in the second half as Oregon overcame a 10-point deficit to end a four-game losing stretch, moving them to 9-15 overall and 5-8 within the Pac-10.
Earlier in the week, the Ducks fell 58-45 at home to Harbour guard Kezia Kelly and Washington State. Cocks had 11 points (5/16 FG,1/4 3pt), four rebounds and two assists in 40 minutes while Kelly had three minutes off the bench for the (10-14, 3-10) Cougars.
Freshman Rebecca Dew scored four points (2/3 FG, 0/2 FT) with two boards and an assist in 11 minutes in Hawaii’s 69-57 road loss to New Mexico State on Sunday, following on from a scoreless (0/2 FG) and three rebound outing in seven minutes in a 68-56 road loss to Louisiana Tech on Friday, leaving the Rainbow Wahine 5-19 on the year and 2-9 in the WAC.
Counties forward Kim Barnes produced seven points (2/3 FG, 3/6 FT) and pulled down 12 rebounds, to go with two blocks and a steals in 32 minutes in UC-Irvine’s 57-53 road win over Cal State Northridge on Wednesday, getting the Anteaters to 6-20 overall and 3-10 in the Big West.
In the Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), Tall Ferns point guard Angela Marino had a quiet night as her defending champion Adelaide Lightning got back into winning form ahead of the playoffs with a 77-64 home win over Bulleen on Saturday.
Marino had six points (2/12 FG, 0/6 3pt, 2/2 FT), three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 34 minutes in the round 18 clash, while former Tall Fern Lisa Pardon managed 11 points (4/9 FG, 3/5 3pt) and three boards in 18 minutes for the Boomers.
The Lightning improved to 14-7 but remained fourth behind regular season champs Canberra, Townsville Fire and Bulleen. The loss dented the Boomers’ chances of a top-two finish.
Tall Ferns captain Aneka Kerr fell one point shy of a double-double with nine points (2/5 FG, 5/6 FT), 11 boards and three assists in 22 minutes in Townsville’s 73-60 home win over the Canberra Capitals on Sunday.
The Fire play Bendigo and Bulleen in a road double-header in the final week of the regular season, while Adelaide will have a chance to wrap up fourth and the hosting rights to the elimination final against the Perth Lynx on Saturday.
At NCAA division two level in the USA, Harbour guard Amanda Harris had four points (1/4 FG, 0/3 3pt, 2/2 FT), eight assists, two rebounds and a steal in 29 minutes in Alderson-Broaddus’ 68-59 road loss to West Virginia State on Saturday. The Lady Battlers dropped under .500 at 11-12 and 8-8 in the West Virginia conference.
In the same conference, Waikato’s Alana Auld produced 16 points (7/11 FG, 2/3 3pt, 0/1 FT), three rebounds, three assists, a block and steal in 35 minutes in Ohio Valley’s 75-60 home loss to Fairmont State on Thursday, leaving the Lady Fighting Scots at 8-16 overall and 4-13 in conference.
At NAIA level, Canterbury’s Donna Lavea got the starting nod for Lambuth University, scoring a point (0/4 FG, 1/2 FT) and collecting five rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes in an 86-67 road loss to cross-city rivals Union University on Saturday, putting the Lady Eagles at 19-5.
Assistant coaches Pina Lissaman and Warrick Wood saw their NCAA-D3 Rose-Hulman Tech Lady Engineers go 1-2 in their last three games, dropping to 7-16 on the season and 3-12 overall.
Former Canterbury coach Caleb Harrison, an assistant at Dakota State, saw his Lady Ts go down twice last week, now 7-20 overall and 3-10 in the Dakota conference.
