Stanford Basketball Finding Perfect Blend of Freshmen and Veterans Early

Jan 21, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Talana Lepolo (10) brings the ball up court abasing the Oregon State Beavers during the fourth quarter at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Stanford Cardinal are 2-0 following a 79-58 win over Santa Clara, and they've looked impressive in year two under head coach Kate Paye. On Thursday night at Maples, it was a complete team effort, with six players scoring in double figures, but it was the two freshmen that put up double-doubles that stood out.

Lara Somfai started again, and again got off to a quick start, putting up seven points and six boards in the first quarter to help give the Cardinal an early 17-12 lead.

She would end up finishing with three more points and two more rebounds in the second quarter, leaving her just two boards shy of a double-double at halftime. Somfai finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds when all was said and done.

Fellow freshman Alex Eschmeyer was the other standout in this one, but she had a more modest first half with four points and five rebounds in nine minutes. In the second half she played a little more as Somfai got into some foul trouble, and put up seven points on 3-of-3 shooting (1-of-1 from deep) with another five rebounds in the third quarter.

The three pointer she made from the corner was a quick-release catch-and-shoot that showed just a hint of the talent that Stanford has brought in for this season. She said that the three pointer would be the piece of her double-double that she'd remember, because it was right in front of the bench and everyone was so stoked for her.

WHAT CAN’T ALEX DO⁉️

📺 » ACCNX pic.twitter.com/0yvd9UxaaA

— Stanford WBB 🌲🏀 (@StanfordWBB) November 7, 2025

Eschmeyer would end up with 11 points, 12 rebounds, a steal and four blocks across 23 minutes of action in this one. Coach Paye said postgame "I think Alex had a fantastic game. Just absolutely fantastic." As Eschmeyer was being complimented by her coach, veteran leader Talana Lepolo nodded in agreement.

"When you look at the stat sheet, she was +32, and that was the highest on our team. Just highly efficient and very disruptive defensively. I can't say enough about her."

While the freshmen have been terrific, the addition of Talana Lepolo back into the lineup has been huge for the Cardinal. She described missing most of last season as "torture" postgame, but said that she is so thankful to be back out on the floor with these girls in particular this season.

Lepolo scored a team-high 16 in this one, which included 4-of-6 shooting from three. She also played all but two minutes of the game, putting up four assists and two steals.

Coach Paye said before the season that the program would be carried by their veterans, and so far Lepolo, Clardy and Agara are putting together some solid games to get the team started in the right direction.

With Stanford up just six points at the half, Lepolo's 12 and Chloe Clardy's 10 in the second half helped create a decent-sized cushion for the Cardinal down the stretch. The two combined to shoot 7-of-8 from three, with 21 points being exactly the difference in the win over Santa Clara.

Following the game coach Paye had a lot of praise for Santa Clara, saying they're an experienced bunch with excellent shooters that play really hard.

She also pointed out that Santa Clara "really tested us, and that is a great thing for us. I was really proud of the way our team responded. Played a much better second half than first half. I thought we showed that we were learning as the game went on."

The next test for Stanford will come on Sunday when Cal Poly comes in for a visit to Maples. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (PT).