Kayla Pedersen and her fellow Stanford seniors have been talking for nearly two years about going undefeated at home over their careers.
On Monday night, they could make it happen at last. One more win is all it takes.
''It would mean a lot,'' Pedersen said Sunday. ''I think it's a great accomplishment. A lot of great teams have come here to play us. So, it's something special for our four true seniors to bond over.''
As would be that long-awaited national championship for a program that hasn't won it all since 1992. But this team isn't talking about that yet, never interested in looking ahead.
If Pedersen, Jeanette Pohlen and Co. can get by St. John's in the second round of the NCAA tournament, they would become the first group of seniors in school history to pull off a four-year unbeaten run at Maples Pavilion.
St. John's is fully aware of the daunting task ahead at Stanford's imposing on-campus arena. The top-seeded Cardinal (30-2) are riding a remarkable school-record 62-game home winning streak.
''We want to have great energy in that gym and make it a really special game,'' coach Tara VanDerveer said.
The Red Storm have played their share of big games in tough places, perhaps most notably at Florida State in the second round of the 2010 NCAA tournament.
Da'Shena Stevens' last-second shot fell short in a heartbreaking 66-65 overtime loss to the host Seminoles.
Stevens, Shenneika Smith and their teammates might have a more difficult go this time around against a team that knocked off then-No. 1 Connecticut back on Dec. 30 to end the Huskies' record 90-game winning streak.
''They're probably the most talented team in the country,'' St. John's coach Kim Barnes Arico said of Stanford. ''They can do everything. That's why they have a 62-game winning streak at home. They're a tremendous program and it's going to be a difficult task for our team, but it's one we're excited to have.''
Stanford has won 24 straight overall since losing back-to-back games at DePaul and Tennessee in mid-December. The Cardinal won't be satisfied with just earning a fourth straight trip to the Final Four. After losing in the NCAA final in two of the last three years, they are determined to finally bring the program that elusive title.
Ninth-seeded St. John's (22-10), an at-large team from the Big East that hardly looked sharp in a 55-50 first-round victory over Texas Tech on Saturday, has never reached the NCAA's round of 16. Perennial Pac-10 power Stanford is looking for a return trip to the Spokane Regional, where four years ago former star Candice Wiggins helped the Cardinal end a 10-year Final Four drought.
Now, getting back to the biggest stage is expected each season. This already has been a year with so many milestones, from the monumental UConn victory to VanDerveer joining the 800-wins club on Dec. 22 at San Francisco against first-year Dons coach and ex-Cardinal great Jennifer Azzi.
VanDerveer has been as motivated as ever after her team blew a halftime lead and lost to UConn in last year's title game.
''I worked harder this year than I ever did before, and I worked hard before,'' she said.
Pedersen has acknowledged it will be a disappointment not to cut down the nets in Indianapolis on April 5. Monday is the next step toward that goal.
The Red Storm shot 35 percent in their opener and committed 21 turnovers. Their two 3-pointers were 11 fewer than the season-high 13 Stanford hit in an 86-59 first-round win against NCAA first-timer and No. 16 seed UC Davis. In fact, four Cardinal players knocked down three or more 3s and six players wound up scoring in double figures.
St. John's knows there are several keys to staying with Stanford aside from limiting the damage from long range: keeping the Cardinal to one shot, taking care of the ball, and staying poised in front of a raucous crowd.
Falling at Florida State last March is still something the Red Storm think about when preparing at times like this.
''The loss is really what's valuable, the pain,'' said Smith, a sophomore guard. ''We said this year we were going to work hard and hopefully take the next step.''
