Mike Schwartz – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:40:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Mike Schwartz – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Archrivals brawl as Stanford stuns Cal at Haas https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/07/archrivals-brawl-as-stanford-stuns-cal-on-bears-home-court/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/07/archrivals-brawl-as-stanford-stuns-cal-on-bears-home-court/#respond Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:03:44 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075638 There are some games where records just don’t matter. Tournament seeding, March Madness implications, momentum swings—you name it, but none of it matters. These are rivalry games, and when the Stanford Cardinal rolls into Berkeley to take on the California Golden Bears, all bets are off.

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There are some games where records just don’t matter. Tournament seeding, March Madness implications, momentum swings — you name it, but none of it matters. These are rivalry games, and when the Stanford Cardinal rolls into Berkeley to take on the California Golden Bears, all bets are off.

Stanford's Dwight Powell defends a drive by California's Allen Crabbe during the first half at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night. Powell and Crabbe were at the center of a second-half brawl that saw coaches and players from both teams ejected, but Stanford survived the spike in energy and maintained its double-digit lead, eventually winning 83-70. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times/MCT)
Stanford’s Dwight Powell defends a drive by California’s Allen Crabbe during the first half at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night. Powell and Crabbe were at the center of a second-half brawl that saw coaches and players from both teams ejected, but Stanford survived the spike in energy and maintained its double-digit lead, eventually winning 83-70. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

Cal and Stanford have gone in opposite directions in recent weeks. While the Cardinal saw its chances of earning an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament deteriorate after losing five out of seven games, the Bears rebounded from a tough loss to Arizona State on Feb. 7 by winning seven games in a row, including upsets over Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon. However, after tip off, none of this mattered.

The Cardinal dominated in the second half, building a 19-point lead and surviving a late-game brawl that saw four Stanford assistant coaches and senior Gabe Harris ejected. Though the Bears tried to build some momentum from the altercation to close out their Senior Night, Stanford (18-14, 9-9 Pac-12) held on for the statement win against Cal (20-10, 12-6), 83-70.

“We wanted to prove we’re tough too,” said sophomore guard Chasson Randle, “and I think we did that.”

Junior guard Justin Cobbs helped Cal jump out to an early lead, knocking down a pair of jump shots. Stanford guard Aaron Bright responded by making a jumper of his own to put Stanford on the board. The two squads then traded baskets until Randle knocked down a 3-pointer to give Stanford its first lead of the game (12-10) with 14:57 remaining in the first half.

The Cardinal managed to hold onto this slim advantage until Cal’s Ricky Kreklow forced Randle into a turnover, leading to an Allen Crabbe basket on the fast break. Stanford’s Josh Huestis then stole the lead right back, knocking down a 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Cardinal up 20-18. A couple of jumpers from juniors Dwight Powell and Bright then stretched Stanford’s lead to 26-20 with 7:50 to play, the team’s biggest of the first half.

Powell then picked up an unnecessary foul, forcing him to the bench with 6:30 remaining in the half. Cal tried to take advantage of his absence and mount a comeback. Cobbs knocked down a three, but Randle responded by nailing one from beyond the arc on the next possession. The Card held onto a five-point lead heading into the last possession before the break, but Allen Crabbe found David Kravish under the basket for an easy score, cutting Stanford’s lead to 34-31 at halftime.

Stanford, despite being a heavy underdog, came out of the break with a newfound confidence. Powell found redshirt junior Andy Brown cutting to the basket for an easy layup with 17:08 to play, extending Stanford’s lead to 43-35. California forward Richard Solomon then picked up his fourth foul on the next possession, forcing him to the bench early in the second half.

The Cardinal grabbed a double-digit lead after Josh Huestis and John Gage each knocked down a pair of free throws, and Cal head coach Mike Montgomery called a timeout with his team down 47-35.

It was to no avail, as the Cardinal continued to dominate the Bears on both ends of the court. A frustrated Montgomery then took his anger out on the referees, drawing a technical foul.

Stanford kept its foot on the gas pedal for the next few minutes. Randle, unimpeded by the hand in his face, knocked down a three pointer to put Stanford up 56-37 with 13:20 to play.

However, the Bears began to find the offensive rhythm that had helped them win seven games in a row, as Cobbs knocked down a pair of free throws and Crabbe chipped in a 3-pointer. Stanford quickly responded, as Josh Huestis knocked down a three of his own. Randle then made another shot from behind the arc to give Stanford a 64-46 lead with 8:31 to play.

Things got ugly around the five-minute mark after Aaron Bright dove for a loose ball. Crabbe then jumped onto Bright, attempting to strip the ball.

After the whistles sounded, Powell tried to separate the pair but inadvertently elbowed Crabbe, sending the Cal star to the ground and sparking an altercation. Huestis got involved and both head coaches immediately rushed to the floor, hoping to keep things from getting out of hand. Four Stanford assistant coaches — including former Cardinal player Mark Madsen — were ejected along with Harris, while one Cal player and one Cal coach were also tossed. A total of six players received personal fouls.

“Emotions run high,” said Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins. “It’s a rivalry game with a lot on the line for both teams. I don’t think anybody did anything flagrant. It’s just unfortunate.”

According to a Pac-12 spokesperson, none of the players were ejected for fighting so no automatic suspensions — which would have kept the guilty party out of the first game of the Pac-12 Tournament — were incurred.

While the break in play helped Cal find a rhythm, it was too little too late for a Golden Bears team that could not get it going offensively for the first 36 minutes. Stanford won 83-70, proving to the rest of the Pac-12 that it is a real threat to win the upcoming conference tournament.

Randle and Huestis led the way for the Cardinal in their most impressive performances of the season. Randle scored 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting before fouling out. Huestis was not far behind, pitching in with 18 points of his own. The pair combined to shoot 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

The Cardinal’s only chance of earning a trip to the 2013 NCAA Tournament is winning the conference tournament. After watching this performance, there is no reason to believe that this is unrealistic.

Contact Mike Schwartz at mikes23 “at” stanford.edu.

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Card with chance to sweep Cal https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/05/card-with-chance-to-sweep-cal/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/05/card-with-chance-to-sweep-cal/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:42:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075593 The Stanford men’s basketball team bounced back from a heartbreaking last-second loss to Colorado by trouncing the Utah Utes on Sunday night. The Cardinal dismantled the Utes at Maples Pavilion, winning by a final score of 84-66. However, it was too little too late for a Stanford team that, despite having high hopes of earning […]

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The Stanford men’s basketball team bounced back from a heartbreaking last-second loss to Colorado by trouncing the Utah Utes on Sunday night.

The Cardinal dismantled the Utes at Maples Pavilion, winning by a final score of 84-66. However, it was too little too late for a Stanford team that, despite having high hopes of earning an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament midway through the season, dropped five out of seven games before beating Utah.

(MICHAEL KHEIR/ The Stanford Daily)
Junior forward John Gage will need to be a strong contributor off the bench to help the Card defeat the Bears. (MICHAEL KHEIR/ The Stanford Daily)

Still, the Card has proven it can play with anyone in the Pac-12, beating Oregon earlier in the year and taking other top Pac-12 teams like Arizona, UCLA and Colorado down to the wire. If Stanford is able to find a rhythm in the Pac-12 Tournament, it has as good a chance as any other team in the conference to come out on top and earn a trip to the Tournament.

The Cardinal (17-13, 8-9 Pac-12) will not need any added motivation on Wednesday night, as it travels to Berkeley, Calif. to take on its archrival: the California Golden Bears (20-9, 12-5).

Stanford delivered one of its best performances of the season the first time these two squads faced off, beating Cal (a team that will most likely earn an at-large bid) 69-59. The Bears will certainly be looking to exact revenge in front of their home crowd this time around, as both teams look for a solid performance in their tune-up game before the Pac-12 Tournament.

Junior guard Allen Crabbe will lead the way for the Bears’ balanced offensive attack. The 6-foot-6-inch wing player uses his length to get into the paint; he leads Cal in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game on 46.5 percent shooting from the field. Crabbe has the skill set to hurt defenses in a variety of ways. He is shooting a modest 35.2 percent from beyond the arc, and creates second chance opportunities with his offensive rebounding abilities. The versatile NBA prospect is also averaging six rebounds and 2.6 assists per game to go along with his scoring prowess.

Stanford guards sophomore Chasson Randle and junior Aaron Bright will have their hands full in slowing Crabbe down.

Backcourt mate Justin Cobbs has largely contributed to the Bears recent success. He is leading the team in assists, averaging 4.7 per game and has been a solid distributor for Cal. The 6-foot-3-inch guard is also second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game on 45 percent shooting. Cobbs and Crabbe have complimented each other nicely this season, and will look to continue their success against the Card.

Stanford, currently sitting in ninth in the conference standings, will most likely remain in this position heading into the Pac-12 Tournament. It is possible, though unlikely, that the team will leapfrog Washington and move into the eighth spot, but this requires a win at Cal.

In order for the Card to pull off a win at rowdy Haas Pavilion, it will depend on the consistent play of junior forward Dwight Powell. Powell leads the Card in scoring with 15.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg. His 17 points and nine rebounds against Cal the first time around fueled the Jan. 19 win. Powell’s dominant play has also been matched most of the season by Randle (14.1 ppg) and Josh Huestis (10.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg).

The determined offensive mind of Powell, the speed and defensive intensity of Randle and the rebounding prowess of Huestis could give the Card a chance to clinch a second win over Cal. All three leaders must show up to perform if the Card is to accomplish this.

The Cardinal’s season has been defined by solid basketball and missed opportunities to this point. It will look to reverse its fate as it heads into postseason play. A win against Cal tonight will give the Card a much-needed boost heading into the Pac-12 Tournament.

Contact Mike Schwartz at mikes23 ‘at ‘stanford.edu.

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Cardinal misses its home court in Oregon https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/24/cardinal-misses-its-home-court-in-oregon/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/24/cardinal-misses-its-home-court-in-oregon/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:25:50 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075263 The Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team (16-12, 7-8 Pac-12) delivered its most impressive performance of the season on Jan. 30th when it knocked off the Oregon Ducks (22-6, 11-4), ranked No. 10 in the nation at the time, in blowout fashion. When the Card traveled to Eugene to take on the Ducks for the second […]

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The Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team (16-12, 7-8 Pac-12) delivered its most impressive performance of the season on Jan. 30th when it knocked off the Oregon Ducks (22-6, 11-4), ranked No. 10 in the nation at the time, in blowout fashion. When the Card traveled to Eugene to take on the Ducks for the second time this season, it was looking for a similar result.

[Mike Kheir/The Stanford Daily]
Junior forward Dwight Powell (above) fended off Oregon until the last in Saturday’s loss.[Mike Kheir/The Stanford Daily]
However, in January, the Ducks were reeling after losing their starting point guard Dominic Artis to a foot injury. They have since had time to acclimate, adjusting their game plan to compensate for his absence. The team that Stanford played in Eugene on Saturday night was very different from the one that showed up at Maples Pavilion earlier in the season.

Early on, it appeared that Stanford was going to have its way for the second time, as it jumped out to a quick 12-5 lead after guard Aaron Bright found teammate Chasson Randle on the perimeter for an open 3-pointer. Oregon then picked up the intensity, going on a quick 8-0 run, highlighted by two offensive rebound put-backs from forward Tony Woods, to grab a one point lead.

The remainder of the half was very back-and-forth, as neither team could establish themselves as the dominant force. Senior forward Arsalan Kazemi gave the Ducks their biggest lead of the half when he converted on a layup in the paint, putting them up 21-16 with just over five minutes to play.

Stanford junior forward Dwight Powell immediately countered, knocking down a mid-range jump shot and then picking up an and-one in the paint. He made the free throw, cutting Stanford’s deficit to three. Two minutes later, junior forward Josh Huestis recaptured the lead for the Card, throwing down a nice dunk to put his team up by one.

Johnathan Loyd then started to heat up, draining a 3-pointer and then hitting a pair of free throws to give Oregon a 30-26 lead. Junior forward John Gage’s 3-point attempt to close out the half then rimmed out, sending Stanford into the break down four.

The second half was a similar story, as the Ducks couldn’t quite pull away. Each time it appeared that Oregon was going to go on a run, the Card would counter with a bucket. After Tony Woods made a jump shot, Huestis knocked down a rare 3-pointer, putting Stanford down 37-33 with 15:49 remaining. Oregon’s E.J. Singler teamed up with Loyd to make back-to-back layups to stretch the Ducks’ lead to eight.

The Ducks then started to pull away at the 10-minute mark, as Singler went three-for-four from the free-throw line to give his squad a 51-36 lead. Senior Carlos Emory then took control for Oregon, draining three straight jumpers on consecutive possessions. Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins, sensing that the game was spiraling out of control for his team, then called a timeout down 58-39.

It was to no avail, as the Card couldn’t find its offensive rhythm following the break in play. Oregon remained in the driver’s seat for the rest of the game, eventually closing out the 77-66 win. For Stanford, this marked another missed opportunity in a season that has been defined by them.

The hero of the night for the Ducks was Loyd, who followed up his worst performance of the year in their game against Cal with his best. After scoring zero points on 0-for-6 shooting and committing three turnovers, Loyd bounced back against the Cardinal. The guard scored a season-high 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and recorded nine assists.

Huestis led the way for Stanford, recording his ninth double-double of the year. Huestis scored 12 points (4-9 from the field) and grabbed 13 rebounds. His effort was not enough, as the Card was doomed by poor shooting. The team’s field-goal percentage was 37.7 (20-53).

While this loss makes it nearly impossible for Stanford to move into the fourth seed heading into the Pac-12 tournament, there are reasons to be optimistic. The Card has continuously shown the ability to spread the floor and move the ball well. If the shots begin to fall, Stanford could be a team to watch in the conference tournament.

Stanford’s next game is on Wednesday, Feb. 27, when the Colorado Buffalos come to town. The Card will be looking to avenge an ugly loss in Boulder at the beginning of conference play.

Contact Mike Schwartz at mikes23@stanford.edu.

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Big Dance hopes hang by a thread as Card travels to Oregon State, Oregon https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/20/tourney-hopes-hang-by-a-thread-as-card-travels-to-oregon-state-oregon/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/20/tourney-hopes-hang-by-a-thread-as-card-travels-to-oregon-state-oregon/#respond Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:32:04 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075127 After dropping a pair of close home games to UCLA and USC, the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team desperately needs to finish conference play on a high note. With March Madness just around the corner and the possibility of earning an at-large bid appearing increasingly unrealistic, Stanford must focus on picking up a couple of conference wins on the road this week in order to improve its seed for the Pac-12 tournament.

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MICHAEL KHEIR/STANFORD DAILY
Sophomore point guard Aaron Bright has seen a bit of a scoring slump, but his 3.2 assists per game lead the Card. MICHAEL KHEIR/STANFORD DAILY

 

 

After dropping a pair of close home games to UCLA and USC, the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team desperately needs to finish conference play on a high note. With March Madness just around the corner and the possibility of earning an at-large bid appearing increasingly unrealistic, Stanford must focus on picking up a couple of conference wins on the road this week in order to improve its seed for the Pac-12 tournament.

Despite having a losing record in the conference, the Card has proven that it can beat any team in the Pac-12 by topping Arizona State and Oregon — two teams that are likely tournament bound.

Stanford’s quest to climb up the Pac-12 standings begins this Thursday night, when the Cardinal (15-11, 6-7 Pac-12) travels to Corvallis, Ore., to take on the Oregon State Beavers (13-13, 3-10). Stanford, despite dropping to eighth in a very competitive Pac-12, is only two games back of fourth place with five games remaining on the schedule. The Card could very well jump into the top five if it manages to win out.

The Beavers, despite their subpar conference record, have been dangerous this season. When these two teams first squared off at Maples Pavilion, the Card managed to pull out a close 81-73 win. OSU will look to reverse that outcome on their home court  — a distinct possibility if Stanford does not play solid basketball.

Unfortunately for the Card, OSU has done many things effectively on its two-game skid, moving the ball incredibly well, creating open shots and forcing turnovers on the defensive end. However, the Beavers have been plagued by poor shooting, going a combined 57-for-139 (41 percent) from the field and a lowly 19-for-33 (57 percent) from the free throw line. If the Card can start knocking down open shots, it should be able to close out the season with a few big wins.

The Beavers will likely turn to Roberto Nelson, the junior guard who has terrorized opponents throughout the season, to generate much of their offense. Nelson has been both effective spotting up and off the dribble drive, using his athleticism to generate many of his own shots. He is leading the team with 17.2 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field. He has shown a knack for knocking down open threes, posting a tremendous 43.1 percent mark from beyond the arc. However, his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 to 2.3 is somewhat troubling for a guard who is often in control of the offense.

The Cardinal will likely look to sophomore guard Chasson Randle and junior point guard Aaron Bright to stop Nelson, using heavy pressure to force him into poor decision making.

Oregon State also boasts a pair of 6-foot-10 big men in sophomore forward Eric Moreland and center Angus Brandt. The combo has wreaked havoc in the paint, using their size and strength to grab offensive rebounds and create second-chance opportunities for the Beavers. Moreland is leading the team with 10.5 rebounds per game, and Brandt is not far behind with 8.5 of his own. Despite Brandt averaging more points per game (11.3 to Moreland’s 9.3), Moreland has been the more effective scorer, leading the team with a 58.2 shooting percentage from the floor.

Stanford juniors Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis will have to continue to crash the boards in order to minimize Oregon State’s shot attempts.

The Cardinal has shown glimpses of the team that many predicted would make the tournament at the start of the season. If it wishes to fulfill this prophecy, it will need to win the Pac-12 tournament, as it essentially destroyed the possibility of earning an at-large bid after dropping two home games this weekend. Still, a solid performance to close out the regular season should significantly improve Stanford’s odds of winning the Pac-12 tournament.

The Cardinal’s hopes will either be squandered or come to fruition tonight at 8 p.m against Oregon State.

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Stanford comeback falls short against USC https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/15/stanford-comeback-falls-short-against-usc/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/15/stanford-comeback-falls-short-against-usc/#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:23:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074974 In a scene that was far too familiar for Stanford fans, a last-second shot didn’t drop for Chasson Randle and the Cardinal (15-10, 6-6 Pac-12) was once again upset by USC on Thursday night, 65-64, throwing its NCAA Tournament chances at least partially out the window.

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It was déjà vu all over again.

In a scene that was far too familiar for Stanford fans, a last-second shot didn’t drop for Chasson Randle and the Cardinal (15-10, 6-6 Pac-12) was once again upset by USC on Thursday night, 65-64, throwing its NCAA Tournament chances at least partially out the window.

Stanford vs Oregon
Junior forward Josh Huestis had a career high 22 points against USC but the Card was unable to pull out the victory. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

The final sequence brought back bad memories of the first meeting between the two teams back in early January. On that day, Stanford had the ball down two points with less than 20 seconds to play before missing two chances in the paint to send the game to overtime.

When the Trojans (12-13, 7-5) rolled into Maples Pavilion on Thursday night, the Cardinal was hoping for a different outcome. Desperately trying to stay in the conversation for an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, Stanford needed a conference win over a USC opponent that has been successful in Pac-12 play.

Early on, it appeared that the game was going to be a defensive struggle. Neither team managed to score for the first two minutes, a streak that was snapped when USC’s Dewayne Dedmon made a layup, followed almost immediately by a basket from junior forward Josh Huestis. The majority of the half then became a back-and-forth struggle, as neither team was able to pull away. Each time one side looked like they were about to go on a run, the opposing side pulled it together defensively and started converting on the offensive end.

After Huestis knocked down a jumper with 11:43 remaining in the period to put Stanford up 15-11, USC interim head coach Bob Cantu called a time out.

The Trojans came out on fire, going on a 7-0 run capped by a layup from sophomore guard Byron Wesley. After Huestis scored right at the four minute mark to cut USC’s advantage to 23-21, the Trojans took control of the half. They went on a quick 12-2 run to close out the half, dominating Stanford on both ends of the floor. Junior guard J.T Terrell found his shooting touch, knocking down a pair of three pointers—one from 35 feet to beat the buzzer—to put his Trojans up 35-23 going into the break.

“Getting the lead in the first half gave us confidence,” Cantu said. “We knew at some point the other team is going to make a run, so you’ve got to withstand that.”

Stanford would not go down without a fight, as the veteran trio of Huestis, junior Dwight Powell and sophomore Chasson Randle willed the Card back into the game. With 16:22 remaining, Randle knocked down a three, followed by another jumper from beyond the arc two possessions later to bring Stanford within single digits.

Randle struck again with 11:55 to go, hitting his third three of the half to cut the Card’s deficit to 43-39. Immediately afterwards, however, he made the mistake of fouling Terrell on a three-point attempt. The guard drained each of his three free throw attempts, something Stanford struggled to do all game long as the Card went just 4-of-12 from the charity stripe.

The teams traded baskets for the next two minutes, as the Cardinal just managed to keep the game within reach. Junior guard Aaron Bright found Randle on the perimeter for yet another three-pointer and then set up Huestis for a three of his own on the next possession.

Sensing that the game was slipping through their fingers, Cantu called a timeout with 2:16 to play and a 63-57 lead. Following the break in play, Stanford recorded two necessary defensive stops but was again plagued by poor shooting from the free throw line.

Powell and Bright went a combined 2-of-4 in the pressure cooker, allowing the Trojans to maintain a four-point advantage. Bright then fouled Jio Fontan, who knocked down both of his free throws to give his team a comfortable six-point advantage. Powell then drew a foul and knocked down a clutch jumper. The junior knocked down his free throw, cutting USC’s lead to 3.

However, only 30 seconds remained, and the Card needed some help. That is exactly what they got, as Terrell turned the ball over, leading to another bucket for Powell. With 25 seconds left, and an eerily similar plotline to the January matchup, Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins called a timeout.

When play resumed, Stanford tried to force a turnover, but was unsuccessful. Powell quickly intentionally fouled Eric Wise with 18 seconds to play. The Card got exactly what it needed, as Wise missed both free throws.

Powell snatched the offensive rebound and got the ball to Bright. Once again, the Card had the ball with a chance to win.

Dribbling at the top of the key, Bright let the clock run down while Randle tried to get free on the perimeter. Forced to create on his own with USC’s defense smothering Randle, Bright drove to his left but had his desperate entry pass knocked out of bounds with 1.8 to play.

Randle took the inbounds pass in the corner and got a look at the basket from behind the arc but could not find the net.

It was certainly a difficult loss for a Stanford team that desperately needs to impress the NCAA voting committee in order to earn an at-large bid.

“In the first half, we weren’t ready to play and they were ready for a fight,” Huestis said. “This is an awakening. It will bring us down to earth after playing well the last couple games.”

The path to March Madness from here likely grows very steep, perhaps requiring the Card—which entered the night with a respectable RPI (No. 38) and decent power rating (No. 57) but a weak non-conference slate and poor record (4-8) against top-50 teams—to secure an automatic bid by winning the Pac-12 Tournament to gain entry.

But with six conference games to play and the promise showed by Stanford in the last several games, it is still a possibility.

Stanford’s next game is against UCLA at Maples Pavilion on Saturday.

Contact Michael Schwartz at mikes23@stanford.edu.

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Stanford pulls through against Sun Devils https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/11/stanford-pulls-through-against-sun-devils/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/11/stanford-pulls-through-against-sun-devils/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:12:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074808 Stanford slipped past Arizona State and back into the Pac-12 race on Saturday night.

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Despite being lackluster for close to a decade, Pac-12 basketball has made a clear resurgence this season. Due to this heightened level of play across the board, many college analysts have projected between three and five teams from the conference earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.

[MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily]
Junior forward Dwight Powell (above) carried the Card against the Sun Devils.[MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily]
Stanford (15-9, 6-5 Pac-12), winners of three out of four, barring a close road loss to No. 7 Arizona, was making a push to be one of these teams heading into their matchup with the Arizona State Sun Devils (18-6, 7-4). A road win against the Sun Devils would surely impress voters and boost the Cardinal’s RPI just weeks before March Madness. On Saturday night, Stanford did everything in its power to avoid disappointment.

It became evident early on that both the Cardinal and the Sun Devils came to play. Neither team could establish themselves; they traded buckets for the majority of the first half. After back-to-back 3-pointers by guard Chasson Randle and forward Josh Huestis gave the Card an 8-6 lead, Arizona State’s Jonathan Gilling found teammate Jordan Bachynski cutting towards to basket to tie the game.

At the 13-minute mark with the game tied at 12, Huestis knocked down another 3-pointer to give the Cardinal a 15-12 lead. Just seconds later, to the tune of “anything you can do, I can do better,” Evan Gordon made a 3-pointer of his own to even the game. Soon after, Stanford put together its best offensive stretch of the half, going on a quick 11-0 run on the strength of two 3-pointers by John Gage and a Dwight Powell layup.

After Gage’s second 3-pointer gave the Card a 26-16, Arizona State head coach Herb Sendek called a timeout to help his squad regain its composure. Unfortunately for Sendek, this move did not cool off Gage’s hot hand, as the forward knocked down his third consecutive 3-pointer immediately following the break in play.

The Sun Devils would not go out quietly, however; they battled back just before the half ended to put themselves within striking distance. Guard Jahii Carson converted on a jumper with just over a minute remaining to pull Arizona State to within 11, prompting Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins to call a timeout. It was to no avail, as sophomore Jonathan Gilling knocked down an uncontested 3-pointer with six seconds remaining, sending his team into the locker room down 36-28 at half time.

It appeared early on that Stanford was in complete control in the second half. Huestis scored on a short jumper with 14:47 to put the Cardinal up 48-32, giving its largest lead to that point in the game. But the Sun Devils quietly mounted a comeback on the heels of senior Carrick Felix. After a Dwight Powell layup pushed Stanford’s lead to 13 with 12:03 to play, Felix countered with a 3-pointer. The senior struck again at the nine-minute mark, calmly setting his feet and then drilling another shot from beyond the arc to cut the lead to seven.
It was not until Jahii Carson’s layup brought the score to 60-56, favoring Stanford, with 1:15 remaining that the comeback seemed like a legitimate possibility. However, a missed 3-point attempt by Evan Gordon essentially sealed the deal for the Card, which managed to escape with a much-needed 62-59 victory.

It was a big win for a Stanford team that now finds itself in the mix for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal, after struggling from beyond the arc for much of the season, has enjoyed an incredible amount of success on 3-point attempts. As a team, Stanford shot 10-18 from three, a 55.6 percent clip that essentially won them the game.

“We try to shoot with confidence,” said junior Dwight Powell, who led the team with 22 points. This tactic has clearly been working for the Card, and namely John Gage, who has been lights-out from beyond the arc in the last couple of weeks. Gage, who finished the game with 11 points, made three out of four 3-point shots and was a key player in the Cardinal’s win.

“I tell myself I can only shoot the ball, I can’t control if it goes in,” Gage said. “That takes a lot of the mental pressure off me.”

This tactic has certainly worked for Gage, who has taken on a much larger role for the Card in recent weeks.
Stanford finds itself tied for fight in the Pac-12 with Colorado and in clear striking distance of league-leading Arizona, Oregon and UCLA, who are all 8-3 in conference play. Stanford, now two games back, will have to play almost perfect basketball for the rest of the season in order to vault to the top of the standings.

Next up for the Card are the USC Trojans, who travel to Maples Pavilion on Thursday, February 14. Stanford will look to avoid another upset loss to a USC team that has been dangerous in Pac-12 play.


Contact Mike Schwartz at mikes23@stanford.edu.

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Men’s basketball continues tourney hunt against Arizona State https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/07/mens-basketball-continues-tourney-hunt-against-arizona-state/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/07/mens-basketball-continues-tourney-hunt-against-arizona-state/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:47:40 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074746 The road to a March Madness invitation continues Saturday night when the Cardinal (14-9, 5-5 Pac-12) travels to Tempe, Ariz., to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils (1-5, 7-3 Pac-12).

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There are very few guarantees in life. But if you were to flip on ESPN today—or any other February day—you are basically guaranteed to see a story about March Madness and the “bubble teams.” The bubble teams are those that are right on the edge of tournament contention but haven’t quite done enough to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tourney. The Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team currently falls under that category.

John Gage (40)
Junior forward/center John Gage and the Stanford men’s basketball team will look to improve their chance at March Madness against Arizona State (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

After a heartbreaking 73-66 loss to the Pac-12 leading Arizona Wildcats, in which Stanford squandered a lead that they had held for the entire game, the Cardinal has left itself with a steep road to climb. A road win against the No. 7 Wildcats would surely have launched Stanford into the national spotlight and earned the team some major tournament recognition. After the loss, however, Stanford must play relatively perfect basketball for the rest of the season to capture an at-large bid or earn an automatic bid by winning the Pac-12 Tournament.

“We’ve got to go out and fight every single game, no matter who we’re playing, because in this conference, we’re real close,” said junior forward Josh Huestis. “Anybody can beat anybody, as you’ve seen lately. But as long as we go out, play team basketball and work hard, then I have no problem with the results.”

The road to a March Madness invitation continues Saturday night when the Cardinal (14-9, 5-5 Pac-12) travels to Tempe, Ariz., to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils (1-5, 7-3 Pac-12). The Sun Devils pulled off a close 66-62 win over Cal last night and have enjoyed recent success in a tough Pac-12 conference.

Stanford will be faced with the difficult task of slowing down the Sun Devils’ freshman phenom Jahii Carson. Carson, a highly touted recruit out of high school who decided to play ball in his home state, has been even better than advertised. The guard has embarrassed opposing defenses, averaging 18.0 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the floor. Carson is shooting almost 30 percent from beyond the arc and has the dribble-drive ability to blow past almost any defender. He has also been Arizona State’s best distributor, using his excellent court vision and passing ability to get his teammates open looks. Carson is leading his team in assists, averaging 5.3 per game.

Carson is not the only player who makes the Sun Devils dangerous. His teammate Carrick Felix has put up impressive numbers as well. The senior has assumed a leadership role for Arizona State, demonstrating a mental toughness and fortitude that only comes with experience. The Sun Devils’ prowess in the paint has resulted largely from Felix’s ability to rebound despite being undersized for a forward. The 6-foot-6 combo player is averaging eight rebounds per game. He is also second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game with 52.3 percent shooting from the field. Felix has emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect due to his versatility and high-motor play.

Before the Arizona game, Stanford had been on a roll, defeating No. 10 Oregon for the Cardinal’s first win over a top-10 opponent in five years. Huestis was named Pac-12 Player of the week after averaging 15 points, 13 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting 68.8 percent in the three games before the Arizona loss.

Dwight Powell also earned his sixth double-double against Arizona. The Cardinal will count on the junior forward to help counter the Sun Devils’ attack.

The Cardinal defense will have to play with the same tenacity that has helped them win three of their last four games. If Stanford wants to earn a spot in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, they will need to start by making a statement in the Pac-12. The journey begins this Saturday in Tempe.

“We’ve got a lot of games to play, and where we sit right now means nothing,” Huestis said. “We’ve got to go into every single game like our backs are up against the wall.”

 

Contact Mike Schwartz at mikes23@stanford.edu.

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Stanford scores much-needed win over Oregon State, improves to 5-4 in conference play https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/03/stanford-scores-much-needed-win-over-oregon-state/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/03/stanford-scores-much-needed-win-over-oregon-state/#respond Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:26:40 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074596 With March just around the corner, the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team desperately needed a quality win to get them back on track and in tournament contention. A decisive 24-point victory over the 10th-ranked Oregon Ducks, who were undefeated in the Pac-12 at the time, seemed to do the trick.

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With March just around the corner, the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team desperately needed a quality win to get them back on track and in tournament contention. A decisive 24-point victory over the 10th-ranked Oregon Ducks, who were undefeated in the Pac-12 at the time, seemed to do the trick.

[ZETONG LI/The Stanford Daily]
Junior forward Josh Huestis led the Cardinal to an 81-73 win over Oregon State at Sunday’s home game. [ZETONG LI/The Stanford Daily]
The Cardinal (14-8, 5-4 Pac-12), having finally earned conference-wide notoriety, needed to avoid a let down against the Oregon State Beavers (11-11, 1-8 Pac-12) at Maples Pavilion on Sunday in order to remain in contention to finish atop the Pac-12.

However, Stanford’s route to a third straight win would take on a different tone than the physical, Jonny Dawkins-style of play. The story in this contest was the Cardinal’s reliance on the 3-point shot, an area in which it has struggled throughout the season.

“It’s good to go on the road having just won a game, that’s for sure,” said Dawkins. “And for us, we’re just taking them one at a time. It’s all about getting better for us, like we talked about earlier, and we have a big test, of course Arizona’s a very good team, and we have to go there and we have to prepare for them. I didn’t get to see them play because I’ve been just watching our opponents, but I’m looking forward to watching them over the next few days as we prepare.”

Early on, the Cardinal looked like a shell of the team that blew out Utah and Oregon in back to back games. Stanford couldn’t get anything going offensively, falling behind 8-0 with 16:45 in the first half, before a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Chasson Randle ended the drought. After senior Joe Burton knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Beavers up 17-12, the Card found its rhythm. On the strength of the 3-point shot, Stanford went on a quick 14-0 run to take a 26-17 lead. Randle and junior forward John Gage hit respective threes during the run.

The Cardinal then traded baskets with the Beavers for the next few minutes, maintaining a steady lead for the majority of the half. After a free throw from Randle put Stanford up 35-27, junior guard Roberto Nelson decided to take matters into his own hands, hitting a 3-point jumper and then converting on a 3-point play. The Card watched as its eight-point lead shrunk to just a 35-33 advantage going into the halftime break.

“Coach challenged us at halftime and told us that we kind of needed to kind of handle the
pressure a little better, and I don’t think we had a turnover in the second half at all,” said Randle. “So that just
shows the kind of character, the kind of will, and the kind of determination the guys have on our
team.”

Stanford continued to thrive from beyond the arc in the second half, as seemingly every 3-point attempt went in. Still, Oregon State would not go down without a fight, bullying the Cardinal in the paint to keep things interesting. After Gage knocked down a jumper with 14:51 remaining to put Stanford up 51-45, the Beavers orchestrated an 8-0 run to recapture the lead.

Neither team managed to establish itself from that point on, as Stanford and Oregon State both failed to pull away. Down three with six minutes remaining, junior forward Josh Huestis confidently knocked down a 3-point shot to put the Card up 62-61. Oregon State returned the favor, as Eric Moreland converted on a lay up to give his Beavers the lead.

Once again, the 3-point line would prove to be the Cardinal’s strongest ally, as junior Aaron Bright hit a shot from beyond the arc to recapture the lead. It was more of the same after Oregon State went up 66-65, as junior Dwight Powell decided to make his presence felt by knocking down a pair of threes to put Stanford up five. This would prove to be the dagger, as Oregon State could not overcome this deficit. The Card would eventually win 81-73, putting the team above .500 in conference play for the first time this season.

It is not difficult to determine Stanford’s key to victory in this contest. The Card shot 15-24 from the 3-point line, easily its best shooting performance of the season. Randle led the way, knocking down four of his six 3-point attempts en route to scoring 20 points. Randle, who has been inconsistent throughout the season, has recently turned up the intensity, showing signs of the player who many pinned as an NBA prospect.

Josh Huestis, turned in another double double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He provided the spark for Stanford, which was in danger of being upset by a Beaver team that is better than its record shows. Huestis was a monster on the offensive glass, grabbing six offensive rebounds to give his team second-chance opportunities. Powell, who was held in check before knocking down two huge threes down the stretch, finished with 14 points on 5-11 shooting.

“I’m just really proud of Josh and his overall development. He’s a young man who works as hard as anybody on the team on his game, and it’s shown in the results, and that’s something that I’m really proud of,” said Dawkins. “You hate to see a guy who works that hard and it doesn’t really pan out. In Josh’s case he’s been steady, he’s been one of my most dependable players all year long, and that’s even without making shots, because he provides the presence on the defensive end with the blocked shots, the rebounding. He knows our defensive schemes well, so he’s a young man that I’m really happy to see do well and I hope he’ll continue to grow and develop.”

While Stanford’s performance did not match the dominating fashion with which they beat Utah and Oregon, the squad picked up a much-needed win to move into contention in the Pac-12.

The Cardinal’s quest to earn an NCAA Tournament bid continues on Wednesday as Stanford takes on the Pac-12 leading Arizona Wildcats.

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M. Basketball: Stanford falls flat against Colorado, loses four out of its last six conference games https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/25/m-basketball-stanford-falls-flat-against-colorado-loses-four-out-of-its-last-six-conference-games/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/25/m-basketball-stanford-falls-flat-against-colorado-loses-four-out-of-its-last-six-conference-games/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2013 08:03:58 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074320 Coming off a big win over conference rival California, the Stanford men’s basketball team (11-8, 2-4 Pac-12) wanted to prove to the entire Pac-12 that they are a force to be reckoned with. A win against Colorado (13-6, 3-4 Pac-12), which came within a controversial buzzer-beating three-pointer of upsetting No. 6 Arizona, would have done just that. Shooting 31% from the floor, being outrebounded 48-30 and losing 75-54 was certainly not the way to get it done.

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Coming off a big win over conference rival California, the Stanford men’s basketball team (11-8, 2-4 Pac-12) wanted to prove to the entire Pac-12 that they are a force to be reckoned with.

A win against Colorado (13-6, 3-4 Pac-12), which came within a controversial buzzer-beating three-pointer of upsetting No. 6 Arizona, would have done just that. Shooting 31 percent from the floor, being outrebounded 48-30 and losing 75-54 was certainly not the way to get it done.

(LEIGH KINNEY/The Stanford Daily)
Sophomore guard Chasson Randle netted 15 points, but the Cardinal could not hang with Colorado on the road. Stanford will travel to Utah this Sunday before hosting Oregon next Wednesday. (LEIGH KINNEY/The Stanford Daily)

 

The first half was a period of runs, as both the Buffaloes and the Cardinal were able to put together solid stretches of play. The Buffs struck first, opening the game on a quick 9-0 run. Sophomore guard Askia Booker led the way, knocking down an open jumper and then driving to the hoop for a layup. A three-pointer for Stanford by junior guard Aaron Bright helped the Cardinal cut into the lead, but the Buffaloes continued to push the ball up the court, jumping out to a 16-5 lead just under five minutes into the game.

The Cardinal then stormed back, going on a balanced 10-2 run. Senior forward Andy Brown and senior guard Gabriel Harris knocked down back-to-back shots, pulling the Card to within seven. Forward Dwight Powell then drew a foul and converted on the free throw to complete the three-point play. With 13:14 remaining in the half, sophomore guard Chasson Randle knocked down his first three-pointer of the game, cutting Colorado’s advantage to 18-15.

However, Colorado would have the last laugh, closing out the half with a bang. The Buffs outplayed Stanford for the remainder of the first period, dominating both in the paint and on the offensive glass.

After freshman Rosco Allen converted a layup off a nice pass from Bright, Colorado forward Xavier Johnson finished the half with an exclamation point. After a jumper from Josh Scott with just three seconds left rattled off the rim, Johnson skied to grab the offensive rebound and then threw down a monstrous dunk just as time expired. This play perfectly exemplified a first half in which Stanford was dominated around the basket.

The second half looked to be a similar story early on, as the Cardinal could not find an answer for the Buffaloes’ offensive attack. With 14 minutes remaining, Colorado junior forward Andre Roberson found teammate Johnson under the hoop, where Johnson finished with a dunk. This put Colorado up 54-26, forcing Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins to call a timeout.

A new team came out after the break. The Card demonstrated a defensive prowess and offensive fluidity that would have had Dick Vitale jumping out of his seat. Stanford went on a 10-0 run, beginning with a Powell layup and jumper. Allen then converted on a three-point play, followed shortly after by a three-pointer from Randle. Suddenly up by only eight, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle called a timeout.

Boyle certainly lit a fire under his squad, as the Buffs came out with a vengeance. Behind an outstanding performance from Roberson, they blew the Cardinal out of the water for the rest of the second half. Colorado dominated Stanford on both ends of the floor, attacking the hoop and dominating in the paint en route to a 75-54 victory. They overwhelmed the Card with their aggressive play down low as well as their stout defensive effort.

“We kept emphasizing how bad they beat us last year,” Booker said. “Definitely, (revenge) was on our mind.”

Stanford had no answer for Roberson, the man who shocked many by turning down a trip to the NBA draft to return to Colorado for his junior season. The forward terrorized the Cardinal under the basket.

“We had a lot to prove,” Roberson said. “Last year they gave us the business. This year we put it to them.”

Despite scoring only 12 points, Roberson made his mark on the game in a variety of other ways. He tied a career-high by grabbing 20 rebounds, as the Stanford forwards could not get position on him under the basket. He added a game-high 3 blocks, a mark which, by itself, surpassed Stanford’s total (1).  He also led all players with 3 steals, and even managed to dish out a couple of assists.

“Twenty rebounds by Andre—that’s ridiculous,” Booker said.

Still, the Card showed glimpses of a team that could certainly contend in the Pac-12 and possibly even earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament in March. They will need to demonstrate more consistency and play with a higher level of intensity to do so.

Stanford will resume its quest for a tournament berth this weekend, as the Card travels to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Utes on Sunday.

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M. Basketball: End-game woes doom Card against Huskies https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/14/m-basketball-end-game-woes-doom-card-against-huskies/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/14/m-basketball-end-game-woes-doom-card-against-huskies/#respond Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:42:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074080 Trailing 62-60 to the favored Washington Huskies (11-5, 3-0 Pac-12) with just over a minute remaining, the Stanford Cardinal (10-7, 1-3) turned to its hottest hand, junior forward Dwight Powell. Powell made a move to the basket, and despite having a potential lane to the hoop, pulled up for a short jumper. Every Stanford fan […]

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Trailing 62-60 to the favored Washington Huskies (11-5, 3-0 Pac-12) with just over a minute remaining, the Stanford Cardinal (10-7, 1-3) turned to its hottest hand, junior forward Dwight Powell. Powell made a move to the basket, and despite having a potential lane to the hoop, pulled up for a short jumper.

M. Basketball: End-game woes doom Card against Huskies
Led by Dwight Powell’s 19 points and five rebounds, Stanford was within two points of Washington late in Saturday’s game. The Cardinal struggled to close, however, losing 65-60. (ROGER CHEN/The Stanford Daily)

Every Stanford fan in the building was left holding their breath as the ball headed to the basket. But victory was not in the cards on Saturday night, as Powell’s attempt rattled out and the Cardinal fell to Washington, 65-60.

After picking up its first Pac-12 win over Washington State on Wednesday, the Cardinal was looking to move back to .500 in conference play. Instead, they are sitting at 1-3, finding themselves near the bottom of the Pac-12.

Head coach Johnny Dawkins was disappointed by his team’s effort down the stretch. “I thought we had some opportunities and we didn’t complete the plays,” he said. “You know, we didn’t finish plays down the stretch.”

It has been an all-too-familiar story for the Cardinal in this early season, a common issue for a group of players that are still attempting to define their roles.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle, as neither team was able to pull away. In fact, the largest lead for either team came with 4:37 seconds left in the half after sophomore guard Chasson Randle knocked a jumper. The Huskies quickly recaptured the lead, as a quick jumper and three-pointer by guard C.J. Wilcox put Washington up 29-28.

Randle and Wilcox decided to take matters into their own hands as the half drew to a close. Down by two with just under two minutes remaining, Randle drove to the basket and converted the layup. With an “anything you can do, I can do better” mentality, Wilcox squared up and knocked down a jumper to put his Huskies back on top. Randle countered with a three-point bucket of his own before Wilcox hit yet another jumper. Finally, Randle put an exclamation on what was an exceptional half for him, hitting another shot in the paint to put Stanford up 36-35 heading into the break.

The second half was a similar story, as both teams appeared evenly matched. Back-to-back scores by Wilcox and Desmond Simmons put Washington up 52-44, giving them their largest lead of the game. Stanford would roar back, as a pair of free throws by Dwight Powell and freshman Rosco Allen, as well as a layup for Powell put the Card down two. The teams traded baskets for the next couple of minutes, as Stanford simply could not get over the hump to tie the game. That changed when Randle knocked down a jumper with 3:38 remaining to tie the game at 58 apiece.

The Huskies’ 7-foot center Aziz N’Diaye then hit a pair of clutch free throws to recapture the lead. Wilcox, following suit, got fouled and effortlessly knocked down both of his free throws. Powell, however, countered for the Cardinal, hitting a shot in the paint to pull within two with 1:21 to play.

But Stanford failed to execute down the stretch, as Powell and junior guard Aaron Bright missed a couple of shots before time expired. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Cardinal, who will have to regroup this week.

Randle, who finished the game with 16 points on 7-11 shooting, was disappointed with his team’s aggressiveness. “They were closing out a little bit more, but that just opened out other things that we could have done, like attacking the basket,” he said following the game.

Despite failing to convert late, Powell turned in yet another strong performance for the Cardinal, recording 19 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. He added five rebounds, second on the team only to junior Josh Huestis who grabbed eight boards.

The issue for Stanford was stopping Washington’s phenom C.J. Wilcox. The guard had himself a day, dropping a game-high 27 points on 10-16 shooting. The Card simply had no answer for him. Powell had a few words of praise for Wilcox following his performance.

“Wilcox is a good shooter. He knows the game well. He cuts hard,” Powell said.

And so it is back to the drawing board for Stanford, which must regroup in hurry as Saturday they take on rival Cal at Maples Pavilion and can little afford more Pac-12 losses.

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M. Basketball: Powell’s first-half 19 leads Stanford past Denver as Card wins second straight https://stanforddaily.com/2012/12/04/m-basketball-powells-first-half-19-leads-stanford-past-denver-as-card-wins-second-straight/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/12/04/m-basketball-powells-first-half-19-leads-stanford-past-denver-as-card-wins-second-straight/#respond Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:56:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073597 Powell continued his dominant play when the Stanford Cardinal (6-3) took on the University of Denver Pioneers (1-5) at Maples Pavilion on Sunday. The Card needed a solid performance against an outmatched Pioneer squad that was reeling after three straight losses. Powell gave them just that, scoring a career-high 29 points to lead Stanford to a 71-58 victory.

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If anything has been consistent during Stanford’s up-and-down start to the season, it has been the stellar play of junior Dwight Powell. The 6-foot-9 forward has transformed into a completely different player over the summer, emerging as the talent that the coaching staff envisioned when he was one of the top recruits in his class in 2009. Powell has shown no signs of the ankle injury that plagued him throughout the 2011-12 campaign, becoming a force in the paint for the Cardinal.

M. Basketball: Powell's first-half 19 leads Stanford past Denver as Card wins second straight
Junior forward Dwight Powell had a career-high 29 points, including 19 in the first half, against the Pioneers, marking his second game above 25 this season. (LEIGH KINNEY/The Stanford Daily)

Powell continued his dominant play when the Stanford Cardinal (6-3) took on the University of Denver Pioneers (1-5) at Maples Pavilion on Sunday. The Card needed a solid performance against an outmatched Pioneer squad that was reeling after three straight losses. Powell gave them just that, scoring a career-high 29 points to lead Stanford to a 71-58 victory.

The Card wasted no time grabbing the lead, jumping out to a quick 10-2 advantage after sophomore guard Chasson Randle led Powell with a nice pass to the basket. Powell finished and drew the foul, knocking down the free throw to complete the old-fashioned three-point play.

Stanford’s perimeter defense was swarming, terrorizing Denver combo player Chris Udofia to force five early turnovers. This led Denver coach Joe Scott to call a timeout with around 11 minutes remaining in the first half, hoping to get his team under control. It did little good, as the Card went on to score three straight baskets to grab a commanding 21-6 lead.

The two squads traded buckets for the remainder of the first half, Powell helping Stanford maintain a comfortable lead with a couple of baskets to close out the first half — the Cardinal went into the locker room up 35-19.

Denver picked up the offensive intensity in the second half, but Stanford’s lead proved too difficult to overcome. The Pioneers pulled to within 10 after Udofia knocked down a 3-pointer with 12:47 remaining, but that would be as close as Denver could get.

A Josh Huestis dunk immediately following placed the momentum squarely back in Stanford’s favor. Randle, Powell and junior Aaron Bright would do the rest, playing the inside-out style of basketball that should make the Card a Pac-12 contender this season.

Randle and Bright were efficient from the 3-point line, knocking down a couple of late shots to maintain Stanford’s lead. Their ability to drive to the basket helped open up lanes for forwards Powell and Huestis, as their ability to draw defenders left the big men unguarded. The Card never really felt any pressure in the second half, securing the 71-58 victory.

Powell was certainly the story in this contest, as the Pioneers simply could not find an answer for the Stanford big man. Powell’s 29 points came on a sensational shooting night —he went 10-13 from the floor, knocking down 9-11 free throws in the process. Huestis chipped in with eight points (4-7 from the field) and added a team-high 10 rebounds to make his mark on the game.

Randle distributed the ball well, totaling four assists to go along with nine points. Besides Powell’s dominant performance, Stanford enjoyed production from almost its entire team, as a variety of players chipped in with a couple of baskets.

The last two wins for Stanford have been very important to ensure there are no more slip-ups in nonconference play. The Cardinal will look to build momentum in its last game before the break for final exams, as it takes on UC-Davis on Saturday at Maples Pavilion.

 

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M. Basketball: Close shave as Stanford pulls away from Seattle late https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/29/mens-basketball-close-shave-as-stanford-pulls-away-from-seattle-late/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/29/mens-basketball-close-shave-as-stanford-pulls-away-from-seattle-late/#respond Fri, 30 Nov 2012 04:33:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073456 After coming up short in three out of four games over Thanksgiving break, the men’s basketball team desperately needed a win against the Seattle University Redhawks on Wednesday night. That’s exactly what they got, surviving a sloppy first half and coming on strong late to win going away, 68-57.

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After coming up short in three out of four games over Thanksgiving break, the men’s basketball team desperately needed a win against the Seattle University Redhawks on Wednesday night. That’s exactly what they got, surviving a sloppy first half and coming on strong late to win going away, 68-57.

M. Basketball: Close shave as Stanford pulls away from Seattle late
Gabriel Harris goes up for a dunk in Stanford’s 68-57 win against Seattle on Wednesday night. (LEIGH KINNEY/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford (5-3, 0-0 Pac-12) has not necessarily played poorly to open the year, but a few costly mistakes had turned a potential 6-1 or 7-0 record into a subpar 4-3 mark at the start of the night. With high expectations for both Pac-12 and national play, the Cardinal needed to start playing the basketball that many ESPN analysts were predicting during the preseason. The squad took a step in the right direction against Seattle (2-2, 0-0 WAC) in front of a Maples Pavilion crowd of 4,381.

Early on it appeared that the Card didn’t have an answer for the Redhawks’ leading scorer, freshman transfer Clarence Trent, who scored three easy baskets to give his team a 16-10 advantage with 13:11 remaining in the first half. Stanford would battle back, scoring a quick six unanswered points to tie the game.

Still, the Card looked sluggish, failing to keep up with Seattle’s fast-paced scoring attack. Trent struck again with four minutes left before the break, knocking down a deep three-pointer to put Seattle up 26-20.

Stanford managed to cut the lead to three before halftime, as sophomore guard Chasson Randle picked up a steal and found senior Andy Brown on the fast break for an easy layup. Randle then scored a bucket of his own, driving to the basket and finishing in the paint. The Cardinal ended an underwhelming first half down 30-27, in what appeared to be another disappointing performance.

The shooting woes that plagued Stanford in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament last week were still apparent. The Card went 9-of-31 shooting in the first half.

However, this game would prove to be a tale of two halves, as Stanford looked like an entirely different team in the second half. Seattle managed to keep it interesting for the first 10 minutes, trading buckets with a Stanford team that couldn’t quite find its rhythm. With Stanford down four points, freshman Christian Sanders drove to the basket and scored, drawing a foul in the process. After knocking down the free throw, he put the team within one point in what would prove to be the turning point of the game.

Stanford finally started playing well, working the paint to find easy shots and earn trips to the free-throw line. After a Louis Green jumper tied the game at 50-50 with 4:41 remaining, Stanford ended the game on an 18-7 run to pick up a much-needed 68-57 victory.

Brown led the way for the Cardinal, scoring a career-high 17 points on the same day head coach Johnny Dawkins announced that junior Anthony Brown would miss the rest of the season with a hip injury. The elder Brown–who has torn his ACL three times since his senior year of high school–certainly chose a good night to step up, as Stanford needed his strong effort.

“I’m excited about Andy Brown and what he’s doing,” Dawkins said after the game. “I’m excited about Robbie Lemons and what he’s giving us. Rosco [Allen] today played really well for us. It’s great to see guys, when someone goes down–their opportunity is there and you prepare for your opportunity. So far when guys have gone down for us with Aaron and Anthony, we’ve had guys step up and give us something.”

Randle, the Card’s leading scorer, was not far behind Brown with 15 points of his own. Junior Dwight Powell turned in another strong performance in what has been a great start to the season for him, grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds. He also pitched in with eight points, just a bucket shy of another double-double.

And the crowd was very enthused by the monstrous defensive effort of junior Josh Huestis, who finished with a career-high 10 blocks, two short of the program record of 12 set by Brook Lopez in 2007.

“That’s what we try to make our living off–defense,” Huestis said. “We want to be one of the best defensive teams in the country. Shots aren’t going to fall every night but defense can be there, so tonight we held them to 57 points, which is great. Guys got after it. We really dug in defensively and that helped us grind out this win.”

Stanford will look to carry its momentum into its next game, as the University of Denver travels to the Farm this Sunday for another non-conference contest.

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M. Basketball: Stanford must step it up against Seattle https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/28/m-basketball-stanford-must-step-it-up-against-seattle/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/28/m-basketball-stanford-must-step-it-up-against-seattle/#respond Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:33:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073414 The Stanford men’s basketball team has shown flashes of greatness this year, but costly mistakes have left the Cardinal empty handed after very winnable games. Tonight's game against Seattle offers a perfect chance to turn the early season form around.

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The Stanford men’s basketball team has shown flashes of the greatness that had many top college analysts predicting it would earn a bid to March’s NCAA Tournament. Over the last week, Stanford played a talented Belmont team very closely, came within four points of No. 13 Missouri with under two minutes remaining and was all knotted up with Minnesota just as time was about to expire. However, costly mistakes in each of these contests left the Cardinal empty handed, as it dropped each of these very winnable games.

M. Basketball: Stanford must step it up against Seattle
Sophomore guard Chasson Randle poured in 22 points as Stanford came up short in a loss to No. 13 Missouri and also scored a game-high 21 in the Cardinal’s win over Northern Iowa last week. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford (4-3, 0-0 Pac-12) will look to right the ship this Wednesday night when Seattle (2-1, 0-0 WAC) rolls into Maples Pavilion for a nonconference game. The Redhawks are coming off of a 58-49 win over Pacific Lutheran and will be looking to use this momentum to pick up an upset win over Stanford. Any win against a Pac-12 team would be huge for Seattle, as it would surely send a message to the rest of the WAC conference.

The Cardinal defense has been underwhelming in the first stages of this season and tonight it will have the difficult task of slowing down the freshman duo of redshirt freshman forward Deshaun Sunderhaus and redshirt junior forward Trent Clarence. The 6-foot-9 Sunderhaus has been a force in the paint, leading the team with 21 rebounds (7.0 per game) through his first three games. He also hasn’t had much trouble with his shooting touch thus far, being second in scoring, with 10.7 points per game, and going a solid 13 for 29 from the field (.448 percent). However, what makes the young forward so dangerous is his versatility. He is one of the rare big men who can wreak havoc both at the baseline and beyond the arc. He is shooting .750 percent from the three-point line and does not shy away from an opportunity to shoot the long ball.

Clarence began his collegiate career in the Pac-12, playing for the conference-champion Washington squad that advanced to the regional semifinals in the NCAA tournament in 2010. He brings veteran leadership and the ability to finish around the basket to the young Redhawks team. Clarence is leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game on .423 percent from the field. He pitches in on the defensive end as well, averaging six rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Still, he will surely be looking to take better care of the ball as he has already turned it over 15 times (five per game).

Both players will look to exploit a Stanford defense that has underperformed thus far. After opening the season with four straight wins, the Cardinal has stalled, dropping three of its last four contests. The strong play of junior forward Dwight Powell, who has made huge strides following his sophomore year, has not been enough for a Stanford team that has committed too many mental mistakes. Individually, many of the Card’s top players are performing well, as sophomore forward Chasson Randle has lived up to expectations, leading the team with 15.4 points per game. Powell is not far behind, averaging a solid 13 points per game. Timely turnovers and fouls have been Stanford’s undoing this season, as their worst basketball in each of its losses has come in the last two minutes.

This is uncharacteristic for a squad run by Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins. The Cardinal will look to improve its second half play against Seattle, getting back on track in the process. The team has big plans this season, but with a talented Pac-12 field that includes 10th-ranked Arizona, 19th-ranked Colorado, UCLA and Oregon, it will need to cut back on the mental errors. Wednesday night is the perfect time to begin.

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Stanford welcomes Alcorn State to Maples Pavilion https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/14/stanford-welcomes-alcorn-state-to-maples-pavilion/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/14/stanford-welcomes-alcorn-state-to-maples-pavilion/#respond Thu, 15 Nov 2012 07:29:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073094 While it is easy to overlook nonconference play, Stanford men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins and his players understand that it is important to make a statement both in the Pac-12 and on a national level in the team’s first few games of the regular season. Coming off of a 2011-12 campaign that saw the […]

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While it is easy to overlook nonconference play, Stanford men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins and his players understand that it is important to make a statement both in the Pac-12 and on a national level in the team’s first few games of the regular season.

Coming off of a 2011-12 campaign that saw the Cardinal capture its second National Invitational Tournament championship, the crew is projected to land an at-large bid in this years NCAA tournament, something the Card hasn’t done since 2008, but not if Stanford can’t successfully navigate its nonconference schedule.

Stanford (2-0) will look to improve its record to 3-0 tonight when it hosts the Alcorn State Braves (1-1) in its second of three straight home games. After pulling out a victory against Oakwood University to open their season, the Braves were dominated in their second game of the year, falling to Missouri by a score of 91-54. They will certainly be looking to right the ship against the Cardinal at Maples Pavilion.

Like Stanford, Alcorn State managed to retain the majority of its core from last year, losing only two seniors to graduation. The Braves are returning two double-digit scorers from last season in Marquiz Baker (11.0 points per game) and Twann Oakley (10.5 points per game). However, the two seniors have yet to see the floor thus far this season, leaving the Braves desperate for a go-to scorer heading into their game against Stanford.

Instead, the Card will have the task of slowing down 6-foot-4 senior point guard Anthony Nieves. Nieves scored a game-high 18 points in the Braves’ contest with Oakwood University and managed to drop 13 in the big loss to Missouri. He is shooting better than 50 percent from the floor over the course of his first two games, a very efficient mark. He has also distributed the ball well, accumulating five assists.

Sophomore guard LeAntwan Luckett has also stepped up for the Braves, proving that he should be considered for the starting spot when Oakley and Baker return to action. Luckett scored 15 points on 7-13 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three assists in Alcorn State’s first game. He didn’t have as much luck against Missouri, going a dismal 4-18 from the floor.

Stanford guards Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright will have the task of slowing down the Braves’ backcourt. The duo was effective on defense last season and should enjoy the opportunity to play against a couple of solid offensive guards.

However, Alcorn State is the team that needs to develop a fundamentally sound defensive strategy. After giving up 91 points to Missouri, they will almost surely struggle with a Stanford offense that has been very efficient through its first two games.

While many people were expecting Randle and Bright to excel, the inside-out game has appeared to be Stanford’s strong suit thus far. The guards have run the offense through their big men (juniors Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis), who have been very effective in the paint. Powell and Huestis have terrorized opposing defenses, using their unique combination of size and athleticism to score inside of the free-throw line. This has opened up the court, giving the sophomore Randle and junior Bright open looks on the perimeter.

In its first two games, the Card has enjoyed timely scoring from its veteran players. When Randle and Bright were struggling in the season opener, Powell was on top of his game, scoring a career-high 27 points. Huestis chipped in 11, helping the Cardinal secure a win. Conversely, the backcourt mates of Randle and Bright handled most of the scoring on Monday night, as Randle dropped a game-high 24 points to go along with 16 for Bright.

Stanford will look to continue showcasing their offensive efficiency tonight against Alcorn State, potentially improving their record to 3-0 in the process.

Contact Mike Schwartz at mikes23@stanford.edu.

 

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M. Basketball: Stanford pulls away from Fullerton late in home opener https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/13/m-basketball-stanford-pulls-away-from-fullerton-late-in-home-opener/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/13/m-basketball-stanford-pulls-away-from-fullerton-late-in-home-opener/#respond Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:40:18 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073011 While the backcourt duo of Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright has received plenty of attention this offseason as keys to the future of Cardinal basketball, the rest of the Stanford team clearly wants to make sure that we don’t forget about them. Thanks to a balanced effort, the Cardinal pulled away from Cal State-Fullerton in the second half Monday night’s home opener to win 81-68.

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While the backcourt duo of Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright has received plenty of attention this offseason as keys to the future of Cardinal basketball, the rest of the Stanford team clearly wants to make sure that we don’t forget about them. Thanks to a balanced effort, the Cardinal pulled away from Cal State-Fullerton in the second half Monday night’s home opener to win 81-68.

M. Basketball: Stanford pulls away from Fullerton late in home opener
Sophomore Chasson Randle (5) had 24 points in Stanford’s 81-68 win over Cal State Fullerton on Monday night (Stanford Daily File Photo).

While Friday night’s win over the Dons might have been the Dwight Powell show, as the 6-foot-10 junior scored a career-high 27 points, Monday’s offensive attack at Maples Pavilion came from all over. The Titans were coming off an impressive 86-47 exhibition win against Cal State-Los Angeles, and were looking for the opportunity to start their regular season off with a matchup against a Pac-12 contender.

Neither team managed to grab a comfortable lead in the first half, as the two squads looked to be evenly matched. A Chasson Randle layup with 8:13 to go in the period gave Stanford its largest lead, as it went up 23-15. The Titans would battle back, as a jumper from D.J. Seeley and a 3-pointer by Kwame Vaughn pulled Fullerton to within three points, forcing Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins to call a timeout. It did little to stem the tide, however, as the Titans quickly tied the game at 23 apiece.

Neither team managed to force the upper hand, going into the halftime break tied at 31. Titans assistant head coach Julius Hicks, the acting head coach while interim head coach Andy Newman serves a two-game suspension, was pleased with the way his team played but not fully satisfied.

“We had a lot of room for improvement in the first half, but we were fortunate to come out of it tied,” Hicks said.

It looked as if the second half was going to be a similar story, as the Cardinal couldn’t seem to find its offensive rhythm. With just under 14 minutes remaining in the game, the two squads were all knotted up at 48-48. However, at that point Stanford finally decided to kick it into gear. The Card picked up the defensive intensity and started moving the ball around more on the offensive end, helping it jump out to a 54-48 lead after a pair of free throws from Aaron Bright. Soon after, Josh Huestis decided to make his mark on the game, throwing down a huge dunk and drawing a foul. After knocking down the free throw, Stanford went up by nine. Just a minute later, and Huestis was at it again, dunking once more to give Stanford a 67-54 lead.

Dawkins noted that Stanford continued to wear down the Titans as the game went on. “I thought it was a combination of [our speed and size],” he said. “I thought our guys did a good job defensively in the first half. We tried to make them take some difficult shots. They made some tough shots, they have some very good guards and it showed. I thought really the spark came from Andy [Brown] and Christian [Sanders]. I thought those two guys, when we inserted them into the game, they gave us energy, they both made plays, and they kind of made our run when those two kids started to really insert themselves into the game.”

The Card then closed the door on the Titans, scoring 10 unanswered points and forcing Fullerton’s coach Julius Hicks to call a timeout.

“Teams are going to make runs; it’s a long game,” Hicks said. “We didn’t expect to have success the entire game. They’re a good team and well-coached, so they’re going to go on runs. It’s part of the game. Where we got in trouble was when we just didn’t play together. We have a very thin margin for error.”

It was a margin that proved insurmountable, as the Cardinal went on to win 81-68. While Stanford has plenty of room for improvement, they have to be pleased with a 2-0 record.

Bright said that the depth of the team should prove to be one of the Cardinal’s greatest strengths as the season goes on.

“I think we have guys who should be able to play consistently throughout the year, you know, and I think nights like Dwight had the other night could be normal. Him putting up 20 points, Chasson putting up 20-plus points, I think we have guys who are able to play like that consistently throughout the year.”

Next week, the Card will look to improve its record to 4-0 with games against Alcorn State and Belmont University.

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M. Basketball: High hopes for Stanford as Midnight Madness approaches https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/18/m-basketball-high-hopes-for-stanford-as-midnight-madness-approaches/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/18/m-basketball-high-hopes-for-stanford-as-midnight-madness-approaches/#respond Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:25:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1071995 Stanford ended an up-and-down season on a high note last year, bringing home the school’s second ever National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title. After an early exit in the Pac-12 tournament against an overpowering UCLA Bruin squad, Stanford went on an improbable run in the NIT, taking home the title for the first time since 1991.

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Success brings many things, some positive, some negative. It has the power to inspire and motivate, elevating a team’s play, but also the ability to create unnecessary stress and pressure. For head coach Johnny Dawkins and his Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team, it has brought one thing in particular: higher expectations.
Stanford ended an up-and-down season on a high note last year, bringing home the school’s second ever National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title. After an early exit in the Pac-12 tournament against an overpowering UCLA Bruin squad, Stanford went on an improbable run in the NIT, taking home the title for the first time since 1991.
M. Basketball: High hopes for Stanford as Midnight Madness approaches
Sophomore Chasson Randle (5) hopes to lead Stanford back to national relevance this season after the Cardinal finished 2011 strong and won the NIT title in March. (Stanford Daily File Photo)
The 2011-12 season saw the Cardinal reach new heights under Dawkins’ leadership, recording its highest win total since he was hired after the 2007-08 season. Additionally, Stanford managed to win more games in March (seven) than ever before, hitting its stride just in time for postseason play.
This season, the Card will look to build on last year’s success, reaching new heights and, ultimately, an NCAA tournament bid. Stanford has not been relevant on a national level since Brook Lopez (drafted 10th overall) and twin brother Robin (drafted 15th overall) left for the NBA in 2008. Following a grueling offseason, the Cardinal’s season tipped off this past Friday at Maples Pavilion, where the team had its first official practice of the year.
Stanford’s roster remained relatively intact over the summer, as many of the key pieces from the 2011-12 campaign returned for another year. Despite losing starting power forward Josh Owens, the team’s leading rebounder who recently signed with Charlotte Bobcats as a free agent, along with bench players Andrew Zimmermann and Jack Trotter to graduation, much of the Card’s nucleus returns this season. This is highlighted by the star-studded backcourt of sophomore Chasson Randle and junior Aaron Bright. The duo wreaked havoc on opposing defenses last year, averaging 13.8 and 11.7 points, respectively, to lead the team.
Dawkins was impressed enough with their play from last season, as well as their outstanding work ethic throughout the summer, to name them captains of the team. The pair will look to lead the way for Stanford this season, as the Cardinal pursues a title in the wide-open Pac-12 conference.
Also returning for the Card are forwards Anthony Brown, Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell. Huestis set the tone defensively for Stanford last season, recording a team-leading 1.2 blocks per game. Brown was a weapon both slashing to the basket and from beyond the arc. The junior knocked down 42 3-pointers for Stanford last season, a number that he will surely be looking to improve on in 2012. Additionally, Brown’s 8.1 points per game was enough for fourth on the team, behind Randle, Bright and Owens.
Powell, a fellow junior, will be another integral part of Stanford’s campaign this season. At 6 feet 9 inches, Powell will use his height, quickness and overall athleticism to dominate opposing forwards in the paint once again. With another year under their belts, these three juniors will look to contribute to Stanford’s offensive attack and defensive prowess.
The Cardinal has an unusually difficult nonconference schedule this season to kick off the season, something that the team views as an opportunity to make a statement early on. The first stretch of the season includes games against Belmont, Missouri, N.C. State and Northwestern.
However, the Card’s season kicks off for the Stanford fans this Friday, Oct. 19, when Stanford plays its annual Cardinal-White scrimmage at 6 p.m. in Maples Pavilion. It’ll be a good opportunity to see if the squad is ready to make some noise on a national level for the first time since 2008.

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W.Volleyball: Pac-12 powerhouses USC, UCLA visiting the Farm https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/10/w-volleyball-pac-12-powerhouses-usc-ucla-visiting-the-farm/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/10/w-volleyball-pac-12-powerhouses-usc-ucla-visiting-the-farm/#respond Wed, 10 Oct 2012 07:29:31 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1071647 After pulling out a tough five-set win against Oregon and taking care of business in three sets against Oregon State, the Cardinal extended its winning streak to 11 games and remained undefeated in conference play. USC and UCLA visit the Farm this week.

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The wins just keep piling up for the Stanford women’s volleyball team, which has soared to No. 4 in the country following another dominating performance this past weekend. After pulling out a tough five-set win against Oregon and taking care of business in three sets against Oregon State, the Cardinal extended its winning streak to 11 games and remained undefeated in conference play.

But the road certainly gets more difficult for Stanford (14-2, 6-0 Pac-12) this week, as a pair of Pac-12 powerhouses from Southern California visit the Farm.

W.Volleyball: Pac-12 powerhouses USC, UCLA visiting the Farm
Junior middle blocker Carly Wopat and the Stanford defense face a tough test this week as No. 6 USC and No. 7 UCLA pay a visit to Maples Pavilion (Stanford Daily File Photo).

Maples Pavilion will be the center of the volleyball universe tonight when No. 6 USC (16-2, 4-2 Pac-12) rolls into town. The Trojans are coming off a dominating performance in which they dismantled both Arizona and Arizona State last weekend. Despite a couple of hiccups against very talented Washington and Oregon squads, the Trojans have had a successful season and will certainly be looking to end Stanford’s winning streak.

A surprisingly dominant veteran-rookie pair has led USC’s offense this season. Standout freshman outside hitter Samantha Bricio, a highly touted recruit from Jalisco, Mexico, has been as good as advertised for the Trojans. She is leading the team in kills (242 at 4.10 per set) and trails only libero Natalie Hagglund and setter Hayley Crone in digs (144 at 2.44 per set). Her stellar play has helped USC transform into a national championship contender, subsequently making a name for herself as potential Pac-12 Player of the Year. Senior opposite Katie Fuller is not far behind, however, having amassed 206 kills and 125 digs throughout the season. The talented pair has complimented each other perfectly.

Still, their success would not be possible without sophomore stalwart Hayley Crone, the talented setter who has orchestrated the Trojans offensive attack. Crone has recorded 680 assists thus far, and will add to this total against the Cardinal. Stanford middle blocker Carly Wopat, one of the team’s defensive leaders at the net, definitely has her hands full.

The schedule certainly doesn’t lighten up for Stanford. On Friday night at Maples, the Card will renew its rivalry with the defending national champion UCLA Bruins (12-3, 4-2 Pac-12). UCLA certainly had Stanford’s number last season, beating the Card 3-2 and 3-0 in their two meetings of the season. The Cardinal will be looking to reverse its fortunes on Friday.

Standing in the way is 6-foot-3-inch middle blocker Zoe Nightingale. The sophomore has led the Bruin defense this season, recording 75 blocks on the year. Junior outside Hitter Kelly Reeves and senior Bojana Todorovic have contributed to the defensive effort, accounting for 121 and 196 digs respectively, but the Stanford offense will not be able to merely overpower UCLA with its basic attack as they have other some opponents throughout the season.

Senior outside Hitter Tabi Love has led the way for the Bruin offense this season. The Minnesota transfer who earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors last season has led UCLA with 224 kills at 4.07 kills per set this season. She is certainly making a convincing bid for the All-Pac-12 team this year, recording a solid .345 hitting percentage. But Love is merely the leader of what has been a balanced Bruin attack throughout the season.

Stanford will try to keep the momentum rolling this weekend and stretch the winning streak to 13 games. Tonight’s match tips at 7 p.m. from Maples Pavilion and will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.

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W. Vball: Stanford streaks past Arizona schools https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/01/w-vball-stanford-streaks-past-arizona-schools/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/01/w-vball-stanford-streaks-past-arizona-schools/#respond Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:18:49 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1071354 The Stanford women’s volleyball team remains undefeated in conference play after knocking off Arizona and Arizona State, and is riding a nine-game winning streak at the top of the Pac-12.

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Seven straight wins is usually enough to put even the best teams on the brink of over-confidence. The Stanford women’s volleyball team, however, was focused on one thing going into conference matchups against Arizona and Arizona State: a hunger to keep winning. Two road wins later, and the Cardinal remains undefeated in conference play and riding high at the top of the Pac-12.

Arizona (9-6, 1-3 Pac-12) was first on the to-do list for the No. 7 Cardinal (12-2, 4-0 Pac-12), who needed a solid performance from its group of freshman contributors. Instead, it was Arizona who jumped out to an early 6-2 lead on a pair of kills by sophomore Rachel Rhoades to go along with three from fellow sophomore Madi Kingdon.

The two squads traded a few points, before the Card was able to capitalize on a couple of Wildcat errors to tie the set at 11 a piece. From that point on, Stanford gained control, gradually pulling out to a 23-18 lead after a block by freshman Inky Ajanaku.

Nonetheless, Arizona – Rhoades in particular – was not going to lie down. Rhoades picked up a pair of kills to pull within three points, forcing Stanford coach John Dunning to call a timeout. Whatever he said to the team certainly carried found its mark, as the Card scored two easy points to grab a 25-20 first set win.

Arizona would respond in the second set, refusing to give in to the higher-ranked Stanford team. However, it would be Stanford, not Arizona, that would be the Card’s downfall in the second set. This became obvious after Stanford followed an excellent set-tying Brittany Howard kill with three straight errors.

This would prove to be the story of the set, as Stanford went on to commit nine errors. Still, the Card maneuvered into striking position after a Carly Wopat block pulled Stanford to within two points of Arizona (23-21). But the early miscues proved to be too much to overcome, as a Taylor Arizobal kill gave the Wildcats the 25-22 win, evening the match at one set each.

That loss was enough of a wakeup call for Stanford, as they picked up the intensity in the third and fourth sets. Veterans Wopat, Lydia Bai, Rachel Williams and Karissa Cook helped set the tone for the Cardinal, letting their experience dictate the tone of the match.

After the Wildcats jumped out to a 20-19 lead on a Jordan Burgess service ace, Bai countered with a couple of kills to put Stanford back on top. Wopat closed out the set with a kill of her own a few points later, giving Stanford a 25-22 victory.

The Card got it going early in the fourth set, scoring three straight points. The veteran presence would prove important once more, as Wopat, Bai, and Williams smothered Arizona at the net en route to a match-clinching 25-18 victory for Stanford.

While the freshmen have stolen most of the headlines for the last couple of weeks, last year’s stalwarts were able to propel Stanford to victory in this contest. Wopat led the way, accruing a total of 15 kills.

After the victory, the Cardinal traveled to Tempe to take on Arizona State (13-4, 2-2 Pac-12). It became clear early on that this contest was going to be a battle. The Sun Devils stayed with Stanford for the entire set, jumping out to a 25-24 lead, just a point away from a first set victory, on an Ajanaku error. Wopat and Morgan Boukather bailed her out with a block on the next point. Stanford went on to win the first set by a score of 29-27.

The momentum continued to roll for the Card, as they outplayed the Sun Devils by a wide margin in the second set. Arizona State had 11 errors, as Stanford went on to win 25-17. However, despite the early hole, the Sun Devils were not ready to concede to the Card. They roared back in the third set, claiming a 28-26 win after kills from Macey Gardner and Erica Wilson.

Eager to return to the farm with a pair of conference wins and a nine-game winning streak under their belts, Stanford turned it on in the fourth set. They closed out the set and match with a 25-23 victory, moving to 4-0 in Pac-12 play.

Burgess, Cook and Madi Bugg stood out in a very solid Stanford performance. Burgess continued to impress, recording 10 kills along with 15 digs. She has been phenomenal both offensively and defensively. Cook and Bugg both managed to spread the ball around, setting up the playmakers at the net. The two setters split time, producing at a nearly identical mark. Bugg slightly edged Cook, recording 26 kills to her teammate’s 23.

The Card takes on Oregon and Oregon State next weekend at Maples Pavilion, looking to extend their winning streak to 11 games.

 

 

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W. Vball: Freshmen lead Pac-12 opening sweep https://stanforddaily.com/2012/09/24/w-vball-freshmen-lead-pac-12-opening-sweep/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/09/24/w-vball-freshmen-lead-pac-12-opening-sweep/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:00:14 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1071004 The No. 6 Cardinal swept past Utah and California this weekend to open the Pac-12 season a perfect 2-0.

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Freshmen usually have the opportunity to ease into the bitter Stanford-Cal rivalry, observing the competitive animosity from a comfortable and risk-free bench seat. They are able to acclimate to the heated atmosphere, a scenario in which one team invariably must let their entire school down. However, this is not the case for many of the freshmen on the Stanford women’s volleyball team, who’ve been tossed right into the middle of the rivalry with Cal.

Due to a couple of injuries, most notably to former All-Pac-12 setter Karissa Cook, a group of freshmen have seen heavy action for the Cardinal (10-2, 2-0 Pac-12) early on. That didn’t change when the UC-Berkeley Golden Bears (7-5, 1-1 Pac-12) rolled into town on Wednesday night, and the talented crop of freshmen managed to carry Stanford to a sweep of the Bears.

The Card got it rolling early on, jumping out to an early 7-2 lead on the strength of freshman setter Madi Bugg, who distributed the ball well to the players up front. Stanford continued to set the tone, going up 11-6. A kill from freshman outside hitter Jordan Burgess, an ace from classmate Brittany Howard, and a kill from junior Carly Wopat put Stanford up 14-6 and forced Cal coach Rich Feller to call a timeout. The Golden Bears settled down following the break in play, but weren’t able to overcome the early deficit, as the Card took the first set by a count of 25-17.

W. Vball: Freshmen lead Pac-12 opening sweep
Sophomore libero Kyle Gilbert (10) had 27 digs in Stanford’s victories over California and Utah this weekend. The No. 6 Cardinal moved to 10-2 overall and a perfect 2-0 in conference play.

Cal carried the momentum they earned at the end of the first set over into the second, hanging with Stanford initially. They forced an early 5-5 tie before Stanford took over. Consecutive kills by Howard, Burgess and Bugg set the tone and the Card cruised from there, dismantling Cal en route to a 25-17 second set victory.

Backed firmly against the wall, Cal would not go down without a fight. A pair of kills by senior middle blocker Shannon Hawari put the Golden Bears up 6-4. Stanford would roar back, as freshman middle blocker Inky Ajanku and Burgess combined for three kills to help the Card recapture the lead. This early sequence proved to be the story of the set, as neither squad managed to pull away. After grabbing a 25-24 lead, just a point away from winning the set, Cal sophomore Marlee Davis served into the net, tying the set. Stanford then managed to grab a 27-26 lead. Middle blocker Wopat ended the set and match for Stanford with a kill.

Wopat, Burgess and Bugg keyed an overall dominant performance from the Cardinal. Burgess recorded a team-high 16 kills (.467) to go along with a solid 13 digs. Wopat added 14 of her own, while Bugg set the tone with a stellar 50 assists. Overall, it was a solid performance from the Card, which is currently ranked sixth in the country.

Next up for Stanford on Friday night was the talented group from Salt Lake City, the Utah Utes (9-6, 0-2 Pac-12). It became clear early on they would put up more of a fight than Cal. Utah quickly took control of the first set, as a couple of early errors put the Cardinal in a hole. Utah sophomore Shelby Dalton set the pace with five kills in the first set, leading the Utes to a 25-17 win.

It looked as though the second set was going to be a similar story, as the Utes jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on four straight attack errors by Stanford. However, after falling behind 8-5, the Card began to buckle down. Stanford scored four straight points of their own, forcing Utah to call a timeout after a phenomenal block from Wopat.

From there, neither team was able to pull away, eventually leading to a 21-20 Utah lead. A pair of kills from Morgan Boukather and Burgess put the Card within a point of tying the match at one set each. Burgess then put the set away with a kill, giving Stanford a 25-22 victory.

The third set also went to the Card, as it won 25-23 in another nail biter. Early on, it became obvious that this set was going to mirror the rest of the match, as neither Stanford nor Utah could gain the upper hand. Stanford managed to pull ahead, going up 20-15. A match victory was in sight, but the Utes had other plans, scratching and clawing to tie the game at 24 apiece. However, Wopat and Howard each earned a kill to put Stanford at match point, and an attack error by Utah hitter Baily Bartman gave Stanford the win.

It was a good start to Pac-12 play for Stanford, which finished in fourth place last season. The Card travels to Arizona next weekend to take on Arizona and Arizona State next weekend in another pair of conference matches.

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M. Basketball: Cardinal captures second NIT, sends seniors off with rout of Minnesota https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/02/m-basketball-cardinal-captures-second-nit-sends-seniors-off-with-rout-of-minnesota/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/02/m-basketball-cardinal-captures-second-nit-sends-seniors-off-with-rout-of-minnesota/#respond Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:48:21 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1061921 After finishing seventh in the Pac-12 during the regular season, Stanford found itself in the postseason for the first time since 2009, competing in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Cardinal would end up cruising through the bracket and securing the second NIT title in school history, finishing a once-disappointing season with an impressive 26-11 record.

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After finishing seventh in the Pac-12 during the regular season, Stanford found itself in the postseason for the first time since 2009, competing in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Cardinal would end up cruising through the bracket and securing the second NIT title in school history, finishing a once-disappointing season with an impressive 26-11 record.

M. Basketball: Cardinal captures second NIT, sends seniors off with rout of Minnesota
Sophomore guard Aaron Bright averaged 16.8 points per game in the NIT, never scoring below double figures, and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after Stanford dominated Minnesota 75-51 in the final. (RICH SCHULTS/Stanford Athletics)

“This season has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride for us,” said head coach Johnny Dawkins. “We started off so strong, battled through some adversity in the middle and then we ended as strong as we ever could have imagined.”

As the No. 3 seed in its region, Stanford faced No. 6 Cleveland State in the opening round. The Cardinal took an early lead, but the Vikings mounted a furious comeback, cutting the Stanford advantage to just one at the half.

After the break, an early three by Cleveland State gave the Vikings their first lead of the game at 33-31. Forward Anthony Brown then scored six unanswered points as the Cardinal retook control of the game. Stanford pushed the lead as high as 20 points with three minutes remaining, ultimately winning 76-65.

Brown led the Cardinal, as the sophomore complemented his 15 points with a career-high 12 rebounds in one of his greatest games at the Farm. Sophomore guard Aaron Bright also had the first of his many brilliant tournament performances with a game-high 17 points.

In the second round, Stanford found itself pitted against No. 7 Illinois State, which was coming off a stunning overtime upset of No. 2 Ole Miss in the opening round and was looking to do the same to the Cardinal.

The matchup was back and forth for the first half, yet Illinois State began to pull away in the second. The Redbirds took an 11-point lead before Bright took over with nine straight points, and the Cardinal began to even the game up.

With the game tied at 78 and 20 seconds left on the clock, Stanford held the ball hoping for a last-second victory. Unfortunately, a contested three by freshman guard Chasson Randle would fall off the mark, sending the game to overtime. While the Redbirds continued to put up a fight, the Cardinal prevailed 92-88 in the extra session.

The star of the game was again Bright, who put up a game-high 29 points while shooting 11 of 13 from the field. The sophomore hit six threes and also dished out six assists. His backcourt mate Randle added 19 points, while sophomore forward Dwight Powell had a season-high 18 as well as nine rebounds off the bench.

The victory secured Stanford’s spot in the NIT’s Elite Eight, where the Cardinal hosted No. 5 Nevada. The Wolf Pack had not been seriously tested in either of its first two games, defeating both No. 4 Oral Roberts and No. 8 Bucknell with ease.

In front of a home crowd for the last time this season, Stanford put on a show. The Cardinal cruised to a 15-point lead in the first half and didn’t let up, thrashing Nevada, 84-56. Senior center Josh Owens made the most of his final game at Maples Pavilion, pouring in a game-high 15 points, while Randle was his usual brilliant self, also scoring 15 as Stanford headed to the Final Four in New York.

Stanford brought in Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis as its pre-game motivational speaker before the Cardinal’s semifinal matchup with Massachusetts, and his speech propelled the team to play its best basketball of the year.

“If you ain’t pissed off for greatness, then you’re okay with being mediocre,” Lewis told the Stanford players. Unfortunately for the UMass Minutemen, the Card was definitely pissed off for greatness that Tuesday night.

Stanford controlled much of the first half, riding the wave of momentum from Lewis’ pep talk to take an early lead. Nearly every offensive possession resulted in an easy bucket. A pair of 3-pointers from Bright and Randle gave the Cardinal its biggest lead of the first half, as the squad went up 26-14.

But UMass would turn it around, buckling down on defense and heating up offensively. The Minutemen began playing selfless basketball, spreading the ball around and setting themselves up with open shots to go on a quick 9-1 run and pull to within two points of the Card. Stanford could not break away from UMass, and at the end of the first half, Stanford led just 36-33 with a chance to play for the NIT championship on the line.

Neither team managed to find its offensive rhythm for the first few minutes of the second half, as they combined for just two field goals in the first 2:44. The Minutemen managed to keep pace with the Cardinal, answering each Stanford score with a bucket of their own. With just 7:17 remaining, sophomore guard Chaz Williams hit a jumper to tie the game at 52 apiece, but Bright countered almost immediately with a jumper on Stanford’s next possession. The sophomore had a great game for the Cardinal, scoring 13 points off the bench. The Cardinal would not lose their lead, going on to beat UMass 74-64 and earning the chance to play Minnesota in the finals.

The last time Stanford played in the NIT championship game was 1991, when it beat Oklahoma to capture the crown. The Cardinal was hoping for a similar result against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, a No. 6 seed that had played well to earn its bid in the championship game.

In the title matchup, the Cardinal delivered its most impressive performance of the season against a Minnesota team that was completely overwhelmed. Stanford could not have picked a better game to shoot 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from the 3-point line, as well as force 22 turnovers and grab 36 rebounds. After senior Jarrett Mann grabbed a steal and converted the transition layup to even the score at 21, Stanford would not look back, closing out the first half on a 10-4 run to take a six-point lead.

The second half would be a completely different story. Stanford scored 11 straight points to open the period, cruising by Minnesota on its way to an easy 75-51 victory. The Cardinal was firing on all cylinders, converting both in the paint and beyond the arc. The guard combination of Randle and Bright led the way, scoring 15 points each to help Stanford earn its first NIT championship in 21 years. Bright’s performance won him Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament.

“We have had good runs before, but never on a stage of this magnitude where you’re playing for a championship,” Dawkins said of the dominant second half. “It says a lot about our kids, their belief and them being able to share in those experiences.”

The season could not have ended on a more positive note for the Card, and their dominant performance provided just a glimpse of things to come. While seniors Mann, Josh Owens, Andrew Zimmerman and Jack Trotter will be missed — along with associate head coach Dick Davey, who is retiring after a storied career — the Cardinal boasts a young core that will help it make a mark on the NCAA next season and hopefully earn an elusive spot in the Big Dance.

With sophomores Bright, Anthony Brown and forward Josh Huestis back next year along with freshman standout Randle, Stanford has the pieces in place to make a run at a Pac-12 title — and maybe even a little more.

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M. Basketball: Zimmermann’s career-high not enough as Cal eliminates Card from Pac-12 tournament https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/09/m-basketball-zimmermans-career-high-not-enough-as-cal-eliminates-card-from-pac-12-tournament/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/09/m-basketball-zimmermans-career-high-not-enough-as-cal-eliminates-card-from-pac-12-tournament/#respond Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:03:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1061023 Andrew Zimmermann was not going to end his Stanford career quietly. The senior forward, who averaged less than four points and 13 minutes per game during the regular season, played the game of his life in Thursday night’s quarterfinals matchup against the California Golden Bears, but ultimately it wasn’t enough, as the Cardinal fell to the Bears 77-71 to end its rollercoaster season in a disappointing fashion.

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Andrew Zimmermann was not going to end his Stanford career quietly. The senior forward, who averaged less than four points and 13 minutes per game during the regular season, played the game of his life in Thursday night’s quarterfinals matchup against the California Golden Bears, but ultimately it wasn’t enough, as the Cardinal fell to the Bears 77-71 to end its rollercoaster season in a disappointing fashion.

 

Zimmermann, known for his grizzly hairstyle and brute determination, scored a career-high 22 points on 8-15 shooting in his last ever game in a Stanford Cardinal uniform.

 

M. Basketball: Zimmermann's career-high not enough as Cal eliminates Card from Pac-12 tournament
Senior forward Josh Owens (above) scored 6 points and controlled 6 rebounds, but got into early foul trouble as the Stanford men's basketball team lost to Cal at the Staples Center, eliminating the Cardinal from the Pac-12 tournament. (MICHAEL KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford (21-11, 10-8 Pac-12) was looking to follow in Oregon State’s footsteps, as the Beavers managed to shock the first-ranked Washington Huskies earlier in the day, upsetting them by a final count of 86-84. A win against Cal (24-8, 13-5 Pac-12) would have put Stanford in good position to claim the Pac-12 conference crown, and with it, an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. However, despite a quick start and a career-best performance from Zimmermann, the Cardinal came up just short in a hard-fought game.

 

The two rivals traded baskets for much of the first half. In the first eight minutes, there were six lead changes and three ties, as neither team could pull away from its opponent. The Cardinal gradually managed to grab the lead, going up 28-21 on a pair of free throws from senior forward Josh Owens. Unfortunately for Owens, he did not have a large impact on the game, as he was forced to sit due to foul trouble.

 

Stanford managed to close out the first half well, as sophomore guard Aaron Bright hit a runner in traffic just as time expired to put the Cardinal up 30-23. Stanford was able to capitalize on 14 Cal turnovers in the first twenty minutes to take the lead. Zimmermann led Stanford with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting in the first half.

 

However, the Cardinal lead wouldn’t last long. Cal got off to a quick start in the second half, taking a 38-33 lead after sophomore guard Alan Crabbe hit a three-pointer in transition with 16 minutes to go. Freshman guard Chasson Randle managed to halt a 15-3 Cal run with a driving layup to pull Stanford to within three. The Cardinal struggled to overcome this deficit, though, as a balanced and confident Cal offensive attack kept Stanford on its heels.

 

Much of Cal’s offensive success could be attributed to senior guard Jorge Gutierrez. The senior knifed through the Stanford defense time and again, hurting them both in the paint and from the three-point line. Every time the Golden Bears needed a big shot, Gutierrez was the go-to guy. After Aaron Bright hit a three to cut Cal’s lead to three, Gutierrez countered with a long ball of his own to put the Golden Bears up 48-43.

 

Still, the Card continued to cut away at Cal’s lead, finally managing to tie the game at 56 apiece after Randle went two for two from the charity stripe. After that, the Zimmermann show began. After a three-point attempt from Bright rimmed out, Zimmermann soared into the paint for an offensive rebound and put-back to tie the game at 60 with 6:03 remaining.

 

At that point, Cal decided that it was not going to be embarrassed by its cross-Bay rivals for a second straight game, orchestrating a quick 10-2 run to go back up by eight with just 2:58 left. Just when the game appeared out of reach, Randle hit a huge three-pointer with 1:40 remaining. He followed it with a runner on the next possession, cutting Cal’s lead to 73-69. Unfortunately, it was too little too late for the Card, as the Golden Bears managed to close out a 77 to 71 victory with solid free throw shooting down the stretch.

 

For Cal, it was a tale of two halves. After committing double-digit turnovers in the first period, they were much more secure with the ball down the stretch, giving it up just three times in the second half. Additionally, the Cardinal could not slow down Gutierrez, who torched Stanford for 22 points, 19 of which came in the second half. The senior guard made a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year with his Thursday night performance.

 

Stanford’s Chasson Randle followed up a phenomenal Wednesday night performance—in which he scored a Pac-12 tournament record 27 points in the first half—with19 points. While Randle struggled offensively in the first half, he regained the form that has turned him into Stanford’s premier scorer in the second.

 

The story for Stanford was Zimmermann, who closed out his Cardinal career, one that has been defined by hard work, with a bang. He left every ounce of fight he had left on the Staples Center court, but it wasn’t enough.

 

While head coach Johnny Dawkins and his Cardinal players are surely disappointed by the abrupt end to their season, they were able to accomplish many things that past teams have failed to do. Dawkins eclipsed 20 wins for the first time in his short Stanford career, and the Cardinal will look to build on this momentum next season.

 

The Pac-12 tournament continues tomorrow with the semifinal round.

 

 

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M. Basketball: Do or die for men’s hoops in Pac-12 tourney https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/07/m-basketball-do-or-die-for-mens-hoops-in-pac-12-tourney/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/07/m-basketball-do-or-die-for-mens-hoops-in-pac-12-tourney/#respond Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:03:05 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1060750 It’s finally March, which, in the world of college basketball, can only mean one thing: it’s tournament time.

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It’s finally March, which, in the world of college basketball, can only mean one thing: it’s tournament time.

 

M. Basketball: Do or die for men's hoops in Pac-12 tourney
Sophomore guard Aaron Bright and the Stanford men's basketball team will need to make a serious run in the conference tournament this week in order to keep their postseason hopes alive. (KYLE ANDERSON/The Stanford Daily)

In the next two weeks, all of NCAA Division I conferences will host their league tournaments, with the winners of each guaranteed a spot in the Big Dance. For Stanford, and possibly every other team in the infamously weak Pac-12, winning the conference tournament is the only way in. This week is do-or-die for the Cardinal, as a loss means the Card goes home.

 

Stanford (20-10, 10-8 Pac-12) travels down to Los Angeles as the No. 7 seed to take on No. 10 Arizona State (10-20, 6-12 Pac-12) at the Staples Center. On paper, the Cardinal’s first matchup appears to be favorable. But as Stanford has learned time and time again this year, no conference opponent can be overlooked.

 

The Cardinal delivered one of its best defensive performances of the year the first and only time these two teams met at Maples Pavilion this season. Stanford held the Sun Devils to a meager 44 points on just 34 percent shooting. The Card also grabbed 15 more rebounds than Arizona State, using its athleticism on the blocks to outwork ASU. The freshman-sophomore backcourt of Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright were nearly unstoppable, scoring a combined 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting. Bright, who led all scorers with 16, added four assists to help lead the Card to a 68-44 victory.

 

Much of Stanford’s focus this time around will be on stopping Arizona State’s monster in the middle, 7-foot-2 center Jordan Bachynski. Bachynski, although not considered much of a scoring threat, torched the Card in the paint for a game-high 20 points despite averaging just 5.8 per night.

 

The matchup at the Staples Center will be different than the one at Maples, as Arizona State will be playing with junior guard Trent Lockett, who was sidelined in the first meeting with an ankle injury. Although his six-game hiatus hurt Lockett’s play, he has recently regained the midseason form that allowed him to lead the Sun Devils in scoring. In the team’s most recent matchup against Arizona, Lockett scored a team-high 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

 

Both teams are riding positive momentum heading into the conference tournament, as both are coming off upset wins in big rivalry games.

 

Stanford ended Cal’s hopes of a regular-season Pac-12 title in a shocking 75-70 victory, as the Card was finally able to pull out a close game that came down to the wire, thanks in large part to two offensive rebounds from Bright in the final minute. Down in the Grand Canyon State, the Sun Devils redeemed themselves by avenging an early-season blowout, defeating Arizona in a surprising 87-80 win.

 

Stanford and Arizona State have had similar seasons that began with high hopes but ended with disappointment. However, the Card players are confident heading into the tournament, and after upending Cal, there is no reason to believe they can’t make a run at a conference championship. A win against the Sun Devils would mean another date with Cal, a game that would have major postseason implications.

 

The Card will look to keep its season alive tonight at 6 p.m. in the Staples Center.

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M. Basketball: Cardinal seeks revenge against Cal second time around https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/02/m-basketball-cardinal-seeks-revenge-against-cal-second-time-around/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/02/m-basketball-cardinal-seeks-revenge-against-cal-second-time-around/#respond Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:49:30 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1060218 When California rolls into town, everything that happened earlier in the season ceases to matter. Past matchups, current records, Pac-12 rankings and tournament positioning will be irrelevant. The two teams met up for the first time on Jan. 29 in Berkeley, where Stanford put up a disappointing road effort. Despite being down just three points with 8:36 remaining, the Card could not overcome the deficit, as Cal went on to beat Stanford by a final score of 69-59.

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It’s safe to say that last weekend’s games defined the Stanford men’s basketball team’s year—a season that has featured more twists and turns than a Martin Scorsese movie. After upsetting 19-9 Colorado in a convincing 24-point win, the Cardinal put up a dud against a weak 6-22 Utah team, losing by one point in the last minute.

M. Basketball: Cardinal seeks revenge against Cal second time around
Senior forward Josh Owens (above) and the Stanford men's basketball team will host rival Cal on Sunday afternoon as they hope to avenge their loss to the Golden Bears earlier this season. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

 

But despite the ups and down, when California rolls into town, everything that happened earlier in the season ceases to matter. Past matchups, current records, Pac-12 rankings and tournament positioning will be irrelevant.

 

This is an important game for  Cal (23-7, 13-4 Pac-12), as they sit just a half game back of Washington for the Pac-12 lead. A win against Stanford (19-10, 9-8) and a Washington loss against either USC or UCLA would propel the Golden Bears to a regular season Pac-12 championship. In Stanford’s case, a win and a UCLA loss would move them into the sixth spot in the conference, and the chance to exact revenge against Utah. While a lot rests in the balance for both teams, the biggest thing on the line is pride and a year’s worth of bragging rights.

 

The two teams met up for the first time on Jan. 29 in Berkeley, where Stanford put up a disappointing road effort. Despite being down just three points with 8:36 remaining, the Card could not overcome the deficit, as Cal went on to beat Stanford by a final score of 69-59. Sophomore guard Allen Crabbe led a very balanced Cal attack with 18 points, and three other Bears finished in double figures. Senior guard Jorge Gutierrez pitched in with a solid-11 point, 12-rebound performance of his own.

 

Stanford had one of its worst offensive performances of the season, failing to score more than 60 points and shoot over 40 percent. The Card will need to improve its offensive efficiency if it wishes to upset a talented Cal team at Maples Pavilion.

 

Cal, coming off of a disappointing 70-57 loss to Colorado that saw its Pac-12 regular season title hopes take a serious hit, will be looking to end the season with a statement win against their rival. Their trio of guards will play a major role, as they are the top three scorers on the California roster. Crabbe leads the way, averaging 15.2 points per game. The 6-foot-6 guard is also an underrated threat down low, posting a respectable 5.7 rebounds per game this season.

 

Both Gutierrez and sophomore guard Justin Cobbs are averaging 13 points per game, just off Crabbe’s pace. Cobbs, a transfer from Minnesota, has been Cal’s best distributor this season, dishing out five assists per game. He has largely contributed to Cal’s balanced scoring attack, but he is also the most efficient scorer of the trio, shooting 49 percent from the field. Stanford will need to slow down Cal’s backcourt if it wishes to thwart its rival’s chance of bringing home a Pac-12 regular season title.

 

The Card has no reason to feel overwhelmed, as it features two very solid guards of its own in freshman Chasson Randle and sophomore Aaron Bright. The young pair has led Stanford this season, with Randle averaging 13 points and Bright 11. They will have the daunting task of slowing down the Cal backcourt.

 

Senior forward Josh Owens is Stanford’s biggest advantage. Owens, the Cardinal’s second leading scorer on the year, poses the biggest mismatch for the Golden Bears, as they do not have a player who can rival his skill and athleticism on the post. He will need to come up big if Stanford wishes to pull off the upset.

 

The underdog Cardinal welcomes the Bears into Maples Pavilion at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 4.

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M. Basketball: Cardinal heads on Rocky road https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/23/m-basketball-cardinal-heads-on-rocky-road/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/23/m-basketball-cardinal-heads-on-rocky-road/#respond Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:55:44 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1059128 For the first time ever in conference play, the Stanford basketball team (18-9, 8-7 Pac-12) is heading to the Rocky Mountains, where it will take on the Pac-12’s two newest additions: the Colorado Buffaloes (18-8, 10-4) and the Utah Utes (5-21, 2-12)

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After a tough home loss to Oregon eliminated Stanford from a first-place finish in the Pac-12, the Cardinal will take to the road for the last time in regular-season play. For the first time ever in conference play, the Stanford basketball team (18-9, 8-7 Pac-12) is heading to the Rocky Mountains, where it will take on the Pac-12’s two newest additions: the Colorado Buffaloes (18-8, 10-4) and the Utah Utes (5-21, 2-12).

M. Basketball: Cardinal heads on Rocky road
Freshman guard Chasson Randle (above) led Stanford with 18 points in the Cardinal's win over Colorado last month. The two teams will square off tonight in Boulder. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

 

First up for the Card is a trip to Boulder, where it will look to complete a season sweep of Buffs. Colorado has played exceptionally well following its loss to Stanford on Jan. 14, winning seven of its last nine games. After being perhaps the most controversial omission from the NCAA tournament last year, the Buffaloes are looking to make a statement in their last few conference games to earn themselves an at-large bid in this year’s tourney. Still, it is an uphill climb for Colorado, and they will probably have to win each of their final four conference games to have a solid at-large case.

 

The first time around, Stanford delivered one of its best offensive performances of the year, dismantling the Buffs en route to an 84-64 victory. The Card shot an outstanding 53 percent from the field, led by the play of guards Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright. Randle led the way with 18 points, while Bright trailed close behind with 14. Sophomore forward Josh Huestis pitched in as well with a career-high 13 points. The Card dominated on the glass, grabbing nine more rebounds than the Buffs. Stanford will look to regain midseason form in order to upset favored Colorado.

 

Colorado will look to even the score with Stanford on Thursday night. Seniors Carlon Brown and Austin Dufault will play a major role, as both are looking to end their careers with a bang. Brown leads the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game from the guard position. The Utah transfer has been a major asset for Colorado this year, and he will look to show the Stanford faithful why. The six-foot-nine forward Dufault is not far behind, averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting above 50 percent from the field.

 

However, neither of these players poses the biggest matchup problem for Stanford. That honor belongs to sophomore forward Andre Roberson, who has been a force on both ends of the court for the Buffs, averaging a double-double on the year. He leads the team in rebounds (11.3 per game) and blocks (1.1 per game), to go along with an average of 11.2 points. While Roberson was the only bright spot for the Buffs in their first matchup against Stanford, the Card managed to keep him off the boards for the most part.

 

The Cardinal then travels to Utah to take on the Utes in what looks to be a favorable matchup on paper. Utah is currently sitting at 11th in the Pac-12 and has lost its last seven games. Things didn’t go as smoothly as they should have for the Card in the teams’ first matchup, as Stanford barely managed to squeak out a 68-65 win after a late Utah charge. Huestis carried Stanford in this one, scoring all of his game-high 13 points in the second half.

 

This time around, Utah’s leading scorer, senior guard Josh Watkins, will not be in uniform. Watkins was dismissed from the team on Jan. 17 following a number of indiscretions related to his performance and attendance in class. Junior guard Chris Hines has stepped up, posting 11.1 points per game following the suspension. Stanford will also be faced with the daunting task of stopping seven-foot center Jason Washburn. Washburn leads the team in rebounds at 6.3 per game and is second in points at 10.6, behind only the dismissed Watkins. If Stanford can neutralize these two weapons, it can coast to an easy victory.

 

As the Pac-12 tournament draws nearer, the seeding picture becomes clearer and clearer for the Cardinal. Stanford is currently sitting at seventh in the conference but could easily leapfrog sixth-place UCLA with a couple of wins down the stretch.

 

Stanford will look to start with a road victory against Colorado at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

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M. Basketball: Slumping Cardinal in need of home stand https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/16/m-basketball-slumping-cardinal-in-need-of-home-stand/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/16/m-basketball-slumping-cardinal-in-need-of-home-stand/#respond Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:03:54 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1058422 After a surprisingly strong start that had Stanford sitting atop the Pac-12, the Cardinal has fallen back down to earth and almost out of NCAA tournament contention

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After a surprisingly strong start that had Stanford sitting atop the Pac-12, the Cardinal has fallen back down to earth and almost out of NCAA tournament contention. Stanford (17-8, 7-6 Pac-12) has lost five of its last seven games and is currently sitting at sixth in the conference standings. While the Card has basically played itself out of contention for an at-large tournament bid, March Madness does remain a possibility.

M. Basketball: Slumping Cardinal in need of home stand
Sophomore forward Josh Huestis (above) needs to regain his earlier form after going just 2-for-14 from the floor in his past four games. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

 

With five conference games remaining in the regular season, Stanford will look to improve its seeding for the Pac-12 Tournament. Winning that tournament guarantees Stanford a spot in the 68-team Big Dance.

 

The journey begins this Thursday night, when Stanford takes on Oregon State (15-10, 5-8) in front of its home crowd in Maples Pavilion. Coming off a much-needed win against a banged-up USC team, Stanford will look to rise back up the Pac-12 standings with a win against the Beavers.

 

The first meeting between these two teams was a quadruple-overtime marathon in which Stanford edged out Oregon State 103-101. Freshman guard Chasson Randle scored the go-ahead layup with 37 seconds remaining to give the Cardinal the win. That game was likely Randle’s best of the year, as he torched the Beavers for a game-high 24 points.

 

The Beavers will be looking for revenge this time around. Leading the way for Oregon State is junior guard Jared Cunningham. Cunningham is averaging a team-high 18.8 points per game on a solid 45 percent shooting clip. He is also one of the NCAA’s best defenders, as his 2.8 steals per game is the fifth-best mark in the entire country. However, in the teams’ first meeting, Cunningham went an abysmal 4-for-16 from the field. He will look to avenge this performance on Thursday.

 

Sophomore forward Devon Collier has played well since assuming a starting role. Collier, the Beavers’ second-leading scorer at 13.2 points per game, is shooting a phenomenal 62.4 percent from the field. At 6-foot-7, his speed and quickness present a matchup nightmare for opposing forwards.

 

Oregon State is coming off a crushing home defeat at the hands of the first-place Washington Huskies after the Beavers couldn’t pull off the upset and overcome a two-point deficit with just 22 seconds remaining. After this loss, the Beavers will look to make a statement against the Cardinal. A win on Thursday would put them just a game behind Stanford. The Card will look to hold off the Beavers’ attack, stepping up defensively in a critical matchup of mid-tier Pac-12 teams.

 

On Sunday, the Oregon Ducks (18-7, 9-4 Pac-12) roll into town for a game that will have major tournament-seeding implications. The Ducks are currently two games ahead of the Card, but a win here would give Stanford a very realistic shot of overtaking them in the conference standings.

 

Unlike on Thursday night, the Card will be the team looking to even the season score after the Ducks handed Stanford its first conference loss on Jan. 5. In that game, Oregon guard Devoe Joseph went off, torching Stanford for a career-high 30 points. The Card will look to keep Joseph in check this time around, as the senior guard has been the leading man in Oregon’s offensive attack this year, averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game to go along with 2.9 assists. Joseph’s stellar play is a large reason why the Ducks are currently only a game out of first place in the Pac-12.

 

Joseph isn’t the only senior running the show for Oregon. Fellow guard Garrett Sim has contributed to Oregon’s offensive success, averaging 12 points and almost three assists per game. The two seniors have fed off each other all year and will surely look to do the same on Sunday night.

 

As the regular season nears its end, every game becomes more important for the Card. After losing some ground in the Pac-12 standings, Stanford will need a few wins down the stretch to make up ground. A pair of victories this weekend would boost both Stanford’s tournament seeding and its confidence going into postseason play.

 

Tip-off for the Oregon State game is tonight at 7 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.

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M. Basketball: Card blows by Sun Devils with dominant second half https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/03/m-basketball-card-blows-by-sun-devils-with-dominant-second-half/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/03/m-basketball-card-blows-by-sun-devils-with-dominant-second-half/#respond Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:03:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1056816 It’s the start of February, which, in the world of college basketball, only means one thing. One more month until March.

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It’s the start of February, which, in the world of college basketball, only means one thing. One more month until March.

 

M. Basketball: Card blows by Sun Devils with dominant second half
Sophomore guard Anthony Brown's 11 points helped Stanford end a three-game losing streak on Thursday, as the Cardinal improved to 12-1 on its home court with a convincing 68-44 win over Arizona State. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

With the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament looming, the Stanford Cardinal (16-6, 6-4 Pac-12) is one of the many teams on the bubble. With a 68-team field, many talented teams will surely be left out. A win here or a loss there could decide the Card’s fate, making nearly every game a must-win. This was Stanford’s mindset going into Thursday night’s matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-15, 3-7) in front of the Cardinal’s home crowd at Maples Pavilion, as it blew the Sun Devils out, 68-44.

 

Things didn’t start out smoothly for Stanford, however, as it fell behind 12-7 on a Chris Colvin three-point jumper with 13:48 left in the first half.

 

That lead wouldn’t last long for Arizona State, as sophomore guard Anthony Brown started heating up. Brown finished the night with 11 points off the bench, all of which came in the last 6:38 of the first half. He went 3-of-5 from the three-point line during this stretch and added an outside jumper. This included a three as the shot clock expired with just seven seconds left in the first half, giving Stanford a 28-20 lead going into the break.

 

This would prove to be all the momentum the Cardinal needed, as it would not fall behind again. A pair of threes from sophomore guard Aaron Bright and a jumper by senior forward Josh Owens had Stanford up 14 just two minutes into the second half. This would be part of a massive 16-1 run for the Cardinal, which put the team up 44-23 with 13:27 remaining in the second half. That early deficit was completely forgotten, as Stanford was now firing on all cylinders.

 

The Cardinal continued to run the table, overwhelming the Sun Devils with explosive offensive attacks and shutdown defense. Behind the stellar play of young guards Bright and freshman Chasson Randle, the Stanford offense looked like a well-oiled machine. The Cardinal distributed the ball well, recording 14 assists against only four for Arizona State. This allowed everyone to get into the act, as Stanford had a very balanced scoring attack.

 

A pair of free throws from senior forward Andrew Zimmerman gave Stanford a 27-point lead, its biggest of the game, with 2:12 on the clock. The Cardinal would close out the game, giving the squad a much-needed win.

 

Bright led the way for Stanford, scoring 16 points to go along with four assists. Randle pitched in with 14 points as well. The young guards have been key to Stanford’s offense this year, giving the fans reason to believe that they have a good couple of years in store. Still, they have their eyes set on making a run this season.

 

After a rough stretch, this win puts Stanford right back into the Pac-12 mix. The Cardinal trails the Washington Huskies, who are 8-2 in the Pac-12, by just two games, with eight left on the schedule.

 

On Saturday, Stanford will welcome Arizona (15-8, 6-4) into Maples, and both teams will be looking to get back-to-back wins and get back into the heart of the Pac-12 conference race.

 

On Thursday, the Wildcats’ 78-74 upset victory over Cal pushed them to just two games behind conference leader Washington and into a tie with Stanford in the conference standings at 6-4.

 

If the Cardinal hopes to upset the Wildcats, its number-one goal will be to slow down junior forward Solomon Hill, who leads the team in just about every offensive category. The 6-foot-6 Hill averages 12.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, just outpacing senior guard Kyle Fogg’s 12.0 points per game and senior forward Jesse Perry’s 11.6 points per game.

 

A win for either team would be a significant boost for the second half of the conference season, as the Cardinal and Wildcats are part of a herd of six teams that trail Washington by three or fewer games in the Pac-12. In a conference with so much parity and probably only one or two NCAA Tournament bids on the line, every win over a quality opponent is critical.

 

The Cardinal and Wildcats tip off this Saturday at noon at Maples Pavilion.

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M. Volleyball: Card travels to face top-ranked Cougars https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/02/m-volleyball-card-travels-to-face-top-ranked-cougars/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/02/m-volleyball-card-travels-to-face-top-ranked-cougars/#respond Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:34:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1056551 A year that began with national title aspirations hasn’t gone according to plan recently for the Stanford men’s volleyball team

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A year that began with national title aspirations hasn’t gone according to plan recently for the Stanford men’s volleyball team. After suffering an early-season loss to No. 3 UCLA, the Cardinal dropped another match to the No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions last Friday. However, the No. 7 Cardinal redeemed itself with an impressive win over the defending national champion No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes at their arena. The Cardinal will look to take this momentum into Provo, Utah, as the team gets set to face off against a very tough BYU squad.

 

After losing to UC-Irvine in the first game of the year, the No. 1 BYU Cougars (6-1, 4-0 MPSF) have been nearly unstoppable. They have won their last six matches in a row, most recently beating USC 3-1 and 3-2 in a pair of weekend matches. This streak includes two payback wins over the formerly No. 1 Anteaters. The Cardinal (5-2, 2-1) will look to hand the Cougars their second and third losses of the year this weekend in a highly anticipated matchup between two men’s volleyball juggernauts.

 

Leading a balanced offensive attack for the Cougars are sophomore outside hitter Taylor Sander and senior opposite Robb Stowell. Sander is posting an unprecedented 4.90 kills-per-set mark, while the 6-foot-7 Stowell is not far behind with 3.58. The pair has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses, using their above-average height and athleticism to overwhelm their opponents. In their last match against USC, the duo combined for 46 kills.

 

Stanford will need to step up on defense to stop the talented BYU attack. This daunting task rests primarily on the shoulders of Stanford middle blockers Gus Ellis and Denny Fells. However, the team will also need a strong effort from sophomore outside hitter Eric Mochalski, who leads the team in blocks this season with 15.

 

While the Cougars are known for their offensive firepower, they boast one of the nation’s best defensive units as well. Junior middle blocker Russ Lavaja leads the team with 42 blocks and a 1.45 blocks-per-set average. Lavaja is one of the nation’s best defensive middle blockers, and he will not make things easy for the Stanford offense.

 

Still, the Cardinal players like their chances. Senior captain Brad Lawson summed it up, saying, “we’ve been watching them on film all week. We know they have great blocking, great attacking, but we’re ready for the challenge.”

Lawson, who has easily been Stanford’s most dominant player this year, will lead the offensive charge. Lawson leads the Card in total kills (170) and kills per set (3.52). He is clearly looking to earn a spot on this year’s AVCA All-American First Team, just as he did last season. A strong effort against the No. 1 Cougars would certainly help his case, but Lawson is more concerned with his team. Pitching in for the Card is sophomore outside hitter Brian Cook. He leads the team in hitting percentage at a solid .350 mark and is not far behind Lawson in kills per set with 3.20. Both Cook and Lawson recorded 17 kills in their last match against USC, propelling Stanford to a much-needed victory. The pair will need to bring their A-game if the Card wants to upset BYU.

 

“It’s a test, but I think [we] are excited to play such a talented volleyball team,” Lawson said.

 

As far as tests are concerned, a midterm exam may more accurately describe this contest. Stanford has yet to play a team as talented as BYU, and might not for the rest of the year. Still, the Cardinal has the discipline and talent to beat any team in the country, including the Cougars, and a sweep of BYU this weekend would certainly turn some heads in the world of men’s volleyball. These two matches start a stretch of 18-straight conference matches to finish the regular season, so positioning in the MPSF will be on the line as well.

 

The Cougars and Cardinal square off on Friday and Saturday night. Both matches will begin at 6 p.m. P.T.

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M. Basketball: Offense stalls in loss to Washington https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/23/m-basketball-offense-stalls-in-loss-to-washington/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/23/m-basketball-offense-stalls-in-loss-to-washington/#respond Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:45:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1055096 Another strong effort from senior forward Josh Owens was not enough for the Stanford men’s basketball team, as the squad fell to the Washington Huskies in convincing fashion

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Another strong effort from senior forward Josh Owens was not enough for the Stanford men’s basketball team, as the squad fell to the Washington Huskies in convincing fashion.

 

The Huskies (12-7, 5-2 Pac-12) had a lot to play for Saturday night at the Alaska Airlines Arena, as their head coach, Lorenzo Romar, entered the game a win away from both his 300th career win and 100th career conference win. This added motivation would prove all that the Huskies needed. They got it done for their coach, swamping Stanford (15-5, 5-3 Pac-12) defensively en route to a 76-63 victory. The loss marked the end to a disappointing weekend for the Cardinal, which suffered a loss to Washington State on Thursday.

 

After a surprising 10-1 start, the Card has been unable to find its groove. With this loss, the team fell to fifth in the Pac-12. Stanford hasn’t had much luck on the road in conference play, dropping three of its four games. Stanford will need to right the ship this week in practice, with a matchup against first-place California looming.

M. Basketball: Offense stalls in loss to Washington
Sophomore guard Aaron Bright tied for the team lead with 14 points, but the Stanford offense had trouble against the Washington defense in a 76-63 loss. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

 

The Cardinal stuck with the Huskies for the beginning of the first half, but after sophomore forward Josh Huestis’ jumper cut the Washington lead to 13-11, Stanford went stone cold. The Card would only score one field goal for the next 10 minutes of play, going a miserable 1-for-17 from the floor until a nice dish from senior guard Jarrett Mann led to a three-point play for sophomore forward Dwight Powell. Despite the scoring drought, the Card faced just a seven-point halftime deficit.

 

Stanford could not stop Washington’s guard play in the second half, as sophomore Terrence Ross and freshman Tony Wroten combined for 26 points. For the game, Wroten led all scorers with 21 points, while Ross, who was most recently named Pac-12 Player of the Week, finished with 18.

 

After a Mann layup pulled the Cardinal to within five with 14:48 remaining, the Huskies went on an 18-2 run to lead 61-40. Stanford would not be able to overcome this deficit, as the team struggled to find an offensive rhythm.

 

Stanford was outrebounded for only the third time this year, as Washington burned the Cardinal with offensive rebounds and second-chance points. A very solid 16-to-nine turnover margin in the Cardinal’s favor was equalized by the teams’ shooting performances. Stanford shot a lowly 35.9 percent from the field and 15.8 percent from beyond the arc, while Washington shot 50.8 percent and 35.7 percent from three.

 

Owens was the only Stanford player to shoot above the 50-percent clip, going 7-for-13 from the floor for 14 points. Sophomore guard Aaron Bright added 14 points of his own on 5-of-13 shooting.

 

The win was more than just a milestone for Romar, as his team leapfrogged Stanford in the Pac-12 standings, improving to just a half game out of first place. With 10 conference games remaining, the Cardinal will have to make the most of its schedule if it intends to put forward a strong case for the NCAA Tournament in March.

 

Stanford will look to get the ball rolling again this Sunday when it travels to Berkeley. The Golden Bears currently sit in a tie for first in the Pac-12, just a game ahead of the Cardinal. A win next weekend would put Stanford to regain its footing in the Pac-12, while a loss would be a major blow for a struggling team.

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W. Volleyball: Golden Bears come back to knock off Cardinal https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/28/w-volleyball-golden-bears-come-back-to-knock-off-cardinal/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/28/w-volleyball-golden-bears-come-back-to-knock-off-cardinal/#respond Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:42:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052271 The No. 6 Stanford women’s volleyball team went into its game against No. 10 California looking to avenge an early-season loss. Locked in a tie for fourth in conference play, a win here would have propelled Stanford above Cal in the Pac-12 standings and into the NCAA Tournament with momentum

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The No. 6 Stanford women’s volleyball team went into its game against No. 10 California looking to avenge an early-season loss. Locked in a tie for fourth in conference play, a win here would have propelled Stanford above Cal in the Pac-12 standings and into the NCAA Tournament with momentum.

 

However, the Golden Bears (26-6, 16-6 Pac-12) had different plans, as they beat Stanford (23-7, 15-7) in four sets at Maples Pavilion. With the win, Cal moved into third place in the Pac-12 while Stanford slid down to fifth.

 

The first set would define the tempo of the entire match, one that would be a hard-fought struggle between two of the best teams in the nation. This set featured 11 ties and seven lead changes, as neither team could pull away. After an attacking error gave Cal a late 24-22 lead, the Card rallied from set point, winning three straight points to take a 25-24 lead. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams’ kill gave Stanford the first set.

 

The Golden Bears bounced back in the second set, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. Stanford would quickly fight back, tying the set at 6-6. Similar to the first set, there were 15 ties in the second. Down 24-23, a pair of kills by junior setter Karissa Cook and Williams gave Stanford a 25-24 lead and the chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead. However, Cal showed its resiliency, tying the match on a Shannon Hawari kill. The Golden Bears would go on to win the set 29-27, squaring the match at one set apiece. This would prove to be the turning point in the match.

 

The trend continued into a third set that saw six more lead changes. The biggest lead in the set for either team was three points, as neither Stanford nor Cal could break away. After Cal snapped a 22-22 tie with two straight points, Stanford head coach John Dunning was forced to call a timeout. Stanford saved the first set point with a kill by sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat, but couldn’t save the second, as a kill by Cal’s Correy Johnson gave the Bears the 25-23 win.

 

Now down two sets to one, Stanford looked almost helpless in the fourth set. After losing the first three points, the Card called its first timeout. However, things did not change, as the team dropped four of the next five points to go down 7-1. Another timeout would not be the answer for the Cardinal, as it went on to lose the set 25-14 in convincing fashion.

 

Despite the loss, many Stanford players had good matches against a very competitive Cal team. Both Wopat and Cook had personal-record-setting performances. Cook tallied her 18th straight double-double, racking up a career-high 21 digs and 50 assists. Wopat was a force up front, recording her first 20-plus kill performance. She ended the game with a team-high 22 kills on a .553 hitting percentage. Williams pitched in with 19 kills of her own. Still, it wasn’t enough for the Cardinal.

 

While the loss was surely a disappointment for Stanford, it makes little difference in hindsight. The Card advanced to its 31st consecutive NCAA Tournament, joining Penn State as one of the only two teams to make the tournament in every year of its existence.

 

Stanford has the No. 11 overall seed and will take on Sacred Heart in the first round on Friday at Maples Pavilion.

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W. Volleyball: Pacific Northwest test for Cardinal https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/10/w-volleyball-pacific-northwest-test-for-cardinal/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/10/w-volleyball-pacific-northwest-test-for-cardinal/#respond Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:48:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051615 With the season winding down, No. 3 Stanford needs to put its stamp on the Pac-12, and there is no better way to do that than by beating the No. 11 Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars on the road.

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While the Stanford women’s volleyball team excels at home, its task this week will be to prove that it can win on the road with a trip to Washington and Washington State. The Card cruised to victory at Maples Pavilion when the teams last met, dominating both teams in three-set efforts.

This weekend, the Cardinal women will be looking to prove that it was more than the home crowed that propelled them to victory earlier in the season. With the season winding down, No. 3 Stanford (19-4, 13-4 Pac-12) needs to put its stamp on the Pac-12, and there is no better way to do that than by beating the No. 11 Washington Huskies (18-6, 10-6) and the Washington State Cougars (12-14, 4-12) on the road.

W. Volleyball: Pacific Northwest test for Cardinal
Freshman Morgan Boukather (above) and the women's volleyball team will be looking to improve its position in the Pac-12 on the road this weekend in Washington. (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

First up for the Card is Washington, and the Huskies are only two-and-a-half games behind Stanford in the Pac-12 standings, making this game a must win if the Card hopes to get back into the race for the conference title (UCLA and USC are currently tied for the top slot.) Washington boasts an impressive 11-1 record at home, proving that it plays its best volleyball in Seattle. However, it’s coming off of two embarrassing straight-set losses to USC and UCLA, and will surely be looking to right the ship with a win against the Cardinal.

Stanford’s offense will have to be on top of its game, as Washington has the Pac-12 and arguably the country’s best defense. This is due in large part to the pair of seniors up front, Bianca Rowland and Laruen Barfield. Rowland is first in the Pac-12 in blocks per set at 1.57. Barfield is not far behind at third, averaging 1.46 blocks per set. Sophomore libero Jenna Orlandini also poses a threat on defense, as she is currently sixth in the Pac-12 in digs, averaging 4.38 per set.

On Saturday, Stanford will take on Washington State in what looks to be a favorable matchup for the Card. What looked like a promising season for the Cougars has turned out to be very disappointing, as they are ninth in the Pac-12 with just five games remaining.

The one bright spot for the Cougars this year has been senior sensation Megan Ganzer. The outside hitter leads the Pac-12 in both kills and points, averaging 5.32 points per set and 4.79 kills per set. In her last match against UCLA, Ganzer posted a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs, leading the team in both categories.

The question will be whether Washington State can stop Stanford’s dynamic sophomore duo of outside hitter Rachel Williams and middle blocker Carly Wopat. The pair has been nearly unstoppable for the past few weeks, smothering their opponents both offensively and defensively. Wopat is second in the Pac-12 in blocks per set at 1.57, while Williams comes in at fifth in kills, averaging 4.3 per set.

If Stanford is to make a run at first place in the Pac-12, coming out of Washington with two wins is essential. Currently two games behind the Bruins and Trojans with five games remaining, the title is not yet out of reach for the Cardinal.

Stanford takes on Washington in Seattle at 7 p.m. on Friday and finishes the weekend against the Cougars in Pullman at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

 

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W. Volleyball: Card responds with pair of easy road wins https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/08/w-volleyball-card-responds-with-pair-of-easy-road-wins/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/08/w-volleyball-card-responds-with-pair-of-easy-road-wins/#respond Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:43:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051536 There’s nothing like a couple of bounce-back wins to ease the pain of a home loss. After a promising weekend ended with a disappointing defeat to UCLA, the Stanford women’s volleyball team traveled east to take its anger out on Colorado and Utah

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There’s nothing like a couple of bounce-back wins to ease the pain of a home loss. After a promising weekend ended with a disappointing defeat to UCLA, the Stanford women’s volleyball team traveled east to take its anger out on Colorado and Utah.

W. Volleyball: Card responds with pair of easy road wins
Junior setter Karissa Cook helped lead the No. 3 Stanford women's volleyball team to an efficient weekend, defeating Colorado and Utah in road matches. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

Up first for the No. 3 Cardinal (19-4, 13-4 Pac-12) were the Buffaloes (5-20, 0-17) on Thursday in Colorado. Early on, the Card looked more like the team that had lost to UCLA rather than the one that had won nine straight matches beforehand. Colorado jumped out to a quick 10-5 lead, prompting Stanford head coach John Dunning to take a timeout. Still, attacking errors held the Card back as it kept an overachieving Colorado team in the game. Stanford managed to claw its way back, tying the game at 23 points apiece. A pair of blocks by junior outside hitter Hayley Spelman and sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams gave the Card the first set 25-23 and a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Following the close first set, Stanford let its guard down in the second, playing uncharacteristically poor volleyball for a top-five team. Maybe it was the high altitude (5,345 feet), but Stanford did not look like a national championship contender in that set. Colorado outlasted the Card in a close affair that featured 10 ties, winning 25-22.

Dropping a set to the last-place Buffs may have been a wakeup call, as Stanford was a completely different team for the rest of the weekend. The Cardinal went on to dismantle Colorado, winning the third set 25-21. The offensive attack smothered the Buffs in the fourth as well, taking the match with an easy 25-15 win.

Leading the way for the Cardinal was the sophomore duo of Williams and middle blocker Carly Wopat. The pair combined for 27 kills and 10 blocks, which is nothing new, as Williams leads the team in kills and Wopat leads the team in blocks. Colorado, like most of Stanford’s opponents this year, was simply overwhelmed by the dominant frontcourt.

Stanford carried its momentum from Boulder into its match against the Utes (9-17, 4-13) on Saturday. After trailing early, the Cardinal took a 5-4 lead behind three Utah errors. It didn’t look back, holding on to the lead for the remainder of the first set. Sophomore outside hitter Sam Wopat clinched the set with a kill, giving Stanford a 25-18 first-set victory.

It was the same story for Stanford in the second set, as a Utah service error broke a 4-4 tie. The Cardinal did not relinquish this lead, going on to win the second set 25-22 behind Williams’ seven kills.

Stanford headed into the third set with its sights set on a sweep. This looked all but sealed with an 18-14 lead, until Utah managed to score three points in a row, forcing Stanford to call a timeout. Whatever was said in that huddle clearly had quite the effect, as Stanford proceeded to bury the Utes, allowing them only one more point in a 25-18 third-set victory.

Junior setter Karissa Cook came up big once again, posting 36 of Stanford’s 44 total assists. She also led the team in digs with 14. Wopat and Williams once again led a balanced offensive attack, but they received a lot of help from redshirt freshman outside hitter Lydia Bai. The trio had 12, 10 and nine kills respectively, managing to keep the Utes on their heels.

Currently tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with rival California, Stanford needs to continue looking forward. The Card is currently two games out of first place with five matches remaining in the regular season. With the season winding down, Stanford hits the road again this weekend to take on Washington and Washington State.

 

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W. Volleyball: Cardinal looks for two upsets against L.A. schools https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/27/w-volleyball-cardinal-looks-for-two-upsets-against-l-a-schools/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/27/w-volleyball-cardinal-looks-for-two-upsets-against-l-a-schools/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:48:18 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051147 History doesn’t always have to repeat itself. This is the mantra that the Stanford women’s volleyball team will take into this weekend’s matchups against the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans, the teams that handed the Card two of its three losses on the season.

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History doesn’t always have to repeat itself. This is the mantra that the Stanford women’s volleyball team will take into this weekend’s matchups against the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans, the teams that handed the Card two of its three losses on the season.

W. Volleyball: Cardinal looks for two upsets against L.A. schools
Freshman Kyle Gilbert (above) and the Stanford volleyball team welcome UCLA and USC to Maples Pavilion looking for revenge after two losses earlier in the season. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford’s trip down to Los Angeles earlier in the season was, in a word, disastrous. The Cardinal dropped both of its matches, losing to UCLA in five sets (18-25, 18-25, 25-23, 29-27, 9-15) and USC in three (23-25, 24-26, 23-25). However, coming off eight straight wins and playing behind its home crowd at Maples Pavilion, the Card has every reason to believe that this weekend will be different.

This weekend is an opportunity for the Cardinal (16-3, 10-3 Pac-12) to gain ground in the Pac-12, as it trails both first-place USC (17-3, 12-1) and third-place UCLA (21-2, 11-2) in the conference. There is a lot on the line for Stanford, as a pair of victories would drastically improve its chances of winning the division.

The No. 4 USC Trojans roll into town on Friday night for what appears to be a compelling matchup. The Trojans handled Colorado and Utah this past weekend, winning both matchups in straight sets. Their only loss in conference play was to UCLA, and they have arguably been playing as well as anybody in the country.

Leading the way for USC is senior outside hitter Alex Jupiter. Jupiter has been a force this year, anchoring the Trojan offense. She is currently second in the Pac-12 in points per set with 5.19, and her 4.31 kills per set leads the team. Jupiter also leads all Pac-12 players with 0.5 aces per set.

Jupiter’s stellar play would not be possible without the help of teammate Kendall Bateman, though, as the senior setter has played phenomenally well for USC this year, averaging 11.77 assists per set. Bateman was named to the All-American team last year and has not disappointed this season.

The task of neutralizing the USC attack will rest mostly on the shoulders of sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat. Wopat is coming off of her strongest performance of the season in which she posted a career-high 18 kills. However, the Card did not play its best volleyball last week and will certainly have to return to mid-season form in order to top the Trojans.

Things don’t get any easier for Stanford after USC, as the No. 6 UCLA Bruins pose a difficult challenge on Saturday night.

The Bruins are coming off of a shaky four-set win against Colorado and a dominating sweep of Utah in which they posted their highest hitting percentage (.411) on the year. The Bruins have been resilient this year, demonstrating the impressive ability to play their best volleyball against the toughest opponents. UCLA has beaten each of its fellow top four teams, downing USC, Stanford and Cal.

The Bruin’s balanced attack features junior Rachel Kidder and senior Lainey Gera. Kidder leads UCLA in points with 5.01 per set, not far off Pac-12 leader Meagan Ganzer’s 5.40 pace. Lainey Gera places third in the Pac-12 in digs with 4.88 per set.

The Bruins also boast one of the most experienced rosters in the Pac-12, with five seniors on the team. The Card can expect UCLA to thrive under the pressure and play one of their best matches of the year. Stanford will certainly be looking to emerge from the weekend with two wins and a spot atop the conference standings.

The weekend series kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Maples Pavilion.

 

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W. Volleyball: Cardinal wins ugly in Arizona https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/24/w-volleyball-cardinal-wins-ugly-in-arizona/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/24/w-volleyball-cardinal-wins-ugly-in-arizona/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:47:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051050 Of the many adjectives that can be used to describe the Stanford women’s volleyball team’s play this weekend, pretty is not one of them. However, sometimes it is just about getting the victories, and that is exactly what the Cardinal did

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Of the many adjectives that can be used to describe the Stanford women’s volleyball team’s play this weekend, pretty is not one of them. However, sometimes it is just about getting the victories, and that is exactly what the Cardinal did.

Stanford (16-3, 9-3 Pac-12) went into its matches against Arizona (13-7, 5-6) and Arizona State (5-16, 1-11) as hot as any team in the Pac-12 and maybe even the country. The Card was looking to build on its six-game winning streak and continue climbing up the conference standings.

W. Volleyball: Cardinal wins ugly in Arizona
The No. 5 Stanford women's volleyball team struggled at times against the Arizona schools, but the Cardinal still came away with two road wins. (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

Starting the weekend off in Arizona on Friday night, it looked as if the team’s momentum from the previous weekend was carrying over, and Stanford jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. But things got ugly fast for the Cardinal, as the Wildcats came back to take a 23-19 lead. On the verge of dropping the first set, Stanford turned it around quickly, closing out the game with six straight points to take the set, 25-23.

The Cardinal kept Arizona on its heels, taking the second set as well, 25-22. However, Stanford would be denied another sweep, as Arizona came roaring back to win the third set, 25-22. The Card began to show flashes of its former self in game four, burying the Wildcats offensively—Stanford closed out the match in style, taking the fourth set, 25-17.

Leading the way for the Cardinal was sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams, who led all players with 18 kills. Junior setter Karissa Cook showed everyone why she had just been named Pac-12 and National Player of the Week, posting yet another double-double with 39 assists and 17 digs. The dynamic duo has been a major factor for Stanford this year.

Saturday’s game against the second-to-last-place Sun Devils could not have started off any worse. Stanford dropped the first set in miserable fashion, losing 25-22. But the Card charged back in the second set, stifling the Arizona State attack to even the match at one set apiece.

That was when Stanford got its groove back. Despite a subpar effort against Arizona and an early slip-up against Arizona State, the momentum shifted back to the Cardinal. Stanford proceeded to bury the Sun Devils, taking game three 25-20. The Card ended the weekend well, playing its best volleyball in the fourth set to win 25-18, capped by junior outside hitter Hayley Spelman’s kill.

Sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat had a huge night, posting a career-best 18 kills and leading all players with 22 points. The young guns were certainly carrying Stanford, as redshirt freshman outside hitter Lydia Bai chipped in with 16 kills of her own. The pair anchored the Stanford offense on a night when the Card desperately needed someone to step up.

The Cardinal did not look like the team that had dismantled Washington in straight sets the week before, but it is tough to be disappointed with eight straight wins. Stanford is now sitting only a game out of second place in the Pac-12 and has a very real possibility of moving into first place by the end of next week. First-place USC and third-place UCLA, the last two teams to beat the Cardinal, are coming to town in what looks to be a pair of critical weekend matches on Friday and Saturday.

First serve for both matches will be at 7 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.

 

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W. Volleyball: Stanford makes statement in straight-set victory https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/17/w-volleyball-stanford-makes-statement-in-straight-set-victory/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/17/w-volleyball-stanford-makes-statement-in-straight-set-victory/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:42:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1050817 A straight-set Cardinal victory over the No. 2 Washington Huskies in a clash of volleyball titans Saturday night at Maples Pavilion sent shockwaves through the Pac-12 and the entire country, but no one learned more than No. 7 Stanford coach John Dunning and his players.

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A straight-set Cardinal victory over the No. 2 Washington Huskies in a clash of volleyball titans Saturday night at Maples Pavilion sent shockwaves through the Pac-12 and the entire country, but no one learned more than No. 7 Stanford coach John Dunning and his players.

“The message we send is really to ourselves: we have a good team this year. The possibilities are limitless,” Dunning said.

W. Volleyball: Stanford makes statement in straight-set victory
Carly Wopat (number 2) hits over the net for the Cardinal in a 3-0 victory over Washington (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford (14-3, 8-3 Pac-12) took a four-game winning streak into the weekend matches against Washington and Washington State and did not disappoint. The Cardinal dismantled the Washington State Cougars (11-8, 3-6) on Friday night thanks to a quick start that saw it take the first set 25-13 in dominating fashion. The Card went on to win the second set 25-21 and the third 25-6 for a straight-set victory.

Leading the charge once again was sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams, who torched the Cougars offensively with a match-high 13 kills. Freshman Lydia Bai pitched in with 12 kills, as the pair smothered the Cougar defense all night long. Stanford was able to hold outside hitter Megan Ganzer in check, limiting her to 10 kills for the match. Much of the credit goes to middle blocker Carly Wopat, who led the way at the heart of Stanford’s defense with three blocks.

But the true test came on Saturday night when the Washington Huskies (15-3, 7-3) rolled into town. Coming off of a loss to California, the Huskies were hungry for a win to keep them above Stanford in the Pac-12 standings. However, in front of over 4,000 screaming fans, the Cardinal could not be stopped.

Stanford started off strong, taking a 22-14 lead in the first set. But four straight errors by Bai, Williams and Wopat allowed the Huskies to climb back, forcing the Card to take a timeout. Regaining its composure, Stanford closed out the set for a 25-19 victory.

Wopat got things going for Stanford in the second set, opening with three straight kills. The sophomore came up big when she was needed most, recording 10 kills and three blocks on a match-high .500 hit percentage. Just when the Huskies began to make a run, junior setter Karissa Cook shifted the momentum back Stanford’s way with a phenomenal behind-the-back kill followed by an ace. Cook played extremely well, recording 30 assists and 13 digs to lead all players in both categories.

Then it was time for the Rachel Williams show, as she stifled the Washington defense with back-to-back kills. Williams put on an exhibition on the attack for the fans, leading all players with 15 kills.

“We wanted to keep the momentum going [and] put pressure on them,” she said.

They did just that, winning the second set 25-16, giving Stanford a commanding two-set lead heading into the locker room.

However, the Huskies were not going to lie down and hand Stanford the game. They came out for the third set with a fire that had been missing earlier in the match. Washington battled back from an early deficit to tie the set at 22. The Cardinal continued to fight, taking a 24-23 lead and then ending the match in dramatic fashion with an ace from Wopat.

“It wasn’t pretty in the third set, but we just fought,” Dunning said.

Saturday night’s win against Washington highlights the best stretch of the season thus far for the Cardinal, during which it has won six straight. With the win, Stanford managed to leapfrog Washington in the Pac-12 standings, moving up to fourth place with plenty of games remaining.

The Cardinal will look to continue climbing on the road as it travels to Arizona next weekend to take on Arizona and Arizona State.

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W. Volleyball: Washington schools present toughest test yet https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/13/w-volleyball-washington-schools-present-toughest-test-yet/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/13/w-volleyball-washington-schools-present-toughest-test-yet/#respond Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:03:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1050675 With four straight victories, the women’s volleyball team has quelled any fears that arose after an early slip-up in conference play. The Cardinal is looking to carry its momentum into this weekend’s matches against Washington and Washington State, two potential roadblocks in its quest for a sixth straight Pac-12 championship.

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With four straight victories, the women’s volleyball team has quelled any fears that arose after an early slip-up in conference play. The Cardinal is looking to carry its momentum into this weekend’s matches against Washington and Washington State, two potential roadblocks in its quest for a sixth straight Pac-12 championship.

W. Volleyball: Washington schools present toughest test yet
The No. 7 Stanford women's volleyball team faces its toughest test of the season so far this weekend against No. 3 Washington. (Stanford Daily File Photo)

After two disappointing losses to UCLA and USC three weekends ago, No. 7 Stanford (12-3, 6-3 Pac-12) has roared back, beating Arizona and Arizona State at home and Oregon and Oregon State on the road. The team is back home at Maples Pavilion this weekend for a matchup with Washington State on Friday before a showdown with No. 3 Washington on Saturday night.

The Cougars (11-7, 3-5) come into town with a sub-.500 conference record that has them sitting in ninth place in the Pac-12, four spots below the Cardinal. But it will be important for Stanford not to overlook the matchup, as Washington State swept Colorado in their last game and played well in the preseason.

Leading the charge for the Cougars is their lone senior, 6-foot-3 outside hitter Meagan Ganzer. The Cardinal will have a lot to handle with Ganzer, who has already piled up 343 kills. This total, paired with her 4.97 kill-per-set mark, has her sitting atop the Pac-12 in this statistic. Ganzer is also seventh in the conference in aces per set (0.29), and she is coming off a very solid performance against Colorado in which she had a game-high 19 kills and three aces.

The daunting task of slowing Ganzer down will be mostly up to sophomore Carly Wopat, who leads both Stanford and the Pac-12 in blocks with 1.62 per set. Wopat is quickly emerging as one of the Cardinal’s best players and is making a name for herself in the conference with multiple Player of the Week awards.

Provided that Wopat and company can neutralize Ganzer and the rest of the Cougar offense, the bigger test this weekend will likely come on Sunday against No. 3 Washington, which boasts a 15-1 record (7-1 conference).

The Huskies are currently sitting three spots above Stanford at second in the Pac-12, trailing only USC for the league lead. Their impressive resume includes straight-set victories against UCLA, Oregon and Arizona. With the Cardinal looking up at them in the standings, this game is as close to a must-win as it gets this early in the season.

Senior middle blockers Bianca Rowland and Lauren Barfield anchor the Huskies up front. The duo has combined for 96 blocks this season–Rowland is averaging 1.52 per set and Barfield 1.44.

But the Huskies’ most impressive player may be freshman standout Kristen Vansant. She leads all freshmen in points per set, with 4.18, and is 10th in the conference with 3.57 kills pet set. Vansant has played a major role in Washington’s success this season and will look to continue her stellar play this weekend against Stanford.

With the halfway point of the conference schedule coming up, this weekend should prove a good measuring stick for the Cardinal. The weekend kicks off Friday night against Washington State, with a Saturday night matchup against Washington to follow–both games tip at 7 p.m.

 

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