Benny Gealer's Senior Night Performance Perfectly Represents His Stanford Career

As free throw shots went up over the weekend, the crowd started to chant, “Benny! Benny! Benny!”

The horn sounded, and senior Benny Gealer was subbed off at Maples Pavilion one last time in Stanford's regular season home finale, to an eruption of cheers. Fans looked up at the scoreboard, seeing his number five and the 30 points he'd scored sitting next to it. It's tough to draw up a better way to go out than a career high on Senior Night.

In the pressroom, head coach Kyle Smith spoke on Gealer and his incredible night, but there was one thing he said that stood out. “Benny Gealer is as important to Stanford as Ebuka Okorie." He’s right.

Benny Gealer came in into his freshman year without a scholarship. He joined Stanford due to the opportunity to play both basketball and get a top tier education. Four years later, not only is he on scholarship, but one of the most important players on the entire Stanford roster.

Gealer has had an incredible senior season. He is averaging 11.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, ranking second on the entire team in scoring, only behind NBA Draft prospect and freshman phenom, Okorie.

Gealer began the season with a big 12 point night against Portland State, but while it seemed like a big performance, it turns out that would just be the norm for Benny. Gealer reached double digit points in 17 games this season, with many of those performances sticking out.

In a non-conference game against Montana, Gealer hit four threes for 16 total points in a key win. Against UT Arlington, Gealer went for 17 points. In a pivotal road game against then No. 23 Virginia, Gealer put up 17 points to keep the Cardinal in the game.

Gealer had 15 on the road at Cal, 17 on the road at Miami, and 21 on the road at Boston College. But none could compete with Gealer’s Senior Night performance in his final game at Maples.

The senior had 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 steals in the victory. From deep, Gealer went 7-for-11. And most importantly, Stanford got a key win against SMU by 20 points to put themselves back on the bubble for a NCAA tournament berth.

Gealer has been crucial all season for the Cardinal, and now he has an opportunity to continue that as Stanford winds down their season. The Cardinal play two more regular season games, followed by at least one more in the conference tournament given they make it.

With a 12 year March Madness drought on the line, Stanford is entering one of the biggest stretches in recent program history. And with one of the most important players hot at the right time, it’s Gealer’s time to shine on the biggest stage of his career.

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