Gealer's Career Night Helps Keep Stanford's Slim Tournament Hopes Alive

Have a night, Benny!

Jan 24, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Benny Gealer (5) drives the ball during the first half against California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Coming into Wednesday’s matchup against Boston College, Stanford was facing a must-win game. With a berth in the NCAA tournament still faintly possible, they needed to have Wednesday's game against Boston College in order to keep another bad loss off their ledger.

Coming off of a win against Georgia Tech, it was crucial that the Cardinal won on the road to keep their streak alive. And they sure did, though it came down to the wire.

It’s tough to get off to a strong start on the road, but Stanford did just that, leading 15-6 early. The emergence of Benny Gealer helped the Cardinal roll out to a lead, as he scored 12 in the first half. Stanford held onto the lead for most of the half, even holding a 32-20 advantage with five minutes to go, but that dominant run came to an end quickly as Boston College unloaded.

With 5:16 to play in the first half, Jeremy Dent-Smith drove for a layup, building Stanford’s lead to 14. From that point on, it was all Eagles, as they would go on a 16-2 run to close out the half, tying things up at 34 apiece at the break. That was due to Chase Forte and Fred Payne slicing up the Cardinal defense, helping the Eagles get right back into this game.

The second half was a big indicator of whether the Cardinal truly could compete in the ACC, or if they needed to begin a rebuild. They were able to grind it out, but Stanford pulled away at the end. It took a great second half effort from Okorie and Aidan Cammann, but they built their lead back up.

With under a minute to go, Stanford led by just three, and were in need of a bucket to seal the deal. Okorie drove and passed out to Gealer for three, not only hitting the dagger shot, but also notching his 21st point of the game, a new career high. The final score was 70-64, Stanford.

Hitting the dagger AND setting your career high with the same shot? Cold. As. Ice. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ucuzMBPDwo

— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) February 12, 2026

Okorie led the Cardinal in scoring with 22, but Gealer was right behind him with those 21 points. Jeremy Dent-Smith and Aidan Cammann came off the bench and added 11 and 8 points, respectively.

Boston College had four players in double digits, with the highest being Boden Kapke at 15. Without Donald Hand Jr. for the majority of the game, the Eagles couldn’t do much offensively.

Road wins are never easy, especially in the ACC, where most teams are 2,000+ miles away. However, for Stanford, finding a way to win away from home is huge for team morale. Now, the Cardinal need to win at least four of their final six games to be in consideration for the NCAA tournament in March.

Stanford stays on the road until Saturday, where they take on Wake Forest in Winston-Salem for what will be one of the biggest games of the season due to the stakes involved. A win puts Stanford even closer to the bubble, with Wake Forest roughly on par with the Cardinal in the NET rankings. This game will serve as a separator.

Boston College hosts Cal on Saturday. With both coming off of a heartbreaking loss, it’s going to be an intriguing battle for both programs. A loss from Cal would also help Stanford's chances of reaching the tournament.