Stanford Falls to Cal on Home Floor

Over the last few seasons, only a few Stanford basketball trends have been inevitable. They consistently have good seasons, but have struggled to reach the tournament. They always have a star player, and are always well coached. And one key consistency amongst the last few seasons have been their domination over Cal.

Every year, it’s a big momentum shift when Stanford matches up with Cal, as they typically handle their business, giving fans hope for the rest of the season. In fact, the Cardinal had won the last five contests over their bitter rivals.

Unfortunately, that mid-season momentum shift that the Cardinal seem to get every few months is now over. On Saturday, Stanford was run out of the gym by the Bears on their home floor.

The game started positively for the Cardinal, and it looked like they were well on their way to a blowout victory of their own in the first few minutes. Stanford built a great lead, dominating on both sides of the floor, even leading 29-13 midway through the first half. But while all had gone well, they were in for a rude awakening.

Justin Pippen started to show up for the Bears late in the first half, showcasing his three-level scoring ability. John Camden added on crucial corner threes that killed the Cardinal all night. Somehow, Stanford’s 16 point advantage vanished in an instant, and the Bears led at the half, 38-34.

It was unclear which way the second half would lean. Stanford did showcase success early in the first half, but it seemed as if all the momentum was in the hands of the Bears.

Cal ended up going nuclear in the second half. Pippen continued to shine, and Camden helped from deep with his ability to stretch the floor. While Stanford kept it close for a few minutes, Cal held a 10-point lead five minutes into the second half, and the Cardinal were just delaying the inevitable as they mounted small comebacks.

The final score was 78-66 in favor of the Bears, and they now improve to an incredible 15-5, and seem to be on the right side of the bubble, on the verge of the NCAA tournament. Stanford on the other hand, now picks up another loss at home, falling to 14-6.

Stanford was led by Jeremy Dent-Smith, a recent unsung hero. He put up 20 points, now scoring a total of 58 over his last three games. Despite going just 1-of-16 from the field, success at the line (12-of-14) allowed Ebuka Okorie to have 14 points, while Ryan Agarwal added 12 along with 9 rebounds.

Camden’s career night propelled the Bears to victory, scoring 25 points on five made threes. Pippen added 11, while Dai Dai Ames, despite being in foul trouble all night, scored 10.

Both teams will board their flights headed out to the east coast again, where they will play both Wednesday and Saturday in tropical Florida. Stanford takes on Miami first, followed by Florida State. Cal will play the same teams in reverse order.

The two will meet in Berkeley again on February 21st, where Cal hopes to get a season sweep, while Stanford looks to punch back and win in the East Bay for the second time in two seasons.

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