Stanford MBB Back to Dominant Ways with Win Over Louisiana

Ebuka Okorie is leading the Cardinal in his freshman campaign

Ebuka Okorie | Bob Dahlberg/ISI Photos

On Tuesday night, Stanford basketball took on Louisiana in a non-conference battle. The Cardinal came in as 20.5 point favorites, and took care of business with ease.

Louisiana began the game hot, starting off with a quick lead. But it went away quickly as true freshman Ebuka Okorie put up five straight to take the lead back. Throughout the majority of the first half, the Ragin' Cajuns kept it close, but a 10-0 run by the Cardinal late in the second half gave them a convincing 40-25 lead going into the break.

The Cardinal absolutely dominated the second half, led by big time shots by Cameron Grant and Chisom Okpara’s help down low. They maintained the lead all night, and ended up picking up a 93-66 victory.

Stanford dominated in all aspects. They won the point battle by almost 30, out-rebounded at a high level, and out-assisted their opponents. The Cardinal had quite the bounce back after their struggle against Montana State six days prior.

Stanford was once again led by Okorie, who dominated in all aspects once again. His 26 points and 5 assists were the key for the Cardinal win. In addition, Okpara’s 22 and 5 helped Stanford’s post game. And the shooting was terrific in this one. Grant had 15 points on 5-of-11 from deep, his best career game by far.

Louisiana was led by three players, who all heavily contributed to their offense. Joshua Lewis got 16 points and 5 rebounds, leading the bunch. Dorian Finister picked up 12 points and 6 rebounds as well. But the most shocking player was Jaxon Olvera, who went for 15 points off the bench. In addition, his defensive sustainability was key in holding the Cardinal at times throughout the first half.

Stanford now sits at 4-0, getting an average margin of victory of 17.25 points. Their offense is electric, and their depth is key to their success. With Okorie emerging as their true leader, Stanford is in good hands this season, and for the future.

The Cardinal host Seattle, a new WCC opponent, on Friday before packing for their trip down south to Palm Desert for Feast Week. There, they will play in the Acrisure Series against Minnesota and one of Santa Clara or Saint Louis the following day.

Louisiana continues their Northern California trip, playing at Santa Clara and UC Davis before returning home a few days later. The Cajuns hope their 1-4 start can be put in the past, and their slow start can get made up.