STANFORD, Calif. -- Four Stanford players scored in double figures and the Cardinal shot 56.7 percent (34-60) from the field on the way to an 84-58 victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference men’s basketball game Tuesday evening at Maples Pavilion.
Stanford, which jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never trailed during the entire game, won its third in a row and improved to 7-1 this season. That includes a 6-0 mark at home where the team has won by an average of 28.3 points per game on its home floor. Sacramento State dropped to 1-6 and lost its fifth in a row. That includes an 0-4 mark on the road. Stanford also improved to 4-0 all-time against Sacramento State with all four of those meetings between the two teams coming at Maples Pavilion.
Stanford’s Anthony Goods scored the first five points of the game on the way to his game-high tying 14 points. Stanford’s Robin Lopez (13), Taj Finger (11) and Fred Washington (10) joined Goods in double figures. The Cardinal had 20 assists of their 34 made buckets and finished with nine blocked shots, including a game-high five from Lopez.
Stanford outscored Sacramento State in the paint, 46-22, including 15 second-chance points. After a three-pointer from freshman Vinnie McGhee, Jr., drew the Hornets within eight points of Stanford’s lead (18-10) with 11:52 left in the first half, the Cardinal immediately responded with a 18-5 run over the next 6:34 to extended to a 36-15 lead with 5:18 left in the first stanza.
Stanford eventually went into halftime up, 42-25, and extended its lead to as large as 32 points (66-34) in the second half before settling for the 26-point victory. Sacramento State shot 36.7 percent (22-60) from the field and just 9-of-18 (.500) from the free throw line. The Hornets had nine steals (including three from senior Jason Davis) and forced Stanford into 16 turnovers, but it was not enough as Sacramento State converted 12 less field goals (34-22) despite both teams attempting 60 shots.
The Hornets had two players score in double figures, comprised of juniors Loren Leath (14) and Donald Thomas (11). Leath, however, shot just 4-of-13 from the field, including 1-of-7 in the first half. Thomas has now scored in double figures three times in his last four games, and is averaging 11.3 points per game over that span. Davis finished with eight points (4-of-7 shooting) to go along with four rebounds, one assists and three steals in 28 minutes.
Senior Clark Woods knocked down two more three-pointers for the Hornets and is now shooting a team-high 52.0 percent (13-25) from beyond the three-point arc. Sacramento State, which had 13 offensive rebounds resulting in nine second-chance points, also had McGhee finishing with seven points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal. Three Hornets had four rebounds, comprised of junior Randy Adams, Thomas and Davis.
Sacramento State will play just one game over the next two weeks, and that will come next Tuesday, Dec. 4, when the team welcomes William Jessup to the Hornets Nest. After the William Jessup game, the Hornets will embark upon a season-long five-game road trip, including stops at 13th-ranked Marquette and 17th-ranked Oregon.
STANFORD, Calif. -- Four Stanford players scored in double figures and the Cardinal shot 56.7 percent (34-60) from the field on the way to an 84-58 victory over Sacramento State in a non-conference men’s basketball game Tuesday evening at Maples Pavilion.
