February 20, 1999
By MARK JEWELL
Associated Press Writer
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Stanford coach Mike Montgomery didn't expect anotherblowout against Washington State on Saturday night.
But he also didn't anticipate the narrow victory he got.
The No. 7 Cardinal, who beat the Cougars by 49 points at home on Jan. 21,managed a 64-58 victory the second time around to keep their Pac-10 title bidon track.
"We know they (the Cougars) play great at home," Montgomery said. "Itwasn't pretty, but it goes in the right column."
Stanford couldn't manage a lead of more than eight points and led by just61-56 with 29 seconds remaining.
The Cougars (10-16, 4-11) closed to within 61-58 on Brian Stewart's jumperin the key with 20 seconds left. Arthur Lee was fouled one second later andmade one of two free throws.
Jan-Michael Thomas missed a 3-point attempt on the Cougars' next possession.Lee grabbed the rebound and was fouled with six seconds left, then hit bothfree throws.
Stanford (22-5, 12-2) holds a one-game lead in the Pac-10 over No. 8Arizona, a 92-86 winner over Oregon on Saturday.
The Cardinal's victory followed an 89-57 thrashing of Washington in Seattleon Thursday.
"It's a road sweep, and we'll take it at this part of the season,"Montgomery said.
The game was a defensive battle with Stanford shooting 39 percent from thefield and Washington State shooting 32 percent.
"Both teams attacked each other defensively," Cougars coach Kevin Eastmansaid. "If you like defense, then you loved this game."
Despite his scoring, Lee finished with just eight points on 0-for-5shooting. But he was 8-for-9 from the foul line.
Tim Young led the Cardinal with 15 points, nine of them on free throws.David Moseley of Stanford had 13 points, including a key 3-pointer with 2:24 togo for a 57-52 advantage.
Washington State, which lost 94-45 to Stanford earlier for the second-worstdefeat in school history, got 15 points each from Kojo Mensah-Bonsu and ChrisCrosby.
The Cougars' Leif Nelson had a season-high 10 points and held the 7-foot-2Young to four first-half points.
Thomas, WSU's leading scorer entering the game (15.2 points per game),remained in a slump. He scored three points, giving him just 37 points in hislast five games.
But he broke Washington State's school record for three point shots in aseason with 84. Eddie Hill held the old record of 83, set in 1994.
Washington State held a 17-6 turnover advantage.
But Stanford won the game at the free-throw line where it outscoredWashington State 29-10.
"They're an excellent, excellent, excellent basketball team," Eastman saidof Stanford. "They really don't have any deficiencies."