Dec. 16, 1999
By ROB GLOSTER
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - For one half, Stanford played like an ordinary team.Then the Cardinal showed why they're among college basketball's elite.
No. 2 Stanford had an 11-0 run at the start of the second half, holdingNevada scoreless for 6:48, on its way to a 68-39 victory Thursday night over aWolf Pack team that shot 29 percent and had more turnovers (20) than baskets(16).
Casey Jacobsen had 16 points off the bench for Stanford (7-0), whichovercame a sluggish first half in which it struggled from the field. RyanMendez and Jason Collins added 10 points each for the Cardinal.
"I wasn't pleased at all with our offense in the first half," Stanfordcoach Mike Montgomery said. "The second half was a different story. We weremoving the ball. Our shooting percentage went up because we passed the ballbetter."
Jarron Collins, Jason's twin brother, said Stanford's poor first half cannotbe blamed on the fact that the Cardinal were playing for only the second timesince Nov. 27.
"We didn't come out with the right intensity in the first half, and it hasnothing to do with having a layoff," he said. "It just took us a half to getgoing. Once we got going, we were fine."
Joao Santos had 12 points and Adrian McCullough had 10 points and sevenassists for Nevada (1-6), which has lost six straight since a season-opening25-point victory over Washington State.
Leading by 12 points after a sloppy first half, the Cardinal blew the gameopen at the start of the second half. While Nevada was struggling to get off ashot, Jarron Collins had a dunk and Jason Collins followed with two baskets tomake it 37-19.
Mendez then hit a 3-pointer and another basket to extend Stanford's lead to42-19, before Santos hit a 3-pointer to finally end the run with 13:12 left inthe game. The Cardinal steadily built their margin throughout the second half.
It was a homecoming for Nevada coach Trent Johnson, who spent three years asa Stanford assistant before taking the job with the Wolf Pack this season. Hehas taken much of the Stanford playbook with him to Nevada.
"It was weird playing against them, because we were running their plays,"McCullough said. "It was like practice. We knew what they were going to do,and they knew what we were going to do."
Stanford still is playing without Mark Madsen, who was expected to be theCardinal's top player this season but has been sidelined with a strained righthamstring since a season-opening win against Duke.
Jacobsen had seven points as Stanford took a 31-19 lead after a sloppy firsthalf filled with turnovers and poor shooting. Nevada made 11 turnovers in thehalf and shot 29 percent, while Stanford was 3-of-15 on 3-pointers.