Jan. 6, 2000
By ROB GLOSTER
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Every time Arizona State got close, Stanford's CaseyJacobsen hit a rally-killing 3-pointer. By the time Jacobsen was done, he had24 points and the No. 1 Cardinal were still undefeated.
Jacobsen hit three of his four 3-pointers in the second half, including afour-point play midway through the period, as Stanford defeated the Sun Devils86-67 Thursday night in the Pac-10 conference opener for both schools.
Mark Madsen added 14 points and 13 rebounds and Jarron Collins had 14 pointsfor Stanford (12-0), playing its first conference game as the nation's topteam. The Cardinal had played a series of overmatched opponents since moving upto No. 1 in mid-December.
Stanford faces No. 5 Arizona on Saturday in an early season battle of theteams expected to vie for the Pac-10 title. Arizona (12-2) won 65-61 atCalifornia on Thursday night.
Eddie House had 24 points and Chad Prewitt added a career-high 18 forArizona State (8-4), which managed just 34.9 percent shooting against thenation's top defensive team. Stanford has held opponents to an average of 31percent shooting this season.
Leading by seven at halftime, Stanford extended its lead to 46-35 as Madsenand Ryan Mendez scored all of the Cardinal's points in the opening 6:19 of thesecond half. Each had four points during that span.
House then went on a spree, scoring seven quick points to pull ASU within50-44, but Jacobsen hit a 3-pointer and followed 33 seconds later with another3-pointer on which he was fouled and made the free throw.
Trailing by 15 points, the Sun Devils had scored eight straight points topull within 59-52 when Jacobsen struck again, hitting a 3 from in front of theStanford bench. David Moseley added another 3-pointer, and ASU didn't threatenagain.
ASU's pressure defense rattled Stanford at times in the opening half, andCardinal coach Mike Montgomery got called for a technical foul just 3:09 intothe game. The Sun Devils led for most of the half, but a 15-6 run by Stanfordto close the half gave it a 38-31 halftime lead.
Mendez and Jacobsen each hit 3-pointers in the first half and scored ninepoints to lead Stanford. House had 14 points for ASU, but missed all three ofhis 3-pointers in the half. The Sun Devils went 0-for-7 on 3-pointers in thefirst half.