Jan. 17, 2001
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. - Even with the No. 1 ranking and an undefeated seasonto worry about, Stanford still got a special thrill from pounding itsarchrival.
Casey Jacobsen hit three 3-pointers and scored 19 points, and Jarron Collinshad 18 points and six rebounds as Stanford beat California 84-58 Wednesdaynight.
While the Cardinal (16-0, 5-0 Pac-10) weren't really threatened in beatingthe Golden Bears for a school-record eighth straight time, the rivalry had someadded spark this year thanks to Cal's improvement and a few testyconfrontations at Maples Pavilion.
"Cal's got a pretty good team, but they talk a lot of trash and take a lotof cheap shots every time we play them," point guard Mike McDonald said."That's the only way they have any hope of beating us."
Cal (11-5, 3-2), which lost for just the second time in 12 games, stayedwith the Cardinal until the second half, when Jacobsen's outside bombs and theinside play of twins Jarron and Jason Collins became too much. Still, therivalry isn't nearly as one-sided as it was in recent years.
"We're very hard to play at home when we're that confident," Stanfordcoach Mike Montgomery said. "It was a good win, one I was nervous aboutbeforehand. Cal is a good team that's going to get better."
Jason Collins had 15 points for the Cardinal, who put the game away with a16-2 run that gave them a 26-point lead midway through the second half.
"In the first half, we were playing lax - maybe scared, I don't know," Calforward Sean Lampley said.
Solomon Hughes led a late 14-6 Cal run that forced Montgomery to re-inserthis starters in the final minutes. Brian Wethers had 18 points and Lampleyadded 14 for the Bears, who looked nothing like the team that lost 101-50 tothe Cardinal last season at Maples - Stanford's biggest win in the rivalry'shistory.
"Every time you play a top team like Stanford, you learn something," Calcoach Ben Braun said. "Good teams always tell you where you are. Stanfordmakes you work harder. I was disappointed that we didn't work as hard as wehave in previous games."
The Cardinal, who shot 53 percent, won with its now-familiar formula ofproficient outside shooting from Jacobsen and Ryan Mendez paired with insideplay from the Collins twins. Stanford's offensive attack retained remarkablebalance, with eight players making significant offensive contributions.
"It doesn't matter what the other team does as long as we play our game,"Jarron Collins said. "This team is as confident as we've ever been since Icame here."
Stanford moved within two victories of matching the best start in schoolhistory and won its third straight since taking over the nation's top ranking.The Cardinal and No. 9 Georgetown (16-0) are the only remaining undefeatedDivision I teams.
Stanford's normally staid home court had plenty of energy for the 233rdmeeting between the Bay area rivals. Cal's band was crammed into the back rowsof one corner of the small gym, and Stanford students paraded the Axe - won bythe Cardinal in the schools' annual football matchup - during the first half.
The teams were caught up in the intensity as well. The officials calledneedless technical fouls on Jarron Collins and Cal's Dennis Gates after the twocollided and exchanged harsh words in the first half, and Mendez exchangedshoves with Joe Shipp moments later.
"They got into Jarron's face, kicked him around a little, but teams aregoing to try things like that to knock us out of our game," Mendez said."We're used to that."
The always-entertaining Stanford student body was in top form, ragging Calwith chants of "NIT!" and "Cal needs Marsha!" moments after a woman namedMarsha made three straight 3-pointers to win $1,000 in a school promotion.
Both teams play host to non-conference opponents on Saturday. New Mexicovisits Stanford, while South Florida goes to Berkeley.