March 10, 2001
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. - Mike Montgomery was the last to climb the ladder.After cutting the final strand, he grabbed the net with one hand and held upthree fingers with the other.
The crowd roared - both for Stanford's players and for the coach who hasfostered sustained excellence at a school that hadn't seen it in decades.
Top-ranked Stanford clinched its third straight Pac-10 Conference title witha 99-75 victory over Arizona State on Saturday. Though the Cardinal's threeseniors were the centers of attention in the regular-season finale, no oneenjoyed it more than Montgomery.
"It just feels so good to watch the kids and the students and all the fansjust enjoy the whole thing so much," Montgomery said. "We're going to take abig deep breath now and enjoy this day, but we'll get right back to practicetomorrow."
Casey Jacobsen scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, and Ryan Mendezhad 19 as the Cardinal (28-2, 16-2) assured themselves of the nation's bestregular-season record. They also avoided sharing their conference crown withArizona or UCLA, the only visiting teams to win at Maples Pavilion this season.
| Forward Ryan Mendez is about to be hugged by coach Mike Montgomery as Mendez was introduced before Stanford's game against Arizona State for his last home game as a Cardinal. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) |
Stanford, which also earned the Pac-10's automatic berth in the NCAAtournament, hadn't won three straight conference crowns since winning thePacific Coast Conference from 1936-38.
After an easy, festive win, the Cardinal were in a reflective mood.
"This is such a great program," said Mendez, who set conference and schoolmarks for consecutive free throws made.
"The old guys leave, the new guys come in year after year, and we get goodresults. We seem to go to the tournament year after year. We're just looking atthis as a beginning."
The Cardinal, who lost 76-75 to No. 8 Arizona on Thursday night on alast-second basket, left no doubt against the Sun Devils (13-16, 5-13).Stanford led by 22 points in the first half and by 26 in the second whilecruising to its eighth victory in nine games, likely assuring the Cardinal ofthe top seed in the West Regional.
"The guys on this team have the experience to go further in thetournament," Jarron Collins said. "As freshmen and sophomores, we've beenthrough frustration. We know what it feels like, and we know what it takes toovercome that."
All five Stanford starters scored in double figures. Jacobsen hit four3-pointers, while Jarron Collins had 15 points, Mike McDonald 12 points andJason Collins 10.
"That's the outcome I was looking for," Montgomery said. "Our kids havebeen focused and have worked hard all the way through this thing."
With Stanford undergrad Chelsea Clinton cheering from a seat two rows behindthe west basket, Arizona State lost its seventh straight to Stanford and endedthe season with five losses in seven games.
Stanford seniors Mendez, Jarron Collins and McDonald were honored before thegame. All three starters played key roles as the Cardinal quickly grabbed aninsurmountable lead and spent the second half in a free-throw shooting contest.
Alton Mason, the Sun Devils' only senior, had 23 points. Awvee Storey had 16points and 16 rebounds before becoming one of three Arizona State players tofoul out in yet another heavily officiated Pac-10 game. Forty-seven free throwswere shot in the second half - including 34 in a 7 1/2-minute stretch.
"I think Stanford is going to definintely get a No. 1 (seed)," ArizonaState coach Rob Evans said. "But they're going to find out the game is calleddifferently all around the country. Stanford always seems to go to the line alot. They may not find themselves going to the line quite as much in thetournament."
Stanford ended the game in style, with Mendez throwing an alley-oop pass tothe 6-foot-1 McDonald, who made a layup with 2:08 left. Moments later,Montgomery threw his hands in the air to incite the student body to an ovationwhen all three seniors left the game together.
"You can't ask for anything more out of a final game than that," McDonaldsaid. "Now we're ready to go on, hopefully for the next three weeks, and dosomething special."
Mendez, who had hit 41 straight free throws before the game, made six in thefirst half to break the school record and two Pac-10 marks for consecutive freethrows.
The Stanford record, which he shared with Todd Lichti, was four less thanthe conference record, set earlier this year by Southern Cal's DavidBluthenthal.
Mendez broke the Pac-10 record on two free throws after a technical foul onEvans, whose team fell behind 50-28 late in the first half. The Sun Devilsdidn't use a player taller than 6-foot-9 against the Collins twins, who blockedthree shots apiece and grabbed 18 rebounds.