Nov 17, 2001
By PETE HERRERA
AP Sports Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - With No. 13 Stanford schooling his team at bothends of the floor, New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla pleaded with the officialsfor a favorable call.
"They're not No. 1 this year," Fraschilla yelled at one of the officialswith the Lobos down 20 points in the second half.
Not yet, but the new-look Stanford squad is off to a good start toward thespot it held much of last season.
Casey Jacobsen scored 17 points and Stanford unveiled its revamped lineupwith a season-opening 81-66 victory over New Mexico on Saturday night.
Jacobsen, the only returning starter from the team that was 31-3 last seasonand reached the round of eight in the NCAA where they lost to Maryland, gotplenty of help from his new cast of teammates.
Junior 7-foot center Curtis Borchardt had 11 rebounds and 17 points,including a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. Guard Tony Giovacchini scored13 points, freshman Josh Childress 12 and sophomore Justin Davis 10.
"This is a big stepping stone to where we want to be," Jacobsen said. "Wedidn't know how good we are and we still don't. But at least we know we canbeat a quality team like New Mexico."
New Mexico tried to double-team Jacobsen, gambling that the new starterswouldn't step up. It didn't work.
"With the performance that my supporting cast gave me tonight, I'll seeless double-teams because they're going to pay for it," Jacobsen said. "Theyknocked down shots consistently tonight."
Stanford coach Mike Montgomery was pleased with the debut.
"I thought it was great, but we've got to be a whole lot better team interms of our execution," he said.
New Mexico opened the season against a Top 25 team for the first time since1961, and the overmatched Lobos couldn't handle Stanford's efficient offenseand ball-swatting defense.
Eric Chatfield, who led New Mexico with 17 points, scored eight straightmidway through the second half and got the Lobos to 62-51. But the Cardinalpromptly ended that run as Borchardt and Jacobsen scored the next five points.
Stanford scored the first eight points, but New Mexico then went on a 15-2run to take a 20-12 lead with 9:48 left in the first half. Unrattled, Stanfordregrouped and regained control with a 21-3 run during which Jacobsen scored sixpoints and Borchardt five.
That silenced the partisan sellout crowd of 18,000.
"The obvious concern was that we would lose our poise, that we would getrattled," Montgomery said. "We didn't do that. We stayed together and we usedgood judgment most of the time."
The Lobos, frustrated by the taller Stanford team, forced shots, threw awaypasses and scored just six points - all by freshman Jamaal Williams - over thelast 9:48 of the first half. New Mexico hit just 11 of 39 shots in the firsthalf.
Stanford's front line of Borchardt, Childress and Davis got New Mexico infoul trouble early. Lobos forward Patrick Dennehy played just six minutes inthe first half after picking up two quick fouls and guard Ruben Douglas, theteam's leading scorer last season, had three fouls in the first half and pickedup his fourth 3{ minutes into the second half.
"They proved they are a Top 10 or Top 15 team, and I thought we proved thatwe're a ways away," Fraschilla said.
Fraschilla said he told his players before the game Stanford was againloaded with talent.
"They had some guys that were very good players that were overshadowed byfour very good starters last year," Fraschilla said.
New Mexico's only other player in double figures was Marlon Parmer with 10points. The Lobos' three starting guards - Douglas, Parmer and Chatfield were acombined 14 of 38 shooting.
Stanford's biggest lead was 60-40 with 12:11 left.