Feb 1, 2002
Box Score|Quotes|Photo Gallery
Stanford, Calif. (AP) - Casey Jacobsen kept it simple. Then he made history.
Jacobsen scored 49 points as No. 15 Stanford defeated Arizona State 90-81 onThursday night, the second most points ever scored by a Cardinal, and the mostever scored against the Sun Devils.
Julius Barnes added 18 points for Stanford (13-5, 6-3), one of two Pac-10teams unbeaten at home this season, while Curtis Borchardt had 10 points and 11rebounds.
Jacobsen scored 31 points in the second half, and was 14-of-22 overall fromthe field. Only Hank Luisetti - with 50 points against Duquesne on Jan. 1, 1938- has scored more in a Stanford uniform.
"We only ran maybe four different plays in the final 15 minutes," Jacobsensaid. "Usually we run 15 plays. We ran 10 in a row to me coming off thedribble and a screen. I wanted the ball. I've been waiting for a game like thisand I figured I was due."
Jacobsen's effort - sixth best in conference history - was the most ever bya player at Maples Pavilion, and the first time a Cardinal reached 40 points ina game since Kimberly Belton did it during the 1979-80 season. The formerMaples mark was held by Arizona's Damon Stoudamire with 45.
"It was a case of a great player making great plays," Arizona State coachRob Evans said. "Casey hit every shot they needed. That's why he's anAll-American."
Jacobsen, along with Duke's Jason Williams the only returning All-Americansfrom last season, entered the game with a 21.3 scoring average against the SunDevils, his best against any opponent.
Chad Prewitt scored 18 points to lead Arizona State (11-8, 4-6), which lostits third in four games. The Sun Devils lost their eighth straight to Stanfordand for the 12th time in 13 games. Curtis Millage added 14 points.
The Sun Devils led by nine points early in the second half after Tommy Smith- who finished with 12 points - hit a jumper, but Stanford began to rallybehind the torrid shooting of Jacobsen. The Cardinal shot 67 percent in thesecond half.
"I've never seen a performance like that," Stanford coach Mike Montgomerysaid. "We set up every play for him. We needed every point, too. In manyrespects they deserved to win this game, but Casey was phenomenal. Without him,I don't think we win this game."
Borchardt completed a three-point play with 9:36 remaining to tie the gameat 62 and Jacobsen hit an NBA 3-pointer less than 30 seconds later to put theCardinal in front for good.
"This doesn't happen too often," said Jacobsen, who had three 50-pointgames in high school. "When it does happen you have to ride it as long as youcan. When I realized that this could be a good night, I was looking to shoot itevery time the ball came my way."
Arizona State, playing its fourth straight ranked opponent, flirted with itssecond consecutive upset. The Sun Devils have been idle since beating then-No.10 Arizona on Jan. 23.
Prewitt hit consecutive 3-pointers to spark a 15-2 run that gave the SunDevils a 31-27 lead with 5:29 left in the first half. Arizona State, which lostfor just the second time in 13 games when leading at halftime, eventuallyextended its lead to 44-39 at the break.
"We played well enough to win," Evans said. "In fact, we should have wonbut we couldn't get to the line."
Stanford, which used one starting lineup for all 34 games last season, usedits fourth combination this season on Thursday when Teyo Johnson made his firststart of the year. Johnson, a receiver on the football team, became the firstCardinal to start a game in football and basketball the same school year sinceJohn Paye in 1986.
Johnson replaced Justin Davis, who started the first 17 games. Davis, 1-of-6from the foul line against the Sun Devils, is a 43 percent free throw shooter.He is shooting 63 percent from the field.
By RICK EYMER
Associated Press Writer