Dec. 30, 2008
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -- Mitch Johnson topped all scorers with 14 points and dished out eight assists to lead Stanford to a 69-55 victory against visiting Hartford on Tuesday night.
The win completed a perfect 10-0 run through nonconference play for the Cardinal and first-year coach Johnny Dawkins. It's the school's best start since winning 26 straight to open the 2003-04 season.
Michael Turner paced Hartford with 14 points and five rebounds, but the Hawks (4-9) were limited to 38.0 percent shooting from the field, made only five of 23 3-point attempts and committed 18 turnovers.
Anthony Goods provided 13 points and seven rebounds and Lawrence Hill added 11 points, eight boards and four assists, but the Cardinal was never able to fully recapture the momentum of its previous game, a 111-66 romp over Texas Tech.
Hartford stayed close early with a collapsing 3-2 matchup zone that gave the Cardinal some problems, and Stanford wasn't able to take advantage at the 3-point line. The Cardinal came into the game shooting 39.9 percent from beyond the arc but hit only 2 of 14 in the first half. Stanford recovered by going 4-for-9 after intermission.
Stanford took control with a 14-3 run over about seven minutes late in the first half. When Johnson drained two free throws at the end of that stretch, the Cardinal had turned a 21-20 deficit into a 34-24 lead.
A 10-2 run early in the second half that included seven points from Goods gave Stanford its largest lead of the game at 53-37 with 12:30 left.
Stanford allowed the Hawks to get back into the game with an 11-2 run capped by Genesis Maciel's 3-pointer with 5:33 to go.
But Hartford misfired on its next two possessions and Johnson helped put the game away by assisting on a layup for Hill and knocking down his own 3-pointer.
Stanford has won its seven games at Maples Pavilion this season by an average of 17.9 points, but the Cardinal faces its first true home test Friday when it begins Pac-10 conference play against No. 17 Arizona State (11-1). Reserve guard Drew Shiller may return for that game after missing the last five contests with a right thumb injury.
Jaret von Rosenberg tallied 13 points and added five rebounds for the Hawks, who were missing leading scorer Joe Zeglinski for the third consecutive game because of a sprained ankle. Hartford will open its America East schedule Saturday at home against Albany.