Feb. 5, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. -
Final score: Stanford 65, Washington State 54
The Cardinal runs out the clock on an important 65-54 victory.
Lawrence Hill finished as the game-high scorer for the Cardinal (14-6, 4-6) with 20 points and teammate Will Paul finished with a career-high 13.
Stanford's most impressive statistics were its 69 percent shooting from three-point range (9 of 13) and 55 percent shooting from the field.
Washington State (12-10, 4-6) was led by Klay Thompson's 18 points and Aron Baynes' 16.
Second half (0:53.9 left): Stanford 65, Washington State 52
Klay Thompson hits a jumper from the foul line and Washington State immediately calls a timeout after closing within 65-52. Teammate Taylor Rochestie, the team's top scorer entering the game (12.6 ppg) has just fouled out.
Second half (1:47 left): Stanford 63, Washington State 50
Following a long-range Cougar miss, Stanford is using the clock, getting a long-distance two from 6-foot-10 sophomore center Will Paul, who has a career-high 13 points.
Second half (2:51 left): Stanford 59, Washington State 48
Mitch Johnson is whistled for consecutive fouls on steal attempts, the second drawing a loud chorus of boos from the fans. Aron Baynes converts one of the two free throws and, after a Johnson turnover, Johnson is whistled yet again, for his third foul in fewer than two minutes.
Johnson responds with a jumper from the left wing, giving Stanford a 55-44 lead and the Cardinal forces a Cougar turnover at the other end.
Lawrence Hill penetrates and kicks out to Anthony Goods for another three, Stanford's ninth in 12 attempts.
The Stanford defense is holding its own as Washington State has manged only one field goal in the last 6:31.
Second half (8:17 left): Stanford 53, Washington State 43
Lawrence Hill put back a shot after his own offensive rebound, the first for a Stanford player in the game. Hill follows with a three on Stanford's next possession and the Cardinal is up 53-43 with Hill scoring 20.
Second half (11:15 left): Stanford 48, Washington State 41
Will Paul nails his third 3-pointer of the night, from the top of the arc, to put Stanford ahead 41-34. A Cougar basket follows, but Mitch Johnson rips the ball away at one end and drives at the other, getting fouled and making both foul shots.
Klay Thompson makes no-look backdoor pass that Nikola Koprivica coverts for a reverse layup, but Drew Shiller answers with a three, his first and Stanford's seventh of the game. The Cardinal is 7-for-9 (78 percent) from three-point range.
Anthony Goods attracts a goaltending call and Stanford now opens up a 48-38 lead with 12 minutes left. But Washington State's Taylor Rochestie hits from the right wing to cut the deficit to 48-41.
Second half (14:52): Stanford 38, Washington State 34
Will Paul layed in a nice pass from Lawrence Hill to give Stanford its biggest lead, 38-32. Landry Fields skies for a defensive rebound.
But as Stanford misses on its next possession, Washington State snaps up the rebound and gets a jumper from Klay Thompson.
Stanford still has only one offensive rebound in the game, and that was a team rebound. No Stanford player has an individual offensive rebound after 25 minutes.
Second half (17:02 left): Stanford 36, Washington State 32
Josh Owens is becoming a big factor in this game. He finished off the first half with some strong play, just made a steal and now is at the free-throw line. He made the second to put Stanford ahead 30-28.
Anthony Goods just drove inside, using his body well to shield the ball from defenders for a layup. Though Washington State brought one back, Lawrence Hill scored inside and Stanford is now creating openings on the floor.
Aron Baynes, Washington State's 6-foot-10, 250-pound center, slammed the ball in traffic, but again Hill comes through with a basket. He has 15 points.
Halftime: Stanford 29, Washington State 28
DeAngelo Casto mishandles what an alley-oop slam attempt and on the next possession gets his shot blocked by Stanford's Will Paul. Stanford survives another turnover, but gets the ball back and into the hands of Josh Owens for a baby hook.
Paul gets a screen and roll 3-pointer on a give-back from Anthony Goods to give Stanford its first lead since the opening basket, at 27-26.
Paul rejects another shot by Casto, only to be whistled for a foul on the loose ball. But Stanford got a stop and then a dunk by Owens for a 29-26 lead.
Washington State gets a tip-in from Aaron Baynes and then forces a seventh Stanford turnover on a last-shot attempt.
The Cardinal is shooting 50 percent from the field (11 of 22) with Lawrence Hill leading the team with 11 points.
Washington State is shooting 46 percent (12 of 26) with Klay Thompson leading the way with 10 points.
First half (3:58 left): Washington State 26, Stanford 22
Lawrence Hill makes a nice post move against DeAngelo Casto to get a bucket inside, and the Cardinal begins to limit Washington State to some ill-taken outside shots.
At the other end, Anthony Goods draws Stanford within 21-20 with a three and then drives the lane to bring the Cardinal within 24-22.
But Washington State answers each Goods basket with one of its own to keep Stanford at bay.
First half (7:58): Washington State 20, Stanford 15
After 11 minutes, Stanford has only one offensive rebound. The game thus far is Stanford's outside shooting keeping up with Washington State's inside-outside game.
Stanford again loses the ball on a one-and-done possession.
First half (10:44 left): Washington State 17, Stanford 13
Lawrence Hill snapped the Cougar scoring streak at nine with a 3-pointer and followed with another basket to cut the deficit to 9-7 and has scored all of Stanford's points.
However, Washington State extends its lead with help from another Stanford turnover, and a defensive stop. When Klay Thompson hit a floater in the lane, Washington State was up 15-7.
Drew Shiller enters for Mitch Johnson at the point for the Cardinal. Will Paul hits a three at one end, but can't prevent an inside basket at the other and the Cougars lead 17-10.
Landry Fields nails a three for Stanford's third 3-pointer, amounting to nine of the Cardinal's 13 points so far.
First half (16:25 left): Washington State 9, Stanford 2
After a strong initial possession that ended with a pair of Lawrence Hill free throws after a nifty pass inside by Mitch Johnson, Stanford fueled the Cougar cause by turning the ball over three times, contributing to nine unanswered WSU points.
Pregame
These are two teams in need of victories as they try to keep their postseason hopes alive. Stanford enters the contest at Maples Pavilion with a 13-6 overall record and is 3-6 in the Pac-10 Conference. Meanwhile, Washington State is 12-9 and 4-5.
Stanford comes in a season-worst three-game losing streak and is coming directly off its worst loss, 97-63, at UCLA on Saturday.
Washington State's last game was a 66-56 victory at Arizona.
The last time these two played, Washington State finished off a heartbreaking Northwest trip for Stanford, which lost to the Cougars, 55-54, in Pullman for its second consecutive one-point loss.