Nov. 10, 2012
OAKLAND, Calif.- Dwight Powell added 15 pounds to his frame and used it to throw his weight around.
Powell scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the second half as Stanford beat San Francisco 74-62 Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Powell, who added seven rebounds and a blocked shot, left the game with an apparent left knee injury with 1:35 remaining but said it was just some cramping.
"We worked out a lot during the off season," Powell said. "Right now everything feels good."
Josh Huestis, who gained 10 pounds through weight training, added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Cardinal, which improved to 23-2 in their past 25 openers.
"Right now my confidence is high," Huestis said. "I know what I'm doing in various roles and we have the camaraderie."
Freshman Avry Holmes came off the bench to score 17 points, Cole Dickerson added 11 points and a career-high 18 rebounds and De'End Parker had 13 points for the Dons.
"Offensively we were inept," San Francisco coach Rex Walters said. "Guys were trying to do too much and we got away from what we wanted to do."
The game marked the return of Mark Madsen, who played nine years in the NBA after graduating from Stanford. The two-time All-American joined the staff of coach Johnny Dawkins.
The Dons produced their first 20-win campaign in 31 years last season. Cody Doolin is their lone returning starter, with Dickerson another top returner.
"We have some work to do," Walters said. "We'll get better."
Stanford, meanwhile, returned four starters from its NIT title team. The Cardinal was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12.
In a game at Oracle Arena, the Cardinal opened the second half on a 14-3 run, with Powell scoring half of the points, to open a double-digit lead.
"He was terrific," Dawkins said of Powell. "He did a great job. It's good to get going."
Stanford held a 14-point advantage midway through the first half before the Dons went on a 24-9 run, led by Holmes, who hit four of his first five shots, to take a 31-30 lead.
The Cardinal hit a shot at the buzzer to take a 32-31 edge into intermission.
- by Rick Eymer, Associated Press
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NOTES: Dwight Powell's career-high 27 points was the most by a Stanford player in a season opener since Anthony Goods poured in 30 against Siena back on Nov. 11, 2006 ... In its 98-year history, the Cardinal sports an 80-18 record in season openers ... Stanford was 7-15 from three-point territory, with Powell and Josh Huestis shooting a combined 5-6 from distance. Last year from beyond the arc, Powell was 1-17 and Huestis 12-43 ... Stanford finished with 15 assists and six turnovers, while San Francisco totaled six assists and 15 turnovers ... The Dons held a surprising 45-29 edge in the rebounding department. That's the biggest rebounding margin for an opponent since Jan. 8, 2009, when Washington owned a 44-28 advantage on the glass ... Andy Brown added a career-high eight points in 10 minutes off the bench, producing several hustle plays ... Entering tonight, Gabriel Harris was averaging 8.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while making 8-17 from the field. On Friday, Harris totaled four points and three rebounds and was 2-5 in 16 minutes.