Jesi, Italy – A balanced scoring attack saw five Stanford players in double figures as the Cardinal posted its second victory on its Italy tour with a 91-81 win over Aurora Jesi Saturday night in Jesi, Italy.
Sophomore Reid Travis posted his second-straight double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Cardinal attack. Junior Marcus Allen recorded 16 points, while adding seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Senior Rosco Allen scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half as the Cardinal pulled away from Aurora Jesi in the final quarter. Senior Christian Sanders and junior Malcolm Allen added 10 points apiece to round out Stanford’s double-digit scorers in Saturday’s victory.
Sophomore guard Robert Cartwright finished with eight assists.
“I was proud of our performance,” said Stanford head men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins. “We had to gut this game out. I thought there were a number of times where they made good runs and our guys were able to sustain our effort and gain back the momentum.
“This whole experience is huge for us,” Dawkins added. “Not only are we playing in different venues, but with a different ball and by FIBA rules, so our guys are having to deal with a lot of distractions. That is good for this team. We are going to have to play teams with a lot of different styles when we get back to the states. This experience helps prepare us.”
Travis picked up right where he left off last game, scoring Stanford’s first six points of Saturday’s contest. He had 12 points by halftime, setting the tone for the Cardinal.
“Reid is starting to find his way,” Dawkins said. “He didn’t play much last year due to injuries and we are starting to see what he can do on the floor. I am glad to see him out there healthy. He has been a key contributor to the success we have had thus far.”
Stanford erased a 28-24 first-quarter deficit, out-scoring Aurora Jesi, 20-12, in the second period to take a 44-40 lead into the half. Marcus Allen scored six of his eight first-half points in the second quarter to guide the Cardinal in the period.
Aurora Jesi surged ahead to open the second half and the two teams traded leads in the third period, before the Cardinal went ahead for good late in the quarter. Five points from Dorian Pickens, four from Travis and a lay in at the end of the period from Rosco Allen helped push Stanford ahead 71-66 after three quarters.
The Cardinal extended its advantage to as many as 11 points in the fourth, en-route to the 91-81 victory.
Stanford resumes play Sunday night, playing Pesaro in Pesaro at 8:30 p.m. in Italy (11:30 a.m. PT).