Entry No. 5: Quick Trip From Florence To Varese
Courtesy: Stanford Athletics
Release: 08/27/2007
Aug. 27, 2007
VARESE, Italy- Stanford improved to 3-1 on its seven-game, 11-day foreign tour with an 80-68 victory on Monday night in Varese.
Facing a combined squad made up of team members from Campus and Robeuz et Fidres, the Cardinal employed a five-player lineup for the entire contest that includedDrew Shiller, Kenny Brown, Da'Veed Dildy, Will Paul and Peter Prowitt.
With three games remaining on the trip, head coach Trent Johnson elected to give his second group additional minutes. The same 10-minute, four-quarter format was applied.
"Against Montegranaro on Saturday, our first group did a good job but I thought our second team could benefit from some more playing time," said Johnson. "I felt it was important to practice for 40 minutes beforehand as an entire team, then play the game with our second group. Some guys had to push through the fatigue but it was good to see what they could do over the course of a game."
While the game was being played, Stanford's six other available players participated in additional shooting drills on a nearby second court. Robin and Brook Lopez worked on post reps while Landry Fields, Anthony Goods,Lawrence Hill, Mitch Johnson rotated through a series of drills after making 100 baskets apiece.
Back on the court, Shiller led the Cardinal with a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Paul recorded a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds while Brown chipped in with 17 points.
Prowitt also registered a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards while Dildy finished with eight points.
Shiller, who poured in 10 points during the fourth period, finished 5-9 from beyond the arc. Brown was 3-8 from three-point territory and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line while Paul converted on 7-8 chances from the charity stripe.
Stanford led 22-16 after the first quarter, as Brown led the way with seven points and five boards. Paul was perfect on four free throw attempts.
The Cardinal took a 44-33 lead into the break after 20 minutes, with Shiller scoring a team-high seven points in the second quarter.
Both teams scored 20 points in the third quarter, translating into a 64-53 Stanford advantage. Paul scored seven of his 19 points in this period while Prowitt grabbed six rebounds.
Shiller's 10 fourth quarter points included a 3-4 mark from the free throw line. Paul hauled in seven rebounds in the final 10 minutes.
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Final totals: Shiller (28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 5-9 3FG, 5-9 FT) ... Paul (19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 0-2 3FG, 7-8 FT) ... Brown (17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-8 3FG, 6-6 FT) ... Prowitt (10 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2-8 FT) ... Dildy (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 0-3 3FG, 2-2 FT).
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Stanford arrived in Varese at 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday afternoon following a 5.5-hour bus ride from Florence that included a lunch stop along the way. The Cardinal will call Varese home over the next four nights, driving to contests in Biella and Valenza in addition to a sightseeing day in Milan. Sunday was spent in Florence, where the Cardinal visited the Galleria dell' Accademia, Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. Lawrence Hill offers his account of Sunday's stay in Florence:
"Our team left to tour the city knowing we would see the statue of David and other beautiful landmarks. We walked around a market area with lots of cool things and passed a couple buildings on our way down an average-looking alley.
We waited for the tour guide to give us tickets from inside a building down the alley and we entered a museum with little expectations. After passing through security, we looked to our left and there was the statue of David. We were amazed by its detail and size, as it was over 20 feet tall. The hundreds of paintings and sculptures in the museum were also brilliant and we left that place as better people for attending.
We then were free to explore the sights and people of the city. There was a church there, many statues and works of art from across the city, and the people there were cultured Italians and tourists who greeted us as friends. Florence was fun and our short time there was full of memories."
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Stanford's remaining tour schedule looks like this:
Tuesday, Aug. 28 vs. Biella (at Vigliano Biellese)- 8:30 p.m. local time
Wednesday, Aug. 29 vs. Varese (at Varese)- 8:30 p.m. local time
Thursday, Aug. 30 vs. Fastweb Casale (at Valenza)- 9 p.m. local time