STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Michael Humphrey is already excited about Stanford's next game and he made sure to do his part in contributing to gaining some momentum heading into it. Humphrey had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Isaac White added 17 points and Stanford beat Northeastern 73-59 on Friday.
Reid Travis scored 16 points for the Cardinal (3-1), who host defending national champion North Carolina on Monday night.
"Yeah, we're excited about that game," Humphrey said. "It's a big-time opponent and it's good to go in with a win."
Donnell Gresham, Jr. scored 15 points to lead Northeastern (2-1), which fell to 0-4 against the Pac-12 in its first-time meeting with Stanford. Bolden Brace added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Stanford scored 11 unanswered points to open a 54-35 lead at the midpoint of the second half. Northeastern missed seven straight shots over its scoreless 5:27 streak. The Huskies responded with an 11-0 run of their own to pull within 56-52 with seven minutes left. Gresham, Jr. hit a 3-pointer with 5:42 remaining and Northeastern was within 57-55.
Another one for Isaac! Cardinal now own a 15-point lead.
— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) November 18, 2017
?? @Pac12Network#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/y3TQPt6uWn
"We're not a championship-caliber team yet," Cardinal coach Jarod Haase said. "If you want a polished product, you're not going to get it. This is a step in the right direction. We faced some adversity and the guys responded well."
Stanford took over from there, opening a double-digit lead and holding on.
"We have so much to improve upon," Stanford guard Daejon Davis said. "We can't have the dips we had in the second half. We have to keep the energy up for all 40 minutes."
Brace hit a 3-pointer early in the game to put Northeastern ahead, 10-9. Stanford followed with a 24-9 run over the next 13 minutes to go ahead 33-19.
Another big triple from the freshman!
— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) November 18, 2017
His latest makes it a 60-55 ballgame with 5:15 to play.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/VxXG9dIcHL
"We played them pretty well but they hit the shots when they needed them, that was the difference," Brace said.
Gresham Jr. hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to bring the Huskies within 33-24 of Stanford at the intermission.
"Stanford stepped up and made big plays when they needed to," Huskies coach Bill Coen said. "Whether it was making a big rebound, exerting themselves going to the basket or making a big shot, they made the plays."