HONOLULU – Earning a victory in the opening round of the Diamond Head Classic, Stanford men's basketball won a physical, defensive contest with Wyoming, 66-63, on Wednesday at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. Stanford improves to 7-4 this season with the victory.
Jaiden Delaire led the Cardinal in scoring for the third time in the last four games, scoring 17 points with seven rebounds, while Spencer Jones matched his season-high with 15 points and six rebounds. Stanford continued its stretch of outrebounding its opponent in every game, holding a 41-35 advantage on the glass.
The Cardinal took an early 12-point lead, 18-6, led by five points from Brandon Angel and four from Delaire. Wyoming closed the gap with a run of its own, but points from Harrison Ingram and Isa Silva gave Stanford a five-point lead at the half, 35-30.
A back-and-forth second half saw Jones score 13 of his 15 points, including a 6-for-7 tally from the field. Jones scored seven straight points during the middle of the frame, and gave Stanford a four-point lead, 58-54 with 4:48 to play. Leading by three in the closing seconds, Stanford held Wyoming to a miss at the buzzer to finish the victory.
Stanford will face Liberty in the semifinals of the tournament on Thursday, Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. PT. The action will air on ESPN2.