STANFORD, Calif. – ACC basketball tipped off on the Maples hardwood for the first time, and Stanford men’s basketball earned a 70-59 victory over visiting Virginia Tech. The Cardinal improves to 10-5 this season and 2-2 in the ACC.
Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers led the Cardinal with 19 points apiece, combining for 15 made field goals and seven 3-pointers. Raynaud, who entered the night as the league leader in points and rebounds, added 14 rebounds for his nation-leading 12th double-double of the campaign. Sellers scored at least 19 points for the third time in the last five games, and the fifth time this season.
Jaylen Blakes scored 17 points with six assists, including a career-best-tying 10 made free throws. Donavin Young added a career-best seven points. Stanford won the battle of the boards, 36-25, and had six offensive rebounds in the second half.
Stanford got off to a slow start against the Hokies (6-9, 1-3 ACC), trailing 16-4 after 10:30 of action. Raynaud and Blakes made shots to lead Stanford to within six after a 9-3 run, 19-13, while Sellers made back-to-back triples to cut the deficit to a single possession in the closing minutes of the period. Virginia Tech led at the half, 30-25.
The Cardinal offense returned to form in the second half, outscoring Virginia Tech over the final 20 minutes, 45-29. Raynaud scored 13 of his 19 in the second half, including a reverse layup with 15:15 to go to give the Cardinal its first lead of the half, 39-38. Stanford ended the game on a 14-3 run over the final 5:08, led by five points from Blakes and four from Ryan Agarwal, who also finished the night with eight rebounds and four assists.
Stanford returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. against Virginia. The contest will air on ESPNU.