CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Participating in its second ACC Tournament at the Spectrum Center, Stanford men’s basketball fell on a last-second tip-in with 0.7 seconds to go in the first round against Pittsburgh. Stanford moves to 20-12 on the season.
Ebuka Okorie led the scoring with 14 points, finishing 5-for-10 from the floor. With the 14 points, Okorie moved past Chasson Randle (2013-14) and Reid Travis (2017-18) for sixth on Stanford’s single-season scoring list.
Benny Geler scored 11 points with four rebounds, going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Gealer improved to fifth on Stanford’s single-season 3-pointers list with 84 on the season, tying Casey Jacobsen (2000-01). AJ Rohosy finished in double figures with 10 points to go with a team-leading seven rebounds, while Ryan Agarwal had nine, making three of his four 3-point attempts.
Stanford shot 48 percent from the floor and 40 percent from the free throw line in a low-possession game, but Pitt (13-19) won the battle of the boards and scored 25 points on second chances.
Stanford scored its first 15 points from behind the 3-point arc, and it led early by as many as seven points, 12-5. A 16-3 Panther run put the visiting team in front, and they ended the period on an 8-0 run to lead by eight at the half, 31-23.
The Cardinal stormed back to regain the lead with 13:29 to play, 42-41, but Pittsburgh again responded with a run to lead by seven with 6:55 to go. Undeterred, Stanford responded with a 10-2 run to lead by one with 1:40 to play, and after a Pitt 3-pointer, Okorie scored plus the foul to give Stanford a lead by one with 26 seconds to play. In the game’s final possession, the Cardinal forced a pair of Pittsburgh misses, but the Panthers tipped home the game-winning basket with 0.7 seconds to play.
Stanford awaits its postseason fate, with NCAA Tournament brackets announced on Sunday, March 15.