Tyrell Terry knows how to turn heads. Twenty-two points from the freshman guard — a career and team high — set Stanford men’s basketball (14-2, 3-0 Pac-12) up for success in Saturday’s matchup against Washington State (10-7, 1-3 Pac-12). The decisive 88-62 Cardinal victory preserves the only undefeated record in Pac-12 conference play. 

In a welcomed change from recent contests, Stanford found its offense early in the first half. Just over a minute into play, a layup from Oscar da Silva earned the Cardinal the first points of the game. The junior forward scored the next five for the home team, before Terry joined in with a 3-pointer of his own.

“I just got good looks,” said da Silva. “I made my shots. I was trying to come out and be aggressive… [and] I’m happy that it worked today.”

Though da Silva led the team with 15 points when the buzzer signaled the break, foul trouble in the second half kept the junior scoreless and mostly confined to the bench. With da Silva’s playing time limited, the final 20 minutes belonged to Terry.

Thirteen of the freshman’s 22 points came in the second half, including nine from behind the arc. Terry finished the night shooting over 66% from the field, where he made 8-of-12, and over 50% from deep, where he was 4-for-7. 

“[Terry] was judicious on when he was aggressive with the basketball and when he pulled it out,” said head coach Jerod Haase. “Obviously he shot the ball well.”

“He has a presence about him, when he’s leading the team,” Haase added. “And the team … has that same presence.” 

While Terry’s 14th double-digit scoring performance certainly showcased his skills and consistency, the Cardinal demonstrated their depth overall as four players ended the night with 10 or more points to their name. Aside from the dangerous da Silva-Terry duo, sophomore guard Bryce Wills tallied 10 and junior guard Isaac White added another 11. 

Wills, who has started all 16 games for the Cardinal this season, entered the contest averaging just six points per game. Against the Cougars, Wills found the majority of his success inside the paint. 

“[Wills] is big enough and strong enough to go to be able to score inside as well,” Haase. “It certainly can be another tool in the toolbox as we’re looking at offensive game plans.”

The Cardinal are now gearing up for their first real road trip of 2020. A Wednesday matchup against UCLA is set to tip off at 7 p.m. PT, with a battle against the USC Trojans to follow on Saturday.

Contact Savanna Stewart at savnstew ‘at’ stanford.edu.