Stanford men’s basketball (14-9, 7-6 Pac-12) was hoping to gain redemption against No. 12 UCLA (17-4, 9-3 Pac-12) on Tuesday after a disappointing first game. Despite a closer score line this time, the Cardinal fell just short of earning another upset, falling 79-70 to the Bruins.
Junior forward Spencer Jones led the Cardinal with 22 points, followed by freshman forward Harrison Ingram’s 17 points. Ingram also led both teams in assists with eight, followed by UCLA redshirt junior guard Tyger Campbell, who had seven assists.
In the first half, Stanford scored 31 points, falling 10 points behind UCLA’s 41. Despite ultimately falling to the Bruins, the Cardinal picked it up in the second half, outscoring the Bruins by one point. Stanford finished with another less-than-stellar shooting night, making just 34.7% of field goals and 35% of shots from behind the three-point line. UCLA, by contrast, shot 54.8% on field goals and 37.5% on three-pointers.
Stanford’s 11 turnovers proved to give a substantial advantage to the Bruins, as the Bruins scored 15 points off the Cardinal’s turnovers. UCLA only turned the ball over six times, and the Cardinal only scored four points off the Bruins’ turnovers.
“You can see why UCLA was in the final four last year,” said Stanford head coach Jerod Haase. “Without looking at the tape, [Tuesday’s game was] one of the best mid-range shooting performances I’ve ever seen.”
Haase said he was happy, however, with the effort the team brought to the game, particularly on the defensive side of the ball in the second half.
“I’m very proud of the way our guys competed tonight,” Haase said. “Our guys’ intent to follow the game plan was really good in the second half.”
Haase also acknowledged the effort the team made given the many academic pressures and tight schedules they face during this time of the season.
“You know, at this point, our guys are exhausted. They’re in midterms. It’s game after game after game right now and yet, they come out and bring energy consistently. I said it once, and I’ll say it once again: I am a very proud coach right now,” Haase said.
Stanford will play its next game against Oregon (15-7, 8-3 Pac-12) on Thursday. The teams’ first meeting resulted in the Cardinal prevailing over the Ducks 72-69, and Stanford will look to make it a season sweep. Tip-off against the Ducks is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT.