Stanford men’s basketball returned to winning ways Tuesday night, defeating Utah Valley State 77-63 at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal displayed improved shooting and defensive intensity after a two-game losing streak, led by senior forward Maxime Raynaud’s dominant double-double — his 8th of the season.  

The game also showcased fresh contributions from newcomers, with freshmen forwards Evan Stinson and Tallis Toure logging significant minutes early. Stinson, who has just recently recovered from an injury that initially had him slated for a redshirt season, checked into the game six minutes after tipoff, following a string of turnovers by Stanford.

“I think [Stinson] is going to be a good player moving forward,” said head coach Kyle Smith. “I put him in a tough spot as he hasn’t practiced that much, but he played well.”

Within the first minute of his debut, Stinson scored his first career points, sinking a corner three-pointer. He followed up with a steal and a defensive rebound, energizing the Cardinal. Stanford capitalized, with redshirt sophomore Ryan Agarwal’s three-pointer giving the team its first lead after nearly 10 minutes.  

Stanford built momentum with key plays from its veterans. Junior forward Chisom Okpara delivered a block-and-score sequence, graduate guard Jaylen Blakes drove baseline for a reverse layup, and junior guard Oziyah Sellers converted a fast-break dunk off a steal. Utah Valley State struggled to respond, committing multiple shot-clock violations.  

The first half closed with a highlight-reel alley-oop. Blakes lofted the ball to Raynaud, who slammed it home, sending the Maples crowd into a frenzy. At halftime, Stanford led 38-26, buoyed by a solid bench effort that outscored Utah Valley State’s reserves 8-0.  

“The motivation was pretty obvious,” said Blakes. “Coming off two losses didn’t sit well with us. There’s motivation every game as we always have something to prove, but especially coming off two games that we felt that we should have won.”

The Cardinal extended its lead in the second half, with Raynaud dominating the boards and notching 17 rebounds to complement his 10 points. Though Stanford briefly allowed the Wolverines to close within 10 points, Okpara and Sellers steadied the team with defensive stops and transition scoring.  

The night’s final exclamation point came when Raynaud, facing full-court pressure, lobbed a perfect pass to Stinson, who completed an alley-oop dunk. Raynaud celebrated his third assist, the most he has managed in a game since the season opener against Denver.

“I thought Maxime played his best defensive game,” Smith said. “He guarded well and kept his man off the glass, so I was really proud of Maxime for playing that way.”  

Stanford’s rotation also saw contributions from Toure and sophomore guard Derin Saran, who each logged minutes late in the game. The victory snapped a two-game skid and provided a confidence boost heading into Saturday’s rivalry matchup against Cal.  

Blakes downplayed the significance of the Cal game as he stressed the need to continue picking up wins.  

 “Every ACC game is going to be a challenge,” Blakes said. “It’s a rivalry game, but we are just trying to get a win.  

Stanford will travel to Haas Pavilion to face the Golden Bears on Saturday, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.