Two years after Stanford men’s basketball erased a double-digit deficit to defeat Santa Clara, the Broncos (0-0, 0-0 WCC) returned the favor Saturday night. 

What began as a promising debut for Stanford’s new-look roster (0-0, 0-0 ACC) ended in an 83-78 exhibition loss, as Santa Clara mounted a late comeback to spoil freshman guard Julius Price’s 26-point performance. 

Despite overcoming an 11-point first-half gap and building a seven-point lead with less than seven minutes remaining, Stanford couldn’t hold on. The Broncos outscored the Cardinal 21-9 down the stretch, exposing the growing pains of a team still searching for its identity ahead of the regular season.

The matchup offered Stanford an early test against a Santa Clara program coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years. 

For much of the first half, Santa Clara appeared to have the upper hand.

The Broncos built an 11-point advantage with 4:48 remaining before halftime, putting Stanford on its heels. Price and junior guard Christian Bliss fueled much of the Cardinal’s offense, scoring 10 points apiece in the opening period and helping trim the deficit to 37-32 at the break. 

Stanford emerged from halftime with a new offensive rhythm, capitalizing on frequent trips to the free throw line to mount their comeback. 

The Cardinal made 23 of its 25 free throw attempts in the second half, while Price scored 16 of his 26 points after the break. His performance helped Stanford erase its halftime point gap and build a 69-62 lead with 6:52 remaining. 

But what appeared to be a complete comeback quickly unraveled. 

Santa Clara closed Stanford’s seven-point advantage in the final minutes, turning the Cardinal’s hard-fought comeback into a five-point deficit. A 3-pointer on the Broncos’ final possession helped seal the victory.

The late reversal overshadowed an otherwise impressive appearance for Price, who finished 5-for-11 from the field and 15-for-19 at the free throw line. He also recorded three assists and two steals, offering an early indication of the offensive role he could play this season.

Junior guard Anthony Batson Jr. added 16 points off the bench, while Bliss finished with 15. Junior center Austin Maurer, another newcomer, grabbed the team-high nine rebounds. 

Despite the team’s individual performances, Stanford struggled to translate its opportunities into a win. 

The Cardinal shot 46.2% from the field—compared to Santa Clara’s 42.3%— and converted 37 of its 46 free throw attempts. The 46 attempts would have been the program’s most in a regular-season game since attempting 47 against Washington on Feb. 22, 2018, according to Stanford Athletics. 

But Stanford’s offensive efficiency was offset by their struggles to protect the ball. 

The Cardinal committed 20 turnovers, five more than Santa Clara, while the Broncos held a 38-33 rebounding advantage.

Still, exhibition games offer opportunities for experimentation, and Saturday’s result carries no weight in the regular-season standings. Price’s scoring, Batson’s production off the bench and the team’s ability to reach the free throw line offered reasons for optimism, even as Stanford’s turnover troubles revealed areas in need of improvement. 

Stanford will get another opportunity to evaluate its progress when it travels to face Oregon for its second exhibition on Oct. 25. The Cardinal officially opens its regular season Nov. 2 at home against Eastern Washington.

For now, Saturday’s loss offered an early glimpse of both Stanford’s potential and the challenges of turning that promise into victories.