Third time’s a charm: Men’s Basketball defeats Utah in Pac-12 tournament

The Stanford men’s basketball team’s season (14-18, 7-13 Pac-12) isn’t over quite yet! After ending its regular season with a loss to the Oregon Ducks, the Cardinal flipped its momentum quickly, netting a 73-62 win in the Pac-12 tournament first round against the Utah Utes (17-15, 10-10 Pac-12).

Stanford jumped out to an early lead thanks to a balanced scoring effort from the starting lineup. Sophomore forward Harrison Ingram, junior forward Spencer Jones, sophomore center Maxime Raynaud and junior forward Brandon Angel all scored within the first six minutes of the game. By the 11:56 mark, the Cardinal had extended their lead out to double-digits. However, the Utes slowly crawled their way back into the game due in part to the shooting of Gabe Madsen. Madsen’s 3-point shot at the 7:06 mark brought Utah within one possession of the lead.

From here, Jones went on a scoring spree to give Stanford a nine-point lead. While the Cardinal had the opportunity to blow the game open, Utah center Branden Carlsen was able to keep the Utes within striking distance thanks to his timely scoring. At halftime, Stanford held a 34-27 lead.

The second half began with a back-and-forth offensive display from both teams, with the Utes unable to shift the lead in their favor. Ingram began asserting himself more offensively, driving the ball and scoring close to the basket. Angel also got in on the scoring action, displaying his versatile scoring arsenal in the paint and on the perimeter. Despite another great second half performance from Branden Carlsen and amplified output from Lazar Stefanovic, the duo of Angel and Ingram, along with timely 3-point shots, were too much for the Utes to overcome. 

After the 10-minute mark, Stanford maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game. Moreover, a sloppy, turnover-filled performance by Utah dashed any hopes at a late-minute comeback. In the end, the Cardinal held on to beat the Utes by a score of 73-62, keeping their season alive for at least another day. This is the second time that Stanford beat the Utes all season, as they escaped Salt Lake City with a win back in February. 

Up next, the Cardinal will face No. 2 Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinal today at 6 p.m PT. Stanford had one of the largest upsets of the college basketball season in February, defeating the Wildcats 81-69 in Maples Pavilion. For the Cardinal to keep their season and tournament hopes alive, it will have to dethrone Arizona again.

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