Box Score Nov. 18, 2011
Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - Stanford used a decisive 18-2 run after UC Davis opened the second half with nine straight points to close to within eight, as the Cardinal went on to beat the Aggies 70-49 in a nonconference men's basketball game played before 4,427 fans at The Pavilion on Friday night.
Sophomore Josh Ritchart made a trio of three-pointers and scored a game-high 19 points for UC Davis which fell to 1-4 on the young season. Sophomore Harrison Dupont added 10 points.
Anthony Brown came off the bench to score a team-best 14 points for the Cardinal while Josh Huestis tallied 13 and center Josh Owens finished with 10. Stanford remained unbeaten, improving to 4-0.
The Cardinal shot 51.6 percent in the first half opening a 19-point lead before going into halftime with a 36-19 advantage. However, DuPont scored the first four points after intermission, Ritchart's three-pointer with 17 minutes, 40 seconds left capped five straight points for him and UC Davis got to within 36-28.
"I think we were kind of a deer in headlights (in the early going)," said Aggie coach Jim Les. "They were the aggressor on the road and I thought we were a little too passive, kind of waiting for things to happen versus making things happen.
"I thought the second half approach, again, (showed) signs of improvement," Les added. "I thought they took it to them a little bit. We weren't able to sustain it but the intensity and aggressiveness was a lot better."
The Cardinal, who will be play in the Preseason NIT semifinals next week in New York, took control of the game in the early going. Andrew Zimmerman opened with a dunk as Stanford scored the first six points while not allowing an Aggie shot for more than three minutes to start the game.
Brown's three-pointer with 15:23 left opened a 15-4 lead while Gabriel Harris' layup five minutes later built it to that same margin after DuPont and freshman J.T. Andrenele scored consecutive baskets to cut the margin to seven points at 15-8.
Ritchart's first three-pointer made it 27-15 after the Cardinal had stretched its lead to 15 points, but Robbie Lemons trey started a 9-2 surge that made it 36-17 with 1:13 to go, Stanford's largest lead of the opening 20 minutes. UC Davis had 12 turnovers in the first half.
The Aggies' inspired play to start the second half ignited the nearly 4,500 fans. DuPont was fouled and made two free throws and then hit a jumper as UC Davis scored four quick points. Ritchart's layup forced a Stanford timeout before he hit another trey following a Cardinal turnover. That made it 36-28 but Stanford turned the tables with their big run, expanding the margin to 54-30 with 11:23 remaining.
Brown had seven points during the 18-2 Cardinal run while Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis each had four.
The Aggies couldn't get closer than 19 points the rest of the way.
Ritchart scored 13 of his points in the second half while DuPont and guard Tyler Les each had six. Brown had seven of his points after the break.
Guard Aaron Bright had six assists for the Cardinal which had 23 overall on 29 baskets. It also held a 38-25 rebounding advantage, seven of them by Jarrett Mann. Ryan Howley had eight rebounds to lead the Aggies who had just six turnovers in the second half.
UC Davis played with starting guard Ryan Sypkens because of injury.
The game was the first between the programs on Hamilton Court since UC Davis upset Stanford 64-58 in 2005.
The Aggies are in the midst of a three-game homestand and will conclude it with a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday against Causeway rival Sacramento State.
