Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

By Matt Harrington

PALO ALTO–The Stanford Cardinal (12-11) started this two-game homestand with a win past the Oregon State Beavers (11-10) 80-71. Stanford head coach Jerod Haase came into the game last Thursday with some expectations. It had been some time since the Cardinal won a ball game dropping three straight and winning five straight before the skid. The thing that Haase is trying to teach his players is that when you have a big lead hold onto it and put on the gas.

There was a point in the game that it was 56-48 and it looked like Oregon State was going to be let back into that game, but Stanford battled and kept the game going wire to wire. That was a big win for them Thursday against the Beavers, they got loses in UCLA and USC in the Southland. They had to right the ship in a hurry after OSU ran off two 9-0 scores, but the Cardinal got back their lead up to 1 with three minutes left after Kezie Okpqala’s floater shot.

Matt Harrington does the Stanford Cardinal Podcasts each week and Joey Friedman has coverage of tonight’s Oregon-Stanford game at http://www.sportsradioservice.com