Big block, late free throws help Cardinal stop Ducks
In its biggest win of the season, Stanford needed the 25 points it got from Rosco Allen, matching his career high.
It needed a go-ahead free throw by Allen with 31 seconds left and three foul shots by Marcus Allen in the final 13 seconds.
But in order to stun No. 11 Oregon 76-72 on Saturday at Maples Pavilion, it also needed a dramatic defensive play from Michael Humphrey. With five seconds left, the 6-foot-10 sophomore blocked a layup by Dillon Brooks that could have tied the score.
“It was a huge play for us,” Rosco Allen said. “Brooks is a great driver. He got into our paint, and Mike saved us. It’s that simple. He kept the ball in play, which was huge. We were able to maintain the possession that way.”
Marcus Allen then sank two free throws with three seconds left to cement the win in what coach Johnny Dawkins called his team’s best performance of the season. The Cardinal were hitting the floor for loose balls and playing a very active zone defense.
“Very few teams in the country can match that type of energy,” Dawkins said. “I was proud to see our guys do that tonight.”
He called Humphrey’s block on Brooks “a game-saving play,” especially impressive because the sophomore forward is still bothered by a knee bruise.
Stanford (12-11 overall) is in ninth place in the Pac-12 with a 5-7 record, but in the bunched conference race it has a remote chance at the title. Oregon (20-6, 9-4) is still in first place but has been shaken by being swept by Cal and Stanford.
“Our perimeter defense left a lot to be desired,” Ducks coach Dana Altman said. “We didn’t run guys off the (three-point) line very well. Rosco is a very good shooter. We knew that, but we didn’t run him off the line.”
Dawkins started a mostly veteran lineup of Rosco Allen, Grant Verhoeven, Christian Sanders, Humphrey and freshman Marcus Sheffield. All of the them came through.
Rosco Allen hit 9 of 12 shots, including 4 of 5 from long range. “If we can get him good looks, he’s one of the best shooters in our conference and probably in the country,” Dawkins said. “And we were able to do that.”
Verhoeven scored 13 points. Sanders had a career-high 10 assists. Sheffield scored eight points. Dorian Pickens came off the bench to score 16 points.
Brooks pumped in 24 points for the Ducks, hitting all eight of his foul shots. Tyler Dorsey added 14 points and Elgin Cook 11. But center Chris Boucher had just six points and two rebounds before fouling out with four minutes left.
The Cardinal play the second-toughest schedule in the country, after Oregon’s. But it was only their second win over a ranked team this season and snapped their four-game losing streak.
Oregon nearly stole the game with its late press after trailing almost the whole afternoon. It tied the score 72-72 on two foul shots by Brooks with 51.8 seconds left before the Allens and Humphrey saved the day.
“For me, the game was more about what we did defensively,” Dawkins said. “I think we did a great job against one of the most potent offensive teams in our conference.”