Stanford Cardinal Upset Bid Against Oregon Ducks Falls Short

The Stanford Cardinal, celebrating Senior Day at Maples Pavillion, battled all game, hoping to send the seniors off in style. As the final seconds ticked down, Stanford was unable to take a shot as No. 6 Oregon escaped with a 75-73 victory.

Stanford Cardinal first-year head coach Jerod Haase has been unsuccessful in scoring a signature win, as of yet. Before the matchup with Oregon, the team had gone 0-6 against ranked opponents this season.

The Bay Area has been unkind to Oregon in recent years though, with last season resulting in an overtime loss to Stanford.

This year, Stanford put up a fight, but couldn’t keep things from ending differently — but just barely. No matter how large the lead Oregon built was, Stanford kept coming back. Reid Travis was a stalwart in the offensive zone drawing frustration amongst the Ducks. His 27 points and 14 rebounds proved vital in the Cardinal looking to knock off the Ducks.

No doubt, Travis’ teammates were looking to dish the ball to him in the final seconds of the game.

His 27 points and 14 rebounds proved vital as the Cardinal looked to knock off the Ducks. No doubt, Travis’ teammates were looking to dish the ball to him in the final seconds of the game.

But Dillon Brooks, who broke the hearts of the Cal Bears Wednesday night, came through in the clutch again defensively. Brooks got a hand on the ball, causing Travis to lose his balance as he pivoted towards the basket. The ball squirted loose towards the Stanford bench where Oregon jumped on the loose ball as time expired. Tested all game against a competitive Stanford side, Oregon could finally feel relieved.

The ball squirted loose and headed toward the Stanford bench where Oregon jumped on it as time expired. Tested all game against a competitive Stanford team, Oregon could finally feel relieved.

The turnover battle was evident in the first half as Oregon capitalized with 17 points. Poor passing and the Ducks’ full-court pressure on defense caused problems early for the Cardinal. Despite the turnovers though, Stanford minimalized the damage by collecting 13 offensive rebounds holding a 23-8 advantage on the boards at halftime.

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Oregon, however, held the lead going into the break with a 43-37 advantage.

Ball movement in the second half allowed the Cardinal to keep the Ducks within range. Dorian Pickens benefited from the crisp ball movement, hitting wide open three pointers. The junior would contribute 18 points in the effort.

And as a few starters for Oregon were getting themselves into foul trouble, Stanford was looking to seize the momentum.

After taking a breather, Brooks came off the bench for Oregon late in the second half where his play was the difference. Upon surveying the court, he found open teammates and drove toward the basket for points.

His ability helped him find teammate Jordan Bell, who scored the winning basket with 10 seconds left in the game. Brooks would finish the contest with 14 points and two rebounds.

Tyler Dorsey had a quiet, but effective game for Oregon, as he led the team with 15 points. Brooks’ has been the Ducks’ star all season, but Dorsey’s contributions have gone under the rader, which has worked well for the sophomore guard this season.

Stanford could not capitalize after taking a 71-69 lead in the second half. The lead was the Cardinal’s first since taking a 9-8 lead in the first half. Momentum dissolved quickly though, as every Stanford rally to come from behind seemed to be quashed just after taking the lead against the Ducks.

Once the lead was gained for the Ducks though, Brooks took command for Oregon and not relinquish it.

Oregon’s win at Stanford completed the Bay Area sweep after Oregon defeated Cal earlier in the week. For just the second time in 41 years, Oregon swept the Bay Area teams on the road. The Ducks improve to 26-4 overall and 15-2 in the conference.

Arizona’s loss to UCLA at home has given Oregon first place in the Pac-12 and they could wrap up the regular season title with a win at Oregon State. Although Oregon and Arizona have identical conference records, the Ducks own the tiebreaker after beating the Wildcats earlier this season.

After the loss, Stanford fell to 14-14 overall and 6-10 in the Pac-12. Regular-season play concludes next weekend as Stanford travels to face Colorado and Utah in hostile environments. A first-round matchup is on hand when the Cardinal head to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament.

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By far, Oregon faced their toughest test on the road against Stanford. But the Cardinal could not muster enough offense to break through against the Ducks late. Had the turnovers been limited, an upset would have happened at Maples.

Though the Stanford seniors could not leave as winners for the last time at home, all should hold their heads high for outstanding careers in a Cardinal uniform.