Stanford men’s basketball earns another home win, sits fifth in ACC standings

Stanford (15-6, 7-3 ACC) delivered a statement win, dominating the Syracuse Orange (9-12, 3-7 ACC) 70-61 at home in a conference matchup Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion. Stanford’s strong first half allowed them to establish a big lead early in the game, eventually leading to a win that has pushed their winning streak to four games.

Amid the winning streak, Stanford finds itself sitting at fifth place in conference standings, just a few games behind second-place Clemson (17-4, 9-1 ACC).

From the beginning of the game, the Cardinal asserted their presence, going on an impressive 17-0 run. To build on the run, senior forward Maxime Raynaud hit two three-pointers, igniting the crowd. Raynaud was also busy on the glass as he secured another double-double by the end of the first half. Stanford’s strong defense along with Syracuse’s 14 turnovers allowed the Cardinal to gain a 23 point lead just 9 minutes into the game.

Despite their strong start, the Cardinal struggled to maintain their momentum going into the second part of the first half. Contrastingly, the Orange seemed to find their shot and started to close the gap as the game approached the end of the half, cutting the lead to 33-24 at the break. 

As the second half continued to unfold, Syracuse continued their fight to narrow the gap. Their bench proved to be key, tallying 21 of their 37 second half points. Stanford struggled to protect the paint, allowing Syracuse to finish at the rim.

The Orange made some powerful shots, swiftly moving down the key for some layups. With under four minutes left in the game, Syracuse trailed by just six points. The Orange’s run was partially fueled by the energy of the fans who travelled to see them play. Though small in size, they brought lots of passion to Maples, taking away from Stanford’s home court advantage.

Despite the strong challenge towards the end, the Cardinal held strong. Raynaud was the leading scorer for the game, finishing the game with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Stanford is now 12-1 at home this season, with only Duke (12-0) boasting a better home winning percentage in the conference.

Looking ahead, the Cardinal will look to extend their win streak to five games as they head to Dallas to take on the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at Moody Coliseum Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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