Stanford men’s basketball sunk by late three-pointer as shooting woes stall offense
In a defensive struggle overshadowed by offensive woes on both sides, Stanford men’s basketball (19-11, 11-8 ACC) fell just short in a 56-54 loss to Notre Dame (13-17, 7-12 ACC) Wednesday night at Purcell Pavilion. The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for the Cardinal, ending its hopes of securing a top-four seed — and the accompanying double bye — in next week’s conference tournament.
Stanford’s offense stumbled out of the gate, missing its first four shots before redshirt sophomore guard Ryan Agarwal connected on a three-pointer for the team’s opening points. Despite forcing the Fighting Irish into a sluggish start of their own, the Cardinal went nearly six and a half minutes without scoring in the first half. The persistent defensive pressure from Stanford, however, mitigated the damage, and Notre Dame was unable to gain a significant advantage during the Cardinal’s prolonged drought.
Despite these cold spells, Stanford held a narrow 24-21 halftime lead, spurred by a 10-point first-half effort from senior forward Maxime Raynaud. The French big man, who was named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year earlier in the week, paced the Cardinal on both ends and added another double-double to his historic season total, tallying 20 points and 10 rebounds by the final buzzer.
Junior guard Benny Gealer contributed nine first-half points with a trio of key three-pointers to end Stanford’s early drought and keep the offense afloat. The Cardinal’s defense held Notre Dame to a meager 25% shooting accuracy through the opening 20 minutes, providing a slender cushion at the break. Stanford, however, finished the opening period shooting 23% from the field, as both teams combined to go 13-for-54 from the floor.
Stanford found a temporary offensive surge early in the second half behind graduate student guard Jaylen Blakes, who scored all 13 of his points after the break. The Cardinal built a nine-point advantage with 8:51 remaining, thanks to a jumper from Raynaud that extended the lead to 46-37. But, as has been the case at times this season — especially away from Maples Pavilion — Stanford’s offense faded, leading to a prolonged cold stretch that allowed Notre Dame to rattle off 15 consecutive points.
Down 52-46 with just over three minutes left, the Cardinal regained its composure with a critical 8-0 run. Timely three-pointers from Agarwal and Blakes put Stanford ahead 54-52 with 1:17 to play, a remarkable swing on a night when both teams struggled from deep. Ultimately, however, Notre Dame delivered the decisive blow with a clutch corner three-pointer by freshman guard Cole Certa with 17.8 seconds remaining. Stanford had one last chance, but Agarwal’s floater in the lane bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
The low-scoring affair showcased Stanford’s continuing issues on the road, where the team now sits at 3-7 away from Maples. The offense shot just 33% from the field and just 24% from beyond the arc, an anemic clip that left the Cardinal vulnerable despite holding Notre Dame’s offense to 35% shooting overall.
With just one regular-season contest remaining, Stanford will look to close out the ACC slate on a high note and build momentum for the conference tournament. The Cardinal will visit No. 14 Louisville (24-6, 17-2 ACC) on Saturday in hopes of righting its road woes. Even with a tough loss in South Bend, Stanford’s defense remains a bright spot, but finding more consistent offense will be essential to pulling off the upset in Kentucky. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m.
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