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Stanford adds to its resume with win over No. 23 UCLA (VIDEO)

Dwight Powell, Johnny Dawkins

Stanford’s Dwight Powell, left, and head coach Johnny Dawkins smile as they prepare for interviews at the Pac-12 NCAA college basketball media day on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

AP

In the first meeting between Stanford and No. 23 UCLA on January 23 the Cardinal struggled mightily in the paint. While scoring just 12 points themselves Stanford watched UCLA score 46 points in the paint on their way to a comfortable 91-74 victory. While the Wear twins were quiet, combining to score six points, Tony Parker was not as he accounted for 22 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of action.

The Cardinal performed far better in the rematch at Maples Pavilion, and as a result they knocked off the Bruins by the final score of 83-74. UCLA held a six-point edge in points in the paint (32-26) but Stanford managed to shoot 62% from the field and 11-for-20 from beyond the arc. And this occurred with senior forward Dwight Powell being quiet for much of the afternoon, scoring just nine points to go along with five assists and three rebounds.

With Powell limited by UCLA others needed to step up, and the triumvirate of Anthony Brown, Josh Huestis and Chasson Randle did just that. Brown, Huestis and Randle combined to score 66 points with Randle tallying 26, with 20 of those points coming in the first half. Stanford did have issues with the UCLA pressure, especially in the second half, with the Bruins converting 15 Stanford turnovers into 24 points but the gap in that stat (minus-12) wasn’t as large as it was in the first meeting (22-1 UCLA).

UCLA was limited to 44% shooting on the afternoon, and the struggles endured by Jordan Adams played a role in the outcome. After racking up 28 points (12-for-19 FG), six rebounds and five assists in UCLA’s blowout win at Cal the sophomore was limited to just eight points on 2-for-7 shooting. UCLA may have multiple scoring options on the perimeter but it’s Adams who is their most important scorer, and when he struggles it becomes tougher for the Bruins to be at their best.

Stanford was able to make things tough on Adams, and even with UCLA having four other players score in double figures this did impact their offensive efficiency. Stanford was able to execute at a higher level on both ends of the floor than they did in the first meeting, and as a result not only do they have another quality win but there’s also the chance of earning a first-round bye in next month’s Pac-12 tournament.

And looking past the Pac-12 tournament, Stanford’s taken another step towards the first NCAA tournament berth of Johnny Dawkins’ tenure.

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