Recap: Stanford Men’s Basketball gets huge win at NC State
On Saturday, Stanford men’s basketball defeated NC State on the road in Raleigh by a final score of 85-84. Stanford freshman point guard Ebuka Okorie led the way for the Cardinal with 33 points, five rebounds, and three assists while redshirt sophomore forward Jaylen Thompson (15 points & 6 rebounds), grad student center AJ Rohosy (15 points & 7 rebounds), and graduate student guard Jeremy Dent-Smith (10 points) also scored in double figures. NC State senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin was the top performer for the Wolfpack with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Stanford finishes the regular season 20-11 overall and 9-9 in the ACC while NC State finishes the regular season 19-12 overall and 10-8 in the ACC. Back-to-back 20+ win seasons to start the Kyle Smith era on The Farm.
Highlights: Stanford Men’s Basketball vs. NC State (3/07/26)
BOX SCORE: Stanford at NC State-Saturday, March 7th
Stanford and NC State were tied at 13 with 10:43 to go in the first half. It was a rough shooting start for both teams, as Stanford shot 6-of-21 from the field and 1-of-9 from three-point range, while NC State went 5-of-13 overall and 1-of-6 from deep. Ryan Agarwal knocked down the lone three for Stanford.
Okorie then hit back-to-back threes, giving Stanford a 22-17 lead with 9:24 remaining in the half as he began to heat up.
Stanford led 27-22 with 7:03 to go before halftime as both teams started to find their offensive rhythm. Dent-Smith rattled home a three-pointer for the Cardinal, while Okorie moved into double figures with 13 points. Lubin led NC State with nine points at that point.
Stanford pushed its lead to 31-26 with 3:39 remaining in the half, as Okorie reached 15 points. The Cardinal then endured a 2:06 scoring drought and missed four straight shots before halftime.
Stanford took a 37-34 lead into the break. Okorie led the Cardinal with 19 points and three rebounds, while Lubin paced the Wolfpack with 12 points and five rebounds. It was a solid first half overall for Stanford.
NC State opened the second half with momentum and led 49-46 with 15:55 to go. Lubin (13 points) and Tre Halloman (10 points) were both in double figures for the Wolfpack, while Okorie continued his strong performance for Stanford, knocking down a contested three-pointer to reach 26 points.
A 5-0 run by Thompson gave Stanford a 55-50 lead with 13:50 remaining. Thompson capped the run with a big three and a dunk.
A transition three by Matt Able put NC State back in front, 58-55, with 11:05 to go, as the Wolfpack went on an 8-0 run in what had been a back-and-forth contest.
Benny Gealer answered with a deep three from the logo to tie the game at 58 with 10:33 remaining, delivering a huge bucket for the Cardinal.
Stanford built a 71-62 advantage with 5:26 left after Thompson knocked down a pair of free throws. He had been outstanding down the stretch.
The Cardinal extended the lead to 73-67 with 3:06 to go, as Thompson reached 15 points and six rebounds, while Rohosy added 14 points and seven boards. Both played key roles late.
Stanford led 81-79 with 51.9 seconds remaining following a clutch three-pointer from Dent-Smith. Okorie followed with another big three and a strong finish as Stanford maintained possession.
Stanford closed out an 85-84 victory. The Cardinal headed to the ACC Tournament on a four-game winning streak, with Dent-Smith sinking four clutch free throws to seal the win. Okorie (33 points, five rebounds) and Thompson (15 points, six rebounds) powered a statement road victory.
To touch quickly on NC State, this is a disappointing loss. I expected them to win by four points. It was Senior Day and they came in having lost three straight games. This was supposed to be a get it right game for them. Instead, they’ve lost four games in a row and go into the ACC tournament likely needing a win to feel good about their NCAA tournament chances.
As for Stanford, what a win this is for them. Ebuka Okorie was special (as usual), but it truly was an all-around team effort. Jaylen Thompson’s emergence down the stretch of the season has been massive and he saved his best for the final game of the regular season, posting a career-high 15 points. Jeremy Dent-Smith was clutch as well knocking down those free throws. For the most part, whenever Stanford needed to make a play, they did. That’s a testament to the team and culture that Kyle Smith is building.
Up next for Stanford is the ACC Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. They’ll face Pittsburgh on Tuesday, March 10th at 11:00 AM PT. TV details TBA.
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