The Stanford Cardinal opened their 2019-20 season with a 96-78 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Tuesday night. Despite a strong start, the Cardinal were unable to keep up with the Bulldogs’ high-powered offense and fell behind early in the second half.
Stanford was led by senior forward KZ Okpala, who scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Junior guard Daejon Davis added 17 points and four assists, while freshman forward Jaiden Delaire chipped in with 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Cardinal started the game strong, taking an early lead and maintaining it for much of the first half. However, Gonzaga’s offense proved too much for Stanford to handle, as the Bulldogs went on a 15-2 run to close out the half and take a 44-35 lead into the break.
In the second half, Gonzaga continued to pull away, outscoring Stanford 52-43 and extending their lead to as much as 20 points. The Cardinal were unable to mount a comeback, and the Bulldogs cruised to the 96-78 victory.
The loss was a disappointing start to the season for Stanford, who will look to bounce back in their next game against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The Cardinal will need to find a way to slow down opposing offenses if they hope to have any success this season.
Gonzaga, meanwhile, will look to build on their impressive performance against Stanford as they take on Arizona State on Thursday. The Bulldogs have high hopes for this season, and if they can continue to play at this level, they could be in for a special season.
