Travis scores 26 to lead Stanford past Cal Poly 78-62 (Nov 10, 2017)
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Reid Travis scored a game-high 26 points and had 12 rebounds and Stanford won its eighth straight season opener, beating Cal Poly 78-62 on Friday night.
Freshman Isaac White added 17 points for the Cardinal, who extended their winning streak against Cal Poly to six games. Dorian Pickens and Robert Cartwright each had 10 points and Michael Humphrey added nine boards.
''I'm excited whether I'm starting or not,'' White said. ''I love every second on the court and relish the opportunity.''
Donovan Fields scored 21 points to lead the Mustangs, who lost their sixth straight season-opener. Victor Joseph added 17 points.
Stanford took advantage of a first half Mustangs' cold spell from the field to eventually build a 38-24 halftime lead. Cartwright nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
''I felt I did all right,'' Travis said. ''Overall I liked how aggressive I was. I need to move around the basket more.''
The Mustangs made a run to open the second half, making eight if their first 11 shots after going 9 for 29 in the first half. They closed within 54-45 with 12:37 remaining following an 18-5 run, the closest they came the rest of the night.
''Our guys smelled the opportunity,'' Mustangs coach Joe Callero said. ''Which is great, you want to feed the energy but then we over-committed on offense, we over-committed on defense, and to their credit, Stanford showed great experience and poise.''
Stanford outscored the Mustangs 11-2 on second-chance points, which was fed by Travis' six offensive boards. Cal Poly had five all night.
''I'll take that every game,'' Travis said.
''The kid that surprised me with his playing time, considering the amount of injuries they have, was Isaac White,'' Callero said. ''That kid plays like he's a junior or senior. He's really a galvanizing player, really poised, waits for his moments on both offense and defense.''
BIG PICTURE
Cal Poly: The Mustangs are looking for their first winning season since setting a school record with 12 Big West wins in 2012-13. They play 10 games against teams that reached the post-season last year.
Stanford: With the fifth most experienced team in the nation, based on games played, the expectations are higher this season. The Cardinal has not played in the NCAAs since reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2014. They play their first five games at home, culminating in a game against defending national champion North Carolina on Nov. 20. ... Stanford freshman Kezie Okpala, part of a highly-regarded recruiting class, will have to sit out a certain number of games for failure to complete academic requirements. No timeline was announced. ''He's out,'' Haase said.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Stanford freshman guard Isaac White hit all five 3-pointers he attempted. ''He's a confident kid and part of that is he's worked his tail off for so long,'' Stanford coach Jarod Haase said. ''My gut tells me no stage is too big for him. His first game as a freshman and a starter, he performed well.''
UP NEXT
Cal Poly: Travels to California for a game on Sunday.
Stanford: Hosts Pacific on Sunday night.
