Stanford Falls to Miami After Second-Half Surge from Hurricanes
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Stanford came into South Florida looking to build momentum on its second ACC road swing of the season, but a strong second-half push from Miami handed the Cardinal a 79-70 loss at the Watsco Center. With the defeat, Stanford drops to 14-7 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
There were bright spots, though - and plenty of them. Sophomore guard Ebuka Okorie continued to show why he’s becoming a go-to option for the Cardinal, leading the team with 19 points.
He added five rebounds and four assists, doing a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. Benny Gealer caught fire from deep, tying his season-high with 17 points and knocking down five 3-pointers - also a season best.
Ryan Agarwal chipped in with 11 points and six boards, while AJ Rohosy added 10 points off the bench in a balanced offensive effort.
Stanford hit 11 threes in the game and got strong support from its reserves, outscoring Miami 25-18 in bench points. That depth helped the Cardinal stay in control for much of the first half and into the early stages of the second. But it wasn’t enough to hold off a late Miami run.
The Hurricanes came out swinging, opening the game with an 11-2 burst in the first three and a half minutes. But Stanford responded with poise.
A 7-0 run, capped by a Gealer triple, pulled the Cardinal within a possession midway through the half. Okorie then took over, scoring seven straight to help Stanford seize the momentum.
Agarwal gave the Cardinal its first lead with a layup just under two minutes before halftime, then buried a three to send Stanford into the locker room up 40-35.
Stanford extended that lead to as much as nine - 49-40 - with just over 14 minutes remaining. But Miami found its rhythm when it mattered most.
The Hurricanes tied it at 56-all with under seven minutes to play, then rattled off a 10-0 run that proved to be the turning point. Gealer did his best to keep Stanford in it, knocking down three more threes down the stretch, but Miami answered every push and closed the door late.
The loss drops Stanford to 4-3 all-time against Miami, who improves to 15-6 overall and 6-2 in the ACC.
For Stanford, the pieces are clearly there - offensive balance, bench production, and stretches of high-level execution. But putting it all together for 40 minutes remains the next step. With the heart of ACC play underway, the margin for error shrinks, and closing out games like this one becomes the difference between a solid season and something more.