Julius Price gave Stanford the burst it needed in the second half, and the Cardinal used a late push to beat Eastern Washington 74-65 on Monday night in its season opener at Maples Pavilion.
Price finished with a team-high 17 points, and 11 of them came after halftime. Stanford also got double-figure scoring from four other players as it closed on a 10-0 run, a finish that delivered career win No. 300 for head coach Kyle Smith.
The game was tight late. Eastern Washington had nudged ahead 65-64 with 2:45 left, but Stanford answered for good on a layup from Nick Townsend. Townsend turned in a strong all-around night with 12 points on 5-6 shooting, six rebounds and five assists in a team-high 36 minutes.
Price, one of three freshmen who logged major minutes, was efficient throughout, going 7-12 from the field as Stanford shot 54.9 percent overall. Two more newcomers made their presence felt in their debuts: Aziz Olajuwon scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds and piled up six steals, while Isaiah Rogers added 10 points, four boards and four assists. Olajuwon’s six steals put him in rare company, making him just the fifth Stanford player since 2005 to reach that mark in a game and the second in the past decade, alongside Benny Gealer (2026), Chasson Randle (2014), Fred Washington (2005) and Chris Hernandez (2005).
Stanford’s start wasn’t smooth. Eastern Washington built a 28-15 lead with 6:08 left in the first half, but the Cardinal responded with a 19-2 run to finish the period. Townsend scored on a layup at the 1:41 mark to put Stanford back in front, and Olajuwon buried a triple with one second remaining to send the Cardinal into halftime ahead.
From there, Stanford stayed in control for most of the second half before the Eagles briefly reclaimed the lead. The Cardinal still found a way to finish, extending its season-opening winning streak to 17 straight.
Aidan Cammann added 13 points and four rebounds for Stanford, which was outrebounded 32-26 but made up for it by forcing 13 turnovers and turning them into 25 points. The Cardinal also dominated inside, outscoring Eastern Washington 44-22 in the paint.
Stanford returns to Maples Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 6, to host Oakland at 7 p.m. The three-game homestand continues Monday, Nov. 9, against Rice.
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