Okorie leads late-game magic as Stanford men’s basketball steals win over Hokies
It is official: the Cardinal (13-3, 2-1 ACC) are on a roll, and it is largely thanks to their freshman star.
Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie held the ball with Stanford down by two, saw his defender drift backward and rose up for a deep shot. The step-back three-pointer dropped with 3.3 seconds left, lifting Stanford to a 69-68 road win over Virginia Tech (12-4, 1-2 ACC) on Wednesday night and capping a frantic rally that turned Cassell Coliseum quiet in its final moments.
Stanford trailed by as many as 13 late and was still down 12 with 2:18 to play before ripping off a 14-1 burst to steal it. Okorie scored 11 of Stanford’s final 14 points in that span, with the other three points coming from a three-pointer by sophomore forward Donavin Young, which was assisted by Okorie.
“I saw I had enough space to get a shot off, and I just took it with confidence,” Okorie said about the game-winner.
Stanford head coach Kyle Smith called it “a great win for our program,” crediting his team for “just kind of hanging around” through a rugged road night that featured rebounding issues and too many fouls early. Wednesday’s contest was Stanford’s first road conference game of the season.
Virginia Tech carried a 31-24 lead into halftime and spent much of the night living at the free-throw line while controlling the flow with physicality. Stanford kept searching for a way to get back in the game, and Okorie said the key late was simply defending without giving the Hokies extra points.
“The main thing was just defending without fouling,” Okorie said. “They were getting a lot of free throws… and once we started doing that, we just kept chipping away.”
Stanford finally found its punch in the final minutes after a lineup tweak and an emphasis on spacing. Smith said sophomore forward Cameron Grant gave the Cardinal a jolt with “fresh legs,” and Young knocked down timely three-pointers to tighten the game late. Okorie did the rest by attacking the seams.
“I felt like I was seeing bigger gaps in the defense,” Okorie said. “Maybe they were a little tired, but I was just seeing bigger gaps, more opportunities to get downhill and score or play-make for my teammates.”
The comeback happened in a flash: Senior guard Benny Gealer hit a three-pointer to start the closing sprint, and Okorie followed by carving out points in the lane and at the arc as Virginia Tech’s offense stalled.
With the Hokies clinging to a two-point lead in the final seconds, Stanford ran a high pick-and-pop to force a switch, and Okorie briefly considered driving before noticing the defender sag.
“I was about to go downhill,” Okorie said. “But then I saw he was backed up a little bit, so I just took the open shot.”
Virginia Tech never got a clean look to respond. Freshman center Oskar Giltay jumped the ensuing inbounds play for a steal to secure Stanford’s rally.
Okorie finished with 31 points and six assists as Stanford improved to 13-3 overall on the season. Young scored 11 points, and Giltay had eight points and 13 rebounds. Virginia Tech was led by freshman Neoklis Avdalas with 21 points.
Smith said the closing sequence felt like “a flurry,” but he believed the Cardinal still had a chance once the momentum shifted.
“There was no magic in there, other than [the] guys just kept competing,” Smith said.
Stanford will aim to remain undefeated on the road this Saturday, traveling to face No. 23 Virginia (13-2, 2-1, ACC). Tip-off is set for 11:15 a.m.
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