Feb. 13, 2013

Game Notes

Stanford Cardinal (15-9, 6-5 Pac-12)
vs.
USC Trojans (11-13, 6-5 Pac-12)

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 • 8 p.m.
Stanford, CA • Maples Pavilion (7,233)
Series History: USC leads 122-120
Last Meeting: USC 71, Stanford 69 (Jan. 3, 2013 at Los Angeles, CA)
Radio: KNBR 1050 AM (PBP: John Platz, Analyst: Drew Shiller)
KZSU 90.1 FM (PBP: Andrew Santana, Analyst: Lucas Prokopiak)
TV: ESPNU (PBP: Roxy Bernstein, Analyst: Miles Simon)

The Opening Tip
Stanford (15-9, 6-5 Pac-12) begins its second trip through conference play this week, hosting USC (11-13, 6-5 Pac-12) to open a homestand against the Southern California schools. The Trojans escaped with a 71-69 victory in the Pac-12 opener for both teams back on Jan. 3. Both squads have improved since that game are in the thick of the race.

Fans can take advantage of the Sweetheart Special ticket promotion, which prices two upper end reserve seats for $20. Tickets are available for purchase at the Maples Pavilion Ticket Office on the day of game only. Promotions | Buy Tickets

Media Memo
Thursday's game can be heard live on KNBR 1050 AM and Stanford's official athletics website, www.gostanford.com, featuring the chemistry-rich duo of John Platz (play-by-play) and Drew Shiller (analyst). KZSU 90.1 FM also provides coverage. The game will be televised on ESPNU, with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Miles Simon (analyst).

Scouting USC
USC (11-13, 6-5 Pac-12) has won three in a row and four of its last six games overall ... The Trojans are coming off a home sweep that began with a 72-68 win over Washington State and concluded with a 71-60 victory over Washington ... USC produced a 6-5 non-conference record, navigating through a rugged early schedule that included games against Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico and San Diego State ... Picked ninth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll, USC finished 6-26 overall last year and was 1-17 in conference play ... USC is averaging 66.2 points and 35.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43.0 percent but only 34.6 percent from long range and 68.1 percent from the foul line ... Be sure to watch: Eric Wise (12.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg), J.T. Terrell (10.6 ppg, team-best 46 three-pointers), Jio Fontan (9.4 ppg, 122 assists) and Dewayne Dedmon (6.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg).

Stanford All-Time vs. USC
USC leads the all-time series at 122-120. The Trojans have won six of the last 10 meetings, including a 71-69 victory at the Galen Center back on Jan. 3 in the Pac-12 opener for both teams. USC's last victory at Maples Pavilion came back on Feb. 19, 2011, when the Trojans topped the Cardinal 69-53. Stanford swept last year's season series.

Notable Career Totals Against USC
Andy Brown poured in a career-high 17 points on 7-9 shooting, including a 3-4 mark from long distance, in the earlier meeting this year. Chasson Randle averaged 12.0 points in two games last year, but was held scoreless in the Jan. 3 meeting. In five games, Aaron Bright is averaging 7.6 points while Josh Huestis is averaging 6.2 points on 10-25 shooting. Dwight Powell (8-32 FG, five games) and John Gage (4-15 FG, five games) have struggled.

Programming Note For Saturday
Saturday's game against UCLA will now air on ESPN2. It was originally scheduled to air on ESPN. The start time remains at 1 p.m. Of Stanford's remaining seven games, five will be carried on the ESPN family of networks.

Valentine's Day Tidbits
Stanford has dropped four of its last six games played on Valentine's Day. The Cardinal enters Thursday's matchup having lost two in a row on Feb. 14, including an 82-75 defeat at California in 2009. The Cardinal's most recent Valentine's Day win came during the 2004 campaign, in the form of a 69-58 win at California. Stanford has not hosted a Valentine's Day contest since 1993, when California prevailed 86-61. (courtesy Alayna Lilak, Stanford Athletics Communications)

Keys For Turnaround In Pac-12 Play
Stanford faced a rare uphill climb in conference play, starting 1-3 for the first time since 2005. But the Cardinal has rebounded by winning five of its last seven Pac-12 contests and now stands two games out of first place. So, what has worked? Among the most important keys: balanced scoring. Four players have reached double-figure scoring in four of the last five games.

Biggest Key: Perimeter Shots Finally Falling
Given the number of talented shooters on this year's squad, it was only a matter of time before the shooting percentages evened out. That's especially true regarding Stanford's three-point shooting in Pac-12 games, as the Cardinal has connected on a league-best 45.1 percent of its long-range attempts. In fact, it's not even close. USC checks in second, at 36.8 percent.

Huestis Dominating The Paint
Josh Huestis has developed into one of the Pac-12's premier defensive performers. Huestis, who tallied 10 blocks against Seattle back on Nov. 28, leads the team in that category with 51 and his 2.1 swats per game rank 43rd nationally. Huestis has registered 101 career blocks, tied for seventh all-time in school history with Brook Lopez (2006-08). Meanwhile, Huestis is averaging 9.8 points and a team-best 9.4 boards per game, looking to become the first player to average a double-double since Curtis Borchardt (16.9 ppg, 11.4 rpg) in 2001-02.

Powell Continues To Pace The Cardinal
Fully healthy and contributing consistently, Dwight Powell is showcasing the type of dynamic all-around game many expected when he first arrived on The Farm. In addition to averaging a team-best 15.1 points and ranking second with 7.9 rebounds, Powell is shooting 47.4 percent overall and 79.7 percent from the foul line. A 2011 Pac-10 All-Freshman pick, Powell has notched seven double-doubles while establishing career highs in every category, including points (29) and rebounds (13). Powell erupted for 18 second-half points in a Feb. 6 loss at Arizona, representing the sixth time this year he has scored 15 points in a half.

Gage Provides Boost Off The Bench
The Pac-12's leading three-point shooter, John Gage has made 33-67 (49.3 percent) from beyond the arc. However, his numbers are even more impressive in Pac-12 games, having made 21-33 (63.6 percent). The key for Gage, who has scored in double figures eight times this year, has been simply staying on the floor. In games where Gage plays at least 15 minutes, he is averaging 10.0 points, shooting 51.9 percent overall and 56.6 percent from long range.