STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford men’s basketball started its postseason in winning fashion, downing CSUN, 87-70, at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal improves to 21-13 this season and advances to the second round of the NIT.
Stanford improves to 20-6 all-time in the NIT, making its 10th overall appearance in the tournament. The Cardinal is 12-2 at home in the NIT, including 10 straight wins at Maples Pavilion, and advanced to the second round for its sixth consecutive appearance.
After starting the day with AP All-America honorable mention recognition, Maxime Raynaud led the Cardinal with his nation-leading 24th double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds while matching a career high with five blocks. Raynaud became Stanford’s single-season rebound leader on the night, passing Adam Keefe’s 33-year-old record from 1991-92, and moved into the top-10 on Stanford’s all-time scoring list. He ended the evening in ninth place with 1,601 career points, moving past John Revelli and Howard Wright. He becomes the third Stanford player in program history to reach 1,600 career points and 900 career rebounds, along with Keefe and Kim Belton.
Oziyah Sellers added 20 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, for his sixth 20-point outing of the season and second in a row. Benny Gealer scored 13 points, also making three 3-pointers, with three assists while Jaylen Blakes scored 11 points with a game-high four assists. Aidan Cammann and Ryan Agarwal poured in seven points apiece, while Cammann set a career-high with eight rebounds.
Stanford, which is in a position to set program records for fewest turnovers per game and free throw percentage, tied the Stanford single-season team record on the night, as its 12 threes gave the Cardinal 286 on the season to match the 2023-24 squad.
The Cardinal led from wire to wire, and it started the game on a 9-0 run that included six points from Raynaud. CSUN (22-11) cut the Cardinal lead to three points with 9:23 to go in the frame, but Stanford ended the period on a 25-11 run to lead at the half, 46-29.
Stanford led by as many as 21 points in the second half, and CSUN got no closer than 13 points over the final 20 minutes. Sellers scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half, helping Stanford secure the win.
Continuing its postseason journey, Stanford welcomes Kent State for the second round of the NIT on Sunday, March 23. The game time and television designation will be announced after the completion of the first round games in the NIT.