Instant Reaction: Huskies Fall to Stanford

The Huskies traveled to Palo Alto, California, to take on the Stanford Cardinal, and it was announced shortly before the game that UW starting guard Quade Green would be out until March due to academic issues. It was a precursor to an off-shooting night for the Huskies as they fall 61-55.

Instant Reaction

Just before tipoff, the Huskies sent out a statement that said starting guard Quade Green had been ruled academically ineligible. Matched with an off-night by starting freshman forward Isaiah Stewart, that was too much for the UW to overcome. A 12-point lead for the Dawgs with just over 11 minutes to go in the contest became a 61-55 victory for the Cardinal.

Stewart's off-night was nearly offset by a career night by fellow freshman Jaden McDaniels.  Stewart finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds; McDaniels had 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Stanford had more of a sustained rally than a late rally. The Huskies led by eight points at halftime, built it into the 12-point advantage with 11 minutes remaining.  From that point on, it was all Stanford, which held the UW to just eight points after building the big lead.  

The Huskies received 34 points combined from McDaniels and Naziah Carter. The rest of the team combined for 21 points.  Both teams shot 38 percent from the field and around 50 percent from the free-throw line, but Stanford hit eight more 3-point buckets.

What We Saw

Carter scored Washington's final point on a free throw with 3:12 left in the game. The Cardinal closed out the game with a 14-1 run.  Daejon Davis drilled a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to tie the game at 55.

The Huskies were not efficient down the stretch.  A held ball late in the game gave them the ball with a half a minute remaining.  Carter was fouled and missed both free throws annd the UW got an offensive rebound, but Carter fouled out on a charge.

Quade Green will be missed, not just from a ball-distribution standpoint but in the defensive rotation.  Coming down the stretch, the Cardinal moved the ball around until they got open shots.  

Some things the Huskies usually can count on are Isaiah Stewart recording a double-double, scoring half of his points at the free-throw line and hitting over half of his shots from the field.  Against Stanford, he went to the free-throw line twice and missed both attempts. He shot only 25 percent from the field, his first game below 40 percent, and he finished with the same amount of fouls as he did points. 

Key Stats

Washington was up by 12 points, 47-35, with 11 minutes to go in the game. Stanford's run thereafter was 26-8.

The Cardinal more than doubled their offensive output by scoring 41 second-half points.  Washington's second-half offensive production was essentially the same, with 28 in the first half and 27 in the second.  

Neither team shot well from the charity stripe.  The Huskies connected on less than 50 percent on their free throws (12-25).  

UW held a 30-13 rebounding advantage at the break. In the second half, the Huskies were outrebounded 19-16.

Where Do They Go From Here

The Huskies have dropped three of their last four games.  They will get ready to play at California on Saturday at 5 p.m.  The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.