Stanford Men's Basketball: The Cardinal win big over the USC Trojans 84-64

Stanford basketball easily handled USC at home Thursday night and won 84-64.

Although an all around effort, one player stands out from the rest. Sophomore guard Dorian Pickens had a career night after scoring twenty five points and missing only four times while shining from beyond the arc and the floor as well. Stanford also had three other players, Rosco Allen, Marcus Allen, and Michael Humphrey, score in the double digits.

Offensively, Stanford succeeded because of such great shooting. For the most part, they shot many mid-range jumpers and threes. From the field, Stanford shot 47.4 percent and made 43.5 percent of their baskets from behind the arc. In past losses, Stanford struggled with shooting, but this time, Stanford seemed to make almost everything.

On defense, Stanford could not have done better. USC typically excels on offense led by Sophomore guard Jordan McLaughlin, but on Thursday, McLaughlin was held to only four points. Secondly, Six players on USC average over ten points a game but only three players exceeded that number. Stanford's lockdown defense played a key role in defeating USC.

Coach Johnny Dawkins coached a fantastic game tonight and never seemed to falter. For the entire game, Stanford was in control. Going forward, Stanford looks to gain even more momentum headed into the conference tournament. They play UCLA Saturday before heading on a road trip to Arizona. If Stanford can finish strong, they should have some confidence heading into the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.