Stanford rallies to beat UCLA in double overtime thriller

Stanford defeated UCLA 107-99 in a double-overtime thriller that filled Maples Pavilion with a level of energy and post-game joy that has been rare in recent years. The win could give the Cardinal a major push forward in the new year, and head coach Jerod Haase intends it to be.

“We have one of two options moving forward now,” he said. “This could be a game the guys talk about the rest of their lives, ‘Hey this was a big win in double overtime and a really exciting time in Maples.’ And leave it at that. Or they can talk about this game being a … really important moment for our team and we took it and built on it. I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure this isn’t a flash in the pan. This needs to be a building block moving forward so we can do some special things.”

UCLA led 85-82 with under 12 seconds left in the game and senior captain Dorian Pickens maneuvered his way to an open look.

"Oh yeah, it felt good," Pickens said of the shot.

"He knew, he knew," nodded freshman point guard Daejon Davis.

Pickens had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Davis filled the stat sheet with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Stanford trailed by 10 with 7:30 left in regulation and rather than fold the Cardinal rallied by leaning on captains Dorian Pickens and Michael Humphrey and three freshmen. Stanford got 45 points from the freshmen in the game.

“I don’t think it’s just to call them kids anymore,” Pickens said. “At this point in the season with so many guys out they got so much good experience from our non-conference schedule. They played huge.”

Freshmen appeared to make the big plays needed at the end of the first overtime to end the game.

Kezie Okpala slammed home a dunk off a Oscar da Silva pass to give Stanford a 93-91 lead.

At the other end, da Silva delivered a crucial block and Okpala was fouled after grabbing the rebound. But he only made one free throw, which gave UCLA super guard Aaron Holiday a chance. He nailed a dagger three with Davis in his face.

"It happens in basketball," Pickens said, shrugging off any thought that Holiday's shot was a tough mental blow. "You move onto the next play."

That resilient attitude brought a big smile to Haase's face after the game when discussing one of the significant changes from the Cal game.

"When I looked in their eyes there wasn’t that look back of, ‘We believe we can get it done.’ Even with a big lead and that was discouraging as a head coach," he said of the Cal game. "Tonight, when we got into those situations over and over again, they responded. Not responded because they made a play -- responded because when I looked at them they gave me something back. ‘Hey, we got you coach.’"

Often a buzzer-beating shot from an opponent gives them the energy to take over a second overtime. That wasn't the case Thursday night, even with Reid Travis and Michael Humphrey on the bench with five fouls.

Stanford ended the game on an 11-0 run and with the final buzzer a celebration erupted along the Stanford bench. After a couple months of frustration, the win released a lot of built up pressure.

"I'm looking forward to more moments like this," Davis said. "It all starts with the preparation we put into practice every day. I really feel like practice is where all this is coming from -- all this improvement from the young guys and the captains being able to lead through adversity."

Haase put a lot of responsibility on Pickens to lead in only his second game back after a foot injury kept out of most of Stanford's tough December.

"I really challenged Dorian at halftime about being a champion," he said. "In the first half we didn’t play with tremendous energy. We were in the game at halftime. We were just out there kind of playing. I challenged everybody -- I really challenged the captains and I really challenged Dorian -- that it’s not just Ok. Second half I could not be more proud of what he did. He led the team and I think the guys really responded."

Oscar da Silva had eight points (4-of-5), five rebounds and six assists: "He has great, great instincts," Haase said. "It has been challenging for him. I think as time goes on he’ll be able to play effectively at the three spot, four spot and the five spot. We really threw him out there in the deep end and he has responded for the most part very, very well. He is an elite level passer for a big."

Reid Travis fouled out with 2:22 left in the game and had to sit out much of the second half with foul trouble. But he was a steadying force in the first half and still managed to put together 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Michael Humphrey had 13 points and four rebounds.