Nick Townsend scores 25 to lead Stanford to 81-63 victory over Oakland

In a Friday night game at Stanford, Nick Townsend delivered a standout performance, scoring 25 points to lead his team to an 81-63 victory over Oakland. Throughout the match, Townsend demonstrated precision with his shooting, connecting 8 out of 11 shots and hitting 8 of 9 free throws for the Cardinal, who entered the contest unbeaten (2-0).

Christian Bliss, coming off the bench, made a significant impact with four three-pointers and 17 points, contributing to Stanford's strong showing. Aidan Cammann added another 13 points to the Cardinal's total. Chris Fields Jr. led the Golden Grizzlies (0-2) with 23 points, shooting 9 of 12 attempts, while reserve William Kassi chipped in with 11 points.

Early in the contest, Oakland took an 11-7 lead thanks to a three-point play by Bella El Shakery within six minutes. However, Stanford quickly turned things around. Townsend scored a jumper, followed by a three-point play from a tip-in, solidifying Stanford's lead. The Cardinal maintained an impressive 38-33 advantage at halftime.

In the second half, Oakland's Kassi scored a layup, narrowing the gap to 40-39 with 17:33 left on the clock. Nevertheless, Stanford's Bliss and Townsend continued their scoring spree, hitting back-to-back three-pointers over the next 56 seconds. This marked a two-possession lead for Stanford, which they managed to extend. Across the game, Stanford maintained a solid shooting percentage, going 47% overall, making 9 of 27 three-pointers and converting 14 of 15 free throws.

Conversely, Oakland struggled from beyond the arc, missing 14 of 17 attempts, and had nine of 25 free throws go astray. Up next, Oakland will face UC Santa Barbara this Saturday, while Stanford will host Rice on Monday.