No. 7 Arizona Wins Close at Stanford

Jan 22, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson (5) takes a shot over Stanford Cardinal guard/forward Anthony Brown (21) during the second half at Maples Pavilion. The Arizona Wildcats defeated the Stanford Cardinal 89-82. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 7 Arizona Wildcats traveled to the Bay Area to play a very good Stanford Cardinal basketball team and came away with a close victory, 89-82.

Stanley Johnson had another great night with 19 points and 7 rebounds leading the team in both categories. Brandon Ashley had 17 points and 3 rebounds helping Arizona on offense. Gabe York had 13 points coming off the bench to providing a spark on offense.

The Wildcats led 41-39 at the half, but Stanford came out strong at the start of the second half to take a five point lead at 52-47. The Wildcats didn’t shy away and continuously used their three-headed monster of Johnson, Ashley, and York to battle back and take back the lead.

Stanford just came off a big win against the defending champion Connecticut Huskies 72-59. The Cardinal have one of the hardest schedules in the NCAA as they have already played Duke, Texas, and UConn.

Stanford’s Chasson Randle had 26 points leading the Cardinal, but not enough to get the win. Stanford is one of the most consistent and disciplined teams in college basketball, making it a close one for Arizona tonight. They now have a 13-5 overall record with a 4-2 record in conference play.

Adding this road victory against Stanford and coming off a big win against Utah, the Wildcats look strong once again coming late into conference play. The Wildcats improved to 17-2 with a 5-1 record in the Pac 12.

Arizona will stay in the Bay Area traveling less than an hour away into the East Bay to play the California Golden Bears in Berkeley on January 24. Cal has an 11-7 record with a 1-4 record in the Pac 12. Arizona will look to improve to 18-2 and to move up in the conference standings.