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Brook Lopez dominates as Stanford tops Washington

Feb 1, 2008 - 7:47 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Brook Lopez had very few problems in his showdown with one of the top big men in the Pac-10 Conference.

Lopez scored a career-high 31 points as No. 14 Stanford rolled to a 65-51 road victory over Washington on Thursday.

The sophomore forward went 11-of-17 from the field and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Cardinal (17-3, 6-2 Pac-10) posted their fourth straight win.

"Obviously we couldn't contain Brook Lopez," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "He impacted the game against us maybe as much as any player we have played against since we've been here. Offensively, it is difficult to contain him."

Lopez also combined with his twin brother, Robin, to block six shots.

"Their size bothered us. Defensively, he and Robin allow their guards to really get physical with you," Romar said. "We just couldn't get much going at the rim."

While Brook Lopez shone brightly, the Huskies' Jon Brockman struggled from the field in finishing with 13 points and 13 boards. The junior went 4-of-12 from the floor.

Entering the contest, the 6-7 Brockman averaged 19.1 points and 11.5 rebounds.

However, Brockman got a first-hand view how much Brook Lopez matured from last season.

"Players get that confidence and the mentality of owning the court. As a freshman last year he was trying to figure everything out and everything was new to him," Brockman said. "But this year he is an experienced player in the Pac-10 and he's going to be able to (take over a game) just with his athleticism and his work ethic. He is a great NBA Lottery type of guy."

No other player was in double figures for Stanford, which held a 22-11 lead when Mitch Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 9:13 remaining in the first half.

Although the Huskies did close within six points following a 3-pointer by Quincy Pondexter, the Cardinal went on a 9-2 run over the final five-plus minutes of the first half for a 33-19 advantage at the break. Brook Lopez had four points during that run.

"We gave our maximum effort," Stanford coach Trent Johnson said. "We did a good job of recognizing where we needed to get the ball and did a good job keeping our composure. It was a good win for us. Any win in this league, either on the road or at home, is a good win."

Brook Lopez kept up his stellar play after intermission, completing two straight three-point plays inside the 2 1/2 minutes for a 39-24 cushion.

Washington, which finished 29 percent (15-of-52) from the field, could get no closer than 13 points thereafter as it dropped its second straight contest.

"I can't remember the last time someone beat us this way at home," Romar said. "Maybe back to Gonzaga a few years ago."

Johnson added eight points, seven rebounds and six assists and Robin Lopez scored six for Stanford, which won easily despite shooting 42 percent (22-of-52) - including 2-of-12 on 3-pointers.

Pondexter scored 15 points for the Huskies (12-9, 3-5), who missed 10 of their first 13 free throws en route to going 18-of-32 (56 percent) from the stripe.

"Sometimes it can get contagious. I know Jon missed a few and then he shot one that was just a wild shot," Romar said about his team's struggles at the stripe. "That was mental. He settled down and came back and did a better job."