The Stanford Cardinal arrived at Madison Square Garden riding high after their demolition of the Nevada Wolf Pack to make it to the 2012 NIT Final Four. But the UMass Minutemen were more than ready for the Cardinal's challenge, battling hard down to the whistle in the first half, though the Cardinal took a 36-33 lead into the locker room Tuesday night in New York City.
The Cardinal are getting another well-rounded offensive performance, led byJosh Owens'11 first half points and five rebounds, while Josh Huestis added six and six boards. Chasson Randle, Aaron Bright, and Anthony Brown all added with five points.
As for UMass, Raphiael Putney and Chaz Williams led the way in the first half, scoring eight and seven respectfully, and even outshot the Cardinal 36 to 33 percent from the floor, despite trailing at the half. This one could go down to the wire at MSG tonight, or even beyond.
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