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Cardinal fall Tiny Gonzaga stuns Stanford, heads to Sweet 16
Posted: Sunday March 14, 1999 09:17 AM
SEATTLE (AP) -- Stanford, which has one of the biggest front lines in college basketball, was cut down to size by one of the smallest players in the NCAA tournament. Matt Santangelo scored 22 points as Gonzaga upset the second-seeded Cardinal 82-74 Saturday in the second round of the NCAA West Regional. Quentin Hall, the smallest player on the floor at 5-foot-8, scored all 12 of his points in the second half and also had eight rebounds for 10th-seeded Gonzaga, a Spokane school that is best known for producing John Stockton and Bing Crosby. "What a great feeling," said Santangelo, who was recruited by Stanford while in high school in Portland, Ore. "I think we wanted it more than they did." Stanford, which reached the Final Four last season, was the last of four Pac-10 teams to be eliminated from this year's tournament. Arizona, Washington and UCLA all lost in the first round. "We're all very disappointed," Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. "But for one game Gonzaga was better today and that's what this tournament is all about." The Bulldogs hit 10 of 12 free throws in the final minute before their homestate crowd. Stanford led only once -- at 1-0 -- although the Cardinal fought back to tie the score at 49. 'They hit tough shots for the whole game," Stanford's Arthur Lee said. "We couldn't find a weakness in their lineup." Hall, a senior point guard, hit the biggest shot of the day for John Stockton's former school when he sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:29 left to give Gonzaga a 66-57 lead. "I didn't like that shot, but I liked who took it," Gonzaga coach Dan Monson said. "I think Quentin is the best competitor we've ever had in my 11 years at Gonzaga." Said Hall: "Normally, Coach Monson doesn't like me to take that shot. But he knows I will go for the kill and I did. Thankfully, it went in." Richie Frahm had 15 points and Casey Calvery 10 for Gonzaga (27-6). Lee led Stanford (26-7) with 24 points. Kris Weems had 18 points and Mark Madsen added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinal, who won the Pac-10 championship this season. Although Stanford's front line averages 6-foot-9, Gonzaga outrebounded the Cardinal 47-33. Gonzaga also had an edge in 3-point shooting, sinking 11-of-20 compared to Stanford's 5-of-11. "They just have tremendous heart," Madsen said. "They might not be the heaviest inside guys, but they all have a lot of heart and that goes a long way." Monson, who is considered the leading candidate for the vacant Washington State job, used 10 players and nine of them scored. Mike Nilson played a key role for Gonzaga off the bench. With Gonzaga ahead 63-57, he stole the ball from David Moseley with 4:28 to go. He also blocked a shot by Weems with 3:53 left and threw a full-court inbounds pass that Frahm turned into a layup for a 72-62 lead with 1:09 remaining. Trailing 34-30 at halftime, Stanford came back to tie the score at 49 on a dunk and two free throws by Madsen. But Gonzaga, the West Coast Conference champions, then went on a 7-1 run to take a 56-49 lead. Mark Spink hit a free throw and Jeremy Eaton sank a baseline jumper for the Bulldogs before Stanford's Tim Young made a free throw. Eaton followed with a fast break layup and Nilson made two free throws with 7:45 left to push Gonzaga's lead to 56-50. Gonzaga led 61-57 after Weems sank three free throws for Stanford with 5:04 remaining. Frahm hit two free throws before Nilson's two strong defensive plays and Hall's key 3-pointer.
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