KZ Okpala hits career-high 29 points as Stanford rips Seattle in opener
KZ Okpala, Stanford’s slashing 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, is well on his way to becoming a complete player.
On Tuesday night, he scored a career-high 29 points and also had 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal as the Cardinal routed Seattle 96-74 in the season opener Tuesday night at Maples Pavilion.
“Obviously, he has a high ceiling,” head coach Jerod Haase said. “The crazy part is that ceiling’s a lot higher than where he is right now.”
Okpala hit 8-for-12 from the field and 11-for-13 from the line. Last season, he averaged 10 points a game.
Stanford trailed the Redhawks by as many as eight points (24-16) in the first half, but the Cardinal led 40-36 at the half and outscored Seattle 56-38 the rest of the way.