Cardinal is able to get past Cougars

Stanford Coach Trent Johnson had some sound advice for his players during the critical moments of the No. 14 Cardinal’s overtime victory over No. 9 Washington State on Saturday at Pullman, Wash.

“I told the entire team to keep playing with poise,” Johnson said after the 67-65 victory. “If there was any guy who was going to lose his composure, that would be me.”

Actually, both teams lost their composure at the free-throw line late in the second half, when either could have won it by making one more free throw.

The Cougars, 17-4 overall, 5-4 Pac-10, made only four of their last nine free throws over the final 2:23 of regulation. Kyle Weaver missed one with 9.8 seconds left that would have been the winning point, and another in overtime that would have tied the score in the closing seconds.

“We had the game in our hands,” said Weaver, who finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. “When you’ve got free looks, you’ve got to sink them.”

The Cardinal (18-3, 7-2) missed three of its last six free throws.

Robin Lopez made a spinning layup with 12 seconds left in overtime that gave Stanford a 66-63 lead. Weaver had a chance to get the Cougars close with three free throws on the next possession but missed the second one to leave the Cardinal with a 66-65 lead.

Mitch Johnson made one of two free throws with 5.4 seconds left for the final score.

Washington State had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds when Taylor Rochestie took the inbounds pass and drove the length of the court. But his layup bounced off the rim and Stanford won its fifth consecutive game.

Brook Lopez and Lawrence Hill led Stanford with 18 points each.

Derrick Low scored 19 points for Washington State, which lost its second straight home game. The Cougars have lost four of their last seven overall after opening the season with 14 wins.

California 79, Washington 75 -- Patrick Christopher’s three-point basket with 24 seconds left gave the Golden Bears (13-7, 4-5) the lead for good at Seattle.

Ryan Anderson scored 33 points, including 15 in a row midway through the second half, enabling Cal to hold of the Huskies (12-10, 3-6).

Anderson was virtually unstoppable for much of the second half, but it was Christopher taking the big shot in the closing seconds as Cal avoided blowing a late nine-point lead. Christopher tried to find Anderson on the low block, but instead took the jumper over Washington’s Justin Holiday.

Ryan Appleby missed a hurried three-pointer at the other end for Washington, and Christopher made two free throws to give the Bears a 77-72 lead with 16 seconds left.

Oregon 79, Oregon State 63 -- Led by Tajuan Porter, the Ducks (13-8, 4-5) pulled away from the Beavers (6-15, 0-9) at Corvallis.

Porter, who finished with 23 points, scored 10 points during a late 19-4 run that turned a 57-56 lead into a comfortable 76-60 margin with 2:27 to play.

The Ducks, who ended a four-game losing streak, won the 328th game between the in-state rivals.