Ebuka Okorie enjoyed an explosive performance that replicated Trae Young following the Stanford Cardinal's matchup against the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday night.
In 36 minutes of action, Okorie torched the nets throughout the contest against the historic powerhouse. He finished with a stat line of 36 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and two steals. He shot 12-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Okorie's performance proved to be crucial as he helped the Cardinal pull off the 95-90 upset win over the Tar Heels. He also achieved an incredible milestone that only Young pulled off twice in his collegiate career at Oklahoma, per reporter Jared Berson.
“Division I freshmen with 35 points and 9 assists in a regulation game over the last 15 years: Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie tonight in a win over North Carolina, Oklahoma’s Trae Young twice in 2017-18,” Berson wrote.
How Ebuka Okorie, Stanford played against North Carolina
It's solid company for Ebuka Okorie to have, joining the now-NBA star Trae Young as the only collegiate players in history to have that type of performance. As for Okorie, he had it while leading Stanford to a strong home win over North Carolina.
Perimeter shooting and ball movement made the difference in this matchup. The Cardinal prevailed in both categories by making 16 3-pointers and creating 20 assists. It wasn't the same for the Tar Heels as they only converted six triples and dished out seven assists.
Three players scored in double-digits for Stanford in the win, including Okorie. Ryan Agarwal had a solid performance with 20 points, six rebounds, one assist, and a steal. He shot 7-of-11 overall, including 5-of-9 from downtown. Jeremy Dent-Smith came next with 20 points, while Benny Gealer and AJ Rohosy provided five points each.
Stanford improved to a 14-4 overall record, including a 3-2 display in ACC Play so far. They sit at seventh place in the conference standings, being above the North Carolina Tar Heels and SMU Mustangs while trailing the Syracuse Orange and NC State Wolfpack.
The Cardinal will look forward to their next matchup, remaining at home. They gear up for a ranked encounter as they host the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. ET.
