Stanford Men's Basketball Loses Close Game Against No. 20 Clemson

Cardinal falls 64-62 despite strong efforts from Aidan Cammann and Ebuka Okorie

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In a close game on Wednesday, the Stanford men's basketball team fell to No. 20 Clemson by a final score of 64-62. Stanford forward Aidan Cammann had a career-high 19 points, while guard Ebuka Okorie added 18 points, but the Cardinal couldn't quite overcome the Tigers down the stretch. Clemson improved to 19-4 overall and 9-1 in the ACC, while Stanford dropped to 14-9 and 3-7 in conference play.

Why it matters

This game highlighted Stanford's continued struggles in ACC play this season, as they've now lost five straight games. However, the Cardinal showed fight against a ranked opponent, giving hope that they can turn things around with the season still ongoing. The loss also demonstrated the fine margins in close games, with missed free throws and a few key possessions proving the difference.

The details

Clemson forward Nick Davidson led the Tigers with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while guards Ace Buckner and Chase Thompson also scored in double figures. For Stanford, in addition to Cammann and Okorie's big nights, freshman Oskar Giltay made an impact with a highlight-reel dunk. The game was tight throughout, with Clemson leading for much of the second half before Stanford rallied to tie it at 58-58 with 5:28 remaining. However, the Cardinal couldn't quite get over the hump, missing a few key free throws and possessions down the stretch.

  • Clemson led 14-10 with 11:24 to go in the first half.
  • Clemson led 24-19 with 7:10 to go in the first half.
  • Stanford led 32-30 at halftime.
  • Stanford led 37-35 with 15:53 to go in the second half.
  • Clemson led 53-46 with 9:18 to go in the second half.

The players

Aidan Cammann

A Stanford forward who had a career-high 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in the game.

Ebuka Okorie

A Stanford guard who scored 18 points and had 2 steals in the game.

Nick Davidson

A Clemson forward who led the Tigers with 16 points and 7 rebounds.

Ace Buckner

A Clemson guard who scored 11 points for the Tigers.

Chase Thompson

A Clemson forward who scored 10 points for the Tigers.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Yeah, tough one for our team. The result, but the effort was good. That's, you know, obviously a good team. They've won 13 in a row on the road in the ACC and ranked 20th in the country and came down to, we gotta make some one-and-ones late. At least front ends of that would have helped a lot and can't have a 94 foot foul, but I don't want to be too discouraged.”

— Kyle Smith, Stanford Head Coach (on3.com)

“Yeah, when we were scouting them, we knew that they were going to be a really physical team. We kind of hammered that in practice and I think, just kinda leaning into that and all the little things that we tried to do around the rim. It really helped.”

— Aidan Cammann, Stanford Forward (on3.com)

“Yeah, just really proud of our game for finding a way to win this game. I thought both teams played extremely hard. Stanford kids were aggressive. They got into us. I thought we did the same. Hard to score for both teams. Disruptive defensively. You know, super proud of some of my guys off the bench. Chase Thompson had a huge game for him. His best game at Clemson.”

— Brad Brownell, Clemson Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

Stanford will look to snap its five-game losing streak when it hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday, February 7th at 5:00 PM PT on ESPNU.

The takeaway

This close loss to a ranked Clemson team shows that Stanford is capable of competing with top opponents, but the Cardinal need to clean up the little things like free throw shooting and late-game execution to get back in the win column. If they can build on this effort, there is still time for Stanford to turn its season around.