STANFORD -- Chasson Randle scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half to help Stanford open the season with a 72-68 victory over Bucknell on Friday night.
Dwight Powell added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Cardinal (1-0), picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12.
Ben Brackney scored 13 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Bisons, who graduated three starters from their record-setting team of a year ago. Three other Bisons reached double figures in scoring: Steven Kaspar with 12, Cameron Ayers with 11 and Brian Fitzpatrick with 10.
Anthony Brown scored 14 points for the Cardinal and Stefan Nastic added 11.
The Cardinal never trailed in the second half, though the game was tied at 49 apiece when Dom Hoffman made a layup midway through the second half.
Brackney had a chance to tie the game for Bucknell, who won a school-record 28 games last season, with 2:47 left, making two of three foul shots and leaving it at 67-66.
Brown hit a 3-pointer from the corner 10 seconds later to put the Cardinal ahead by four.
Stanford led at halftime, 35-34.
The lead changed 11 times in the first half, with Stanford holding the biggest lead at 33-27 with 3:38 left in the first half on a Powell layup.
Ayers hit a 3-pointer late to bring the Bisons within one at the half.
Nastic, Stanford's junior center, made his first three throws of the contest before missing his fourth attempt, ending a string of 16 consecutive foul shots dating to last year.
Aaron Bright opened last year missing his first 13 3-point attempts. He hit his first attempt of the season.
Bucknell made its first visit to California in six years. The Bisons last played a Pac-12 team in the 2012 NIT tournament, upsetting Arizona 65-54 in the first round.
Stanford won its previous 15 games played against teams from the Patriot League.
Bucknell president John Bravman is a Stanford grad and was a member of the school's faculty, receiving a lifetime service award in 2010.
