Month: December 2018

San Jose State mounts comeback, but falls short against Cal 88-80

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans men’s basketball team was looking to pick up at least one win against a Pac-12 opponent this season. Unfortunately didn’t happen as the Spartans comeback bid wasn’t enough and they ultimately fell to the Cal Golden Bears 88-80 at Haas Pavilion on Friday evening.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau went with a starting lineup featuring Brae Ivey, Noah Baumann, Seneca Knight, Michael Steadman and Oumar Barry. Yes, another excellent lineup, but once again, SJSU fell short.

The Spartans won the tip and the game went underway at Haas Pavilion. The score was bad, but fixable early in the first period. SJSU trailed 5-2 at the first media timeout of the night.

The Golden Bears picked up the pace as they hit four of their last five field goals by the 11:19 mark of the period. That allowed Cal to take a 17-9 lead into the second media timeout of the night.

The Spartans, however, were resilient. Oumar Barry buried a 3-pointer at the top of the key, which helped SJSU make it a 1-point game at Cal 17-16. Barry continued pouring in the points along with Ivey, who had 7 points with 7:27 remaining in the period. SJSU trailed by just 2, 19-17.

Baumann changed the game with less than five minutes left in the period. Baumann hit back-to-back 3s to lift the Spartans to a 25-24 lead. SJSU made it a 32-30 lead and carried it with pride to the locker room at halftime.

The Golden Bears were on top 38-32 at the 17:10 mark of the second period. That wasn’t good news for the Spartans, who called a timeout after seeing their first period lead slip away in front of their very eyes.

If that wasn’t already bad enough, Cal went on a massive scoring run to take a 62-53 lead at the 10:24 mark of the period. If anything good came out of this, SJSU continued to dominate on the hardwood as Baumann hit four 3s for his eighth consecutive game hitting at least two 3s, Barry had a career-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Steadman collected his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Yet, SJSU was still down by 10 with 6:28 left in the period, despite shooting 52 percent from the field.

Despite the ups and downs, Baumann impressed Spartan Nation as he drained his sixth 3 of the game for a new career-high. As a result, SJSU pulled within 9 for a 74-65 deficit with 5:14 left in the period. Also, Barry recorded a career-high 18 points before he fouled out.

But things slowed down offensively for the Spartans. Well, at least for a little bit. The Golden Bears continued their onslaught from the 3-point line and hit 7-of-12 for a 82-67 advantage with 3:41 left in the period. This led the Spartans to play their hearts out, especially Knight. Knight drained a 3 to pull the Spartans within 6 for a 84-78 deficit with 1:20 left. Then, Knight poured in the points to make it a 4-point game with 35 seconds left.

The Golden Bears added 4 more points to secure a 88-80 victory over the Spartans. Cal improved to 5-6, while SJSU fell to 3-8.

SJSU returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 29 against Saint Mary’s at 5:00 pm PST.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Joey Friedman: After close game victory with SJSU, the Cardinal head to the City for contest with USF Saturday

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On the Cardinal basketball podcast with Joey:

#1 Joey, it was a close one, but the Stanford Cardinal (6-4) just got by the San Jose State Spartans 78-73 in spite of the score. The Spartans gave the Cardinal a battle on their home floor at Maples Pavilion.

#2 For the Cardinal, sophomores Daejon Davis and KZ Okpala helped the Cardinal make up the deficit by halftime and were crucial in keeping up with the improving Spartans.

#3 The three-point game was the big balance for the Cardinal, helping them pull away from the feisty Spartans with 18 team assists.

#4  Stanford Sophomore Oscar da Silva exploded to hit four straight three-pointers in the second half, adding to his two first-half treys, going 9-13 for 23 points.

#5 The Cardinal hit the road and head up from Palo Alto to San Francisco for a battle with one of the NCAA’s best, the USF Dons (11-1), for a Saturday night battle at War Memorial Gym.

Joey does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Raiders’ Carr with some successes, but looking for that one win

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On the Raiders podcast with Joe:

#1 Joe, how much has the firing of Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, the City of Oakland’s lawsuit against the Raiders and the team looking for a site to play in for 2019 had on the focus of this team?

#2 Quarterback Derek Carr has not thrown an interception in nine straight games in spite of losing most of those games.

#3 Carr set a Raiders record for the most games without throwing an interception, breaking former Raider quarterback Rich Gannon’s record.

#4 The Broncos (6-8) no doubt come to Oakland (3-11) frustrated after losing a one-point contest to the Cleveland Browns 17-16. The loss eliminated the Broncos from postseason play.

#5 It’s the Broncos and the Raiders for Monday Night Football on primetime TV. What are some of the goals for Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr going into this one?

Joe does the Raiders podcasts each Friday and will have the game recap following Monday Night Football at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants sign switch-pitcher Pat Venditte

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By: Ana Kieu

The San Francisco Giants had some good news for their fans on Friday morning. The Giants signed switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, a free agent who last pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Venditte, a 33-year-old, also pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics.

In case you need a refresher, Venditte is an ambidextrous pitcher and the only MLB pitcher who throws both right and left and normally selects the better arm that would give him a platoon or statistical advantage. NBC Sports Bay Area first reported the two sides were close to an agreement.

Venditte is the first former Dodgers pitcher to cross paths with the new Giants president of baseball operations Farhad Zaidi, who most recently worked for the Dodgers. Former Dodgers prospect and outfielder Henry Ramos agreed to a minor league deal with the Giants earlier this offseason.

The Giants non-tendered right-handed pitcher Hunter Strickland at the end of November. As a result, they’ve received calls from several teams about trading some of their veteran relievers.

Venditte became the second reliever to join the Giants this offseason. Venditte follows the path of left-handed pitcher Travis Bergen, who was selected out of the Blue Jays’ organization in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Giants’ signing of Venditte was a unique signing to say the least. But the Giants got what they wanted as they added some depth to their bullpen.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: 49ers on track, can they take out the Mighty Bears this Sunday at Levi’s?

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On the 49ers podcast with Joe:

#1 Joe, the 49ers have worked hard for their victories in their last two games both home games against Denver and Seattle. Taking the Denver game first, George Kittle’s record setting first half certainly set the tone, didn’t it?

#2 Nick Mullens has been throwing for yards and touchdowns and helping keep the scoring ahead of the opponents.

#3 Against Seattle, 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman has been all things anti-Seahawks and how much of an impact has Sherman been in stopping the Seahawks last Sunday?

#4 After getting these two key victories at home at Levi’s Stadium, how much does that set the tone going into next season?

#5 This Sunday, it’s Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears the NFC’s North Division first place team at 10-4.

Joe Lami does the 49ers podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Jets Bounce By Sharks 5-3

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By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks’ five-game win streak came to an end at the SAP Center on Thursday night, with the Winnipeg Jets beating their hosts 5-3. Joe Thornton tied Marcel Dionne for 10th all-time in career assists, Joonas Donskoi picked up his 100th career point and Evander Kane had a pair of points in the loss to his former team. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves and Nikolaj Ehlers had a hat trick to give the Western Conference leaders their 48th point of the year.

The Jets scored first in a wild first period that saw a combined five goals, starting on a miscue by Brent Burns. The defenseman’s point shot went right into defenseman Dustin Byfuglien’s shin pad, resulting in a breakaway. The burly blueliner buried the puck for his 4th goal of the year just 51 seconds into the game.

San Jose tied the game after Joe Thornton and Evander combined on alittle give and go 45 seconds later, with the former Jet Kane scoring to knot the score at 1-1. Thornton’s assist was career assist 1040 for Jumbo, moving him into a tie with former Los Angeles Kings great Marcel Dionne for 10th place all-time in assists.

Joe Pavelski would tip a Kevin Labanc shot past Hellebuyck on the power play 11:27 into the period, his team-leading 22nd goal of the season scored from just outside the crease.

The Jets would again prey on the Sharks luck after a dump-in by Blake Wheeler caromed off the stanchion harmfully back into the slot, where Ehlers could score the easy tally with 7:28 left in the first. Mason Appleton gave his team the lead with a drive-by goal just 1:12 later for his first of the year.

The Sharks looked like they were back on the comeback after Donskoi scored his 6th of the year with just seconds left in the period on a opposite side redirection from a Kane pass. The Sharks’ forecheck forced Hellebuyck to turn the puck over behind his net, and Kane’s hard work on the boards pried the puck loose. Kane was potent all evening against his former team, firing 10 shots on goal to go with four hits. He played for Atlanta and Winnipeg from 2009 to a midseason trade to Buffalo in the 2014-15 season, playing in 361 games and amassing 222 points.

The Jets would put the dagger in the Sharks with just over three minutes left in regulation after a turnover on a breakout put the puck on the stick of a Jets forward on a 2-on-0. Martin Jones played the puck aggressively, allowing Ehlers to score his second of the night. He also would add the hat-trick after being awarded an empty net goal after a Sharks player impeded with his path to the vacant cage. Blake Wheeler assisted on all of Ehlers’ goals.

The Sharks look to get back to their winning ways with a pair of home games before the holidays, with the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes coming to town for Saturday and Sunday tilts, respectively.

49ers hope to keep win streak going vs. Bears

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Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

By Jeremy Harness

This is a familiar trend for the 49ers.

They have long been out of the playoff picture, but they are hoping to get some carryover effect going for next season by going on a winning streak toward the end of this year.

The big difference here is that Jimmy Garoppolo is not under center for the 49ers at this point of the season, having been lost for the season with an ACL tear. Rather, it is undrafted Nick Mullens, who has opened eyes around the league with his surprising play.

That continued as the team scored an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday, the first time since 2013 they have done so. Mullens will have a tougher defense to face this Sunday, as the Khalil Mack-led Chicago Bears will visit Levi’s Stadium.

As for the injury report, the 49ers are getting healthier. Running back Matt Breida has been limited in practice this week with the ankle injury he suffered weeks ago and is expected to play Sunday. Meanwhile, safety Jaquiski Tartt, who is nursing a shoulder injury, was also limited in practice this week but is expected to see the field against Chicago.

Linebacker Malcolm Smith has also been limited due to soreness in his Achilles tendon, while cornerback K’Waun Williams has been limited while nursing a knee ailment.

For the Bears, former 49er Aaron Lynch has been on the injury report with an elbow ailment, which has limited him in this week’s practices. The same goes for safety Eddie Jackson, who has an ankle injury, but is expected to play Sunday.

San Jose State names Scott White as new linebackers coach

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By: Ana Kieu

Scott White, a 2018 San Jose State Spartans football staff analyst, accepted a promotion to linebackers coach on Thursday. Brent Brennan, the Spartans football head coach, made the announcement.

White brings 10 seasons of college coaching and noteworthy recruiting experiences to his new position with Spartans. Most notably, he was a UCLA football assistant for eight seasons (2010-17) who worked with head coaches Rick Neuheisel and Jim Mora, Jr.

“We are very excited about Scott White taking over as our new linebackers coach. He is a young coach with a lot of energy and knowledge that comes from his days at UCLA,” says Brennan.

“He’s also an outstanding recruiter. During his time at UCLA, he successfully recruited the best high school and junior college student-athletes and then nurtured, developed and molded them into NFL players over and over again.”

White was a quality control coach for the Bruins’ defense and special teams during the 2010-12 seasons, promoted to linebackers coach in 2013, and promoted again in 2015 to special teams coordinator/linebackers coach for the next three seasons.

He coached some of the nation’s top linebackers at UCLA. Eric Kendricks, currently with the Minnesota Vikings, was the 2014 Butkus Award and Lott Impact Trophy winner. In 2013, current Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack became the first player in Pac-12 Conference history to be named the conference’s “Freshman of the Year” on offense and defense. Anthony Barr, the Vikings’ 2014 first-round draft choice, was a first-team All-America and finalist for the 2013 Butkus Award.

As a special teams coordinator, he oversaw the growth of UCLA kicker Kaimi Fairbairn, the 2015 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicking Award winner and current placekicker for the Houston Texans.

One of the top college recruiters nationally, he was recognized by 247Sports as its 2016 Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year. That same year, Rivals.com named him to its list of National Top-25 Recruiters.

The 2006 graduate of the University of Washington was a four-year starter on the 2003-06 Huskies teams. He was a team captain and second-team All-Pac 10 Conference linebacker as a senior.

He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Seattle Prep School in 2007. After two seasons, White was named the linebackers coach at Central Washington University for the 2009 season. The Wildcats posted a 12-1 win-loss record, were #1 in scoring defense, #3 in rushing defense and #4 in passing defense among all NCAA Division II schools.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be here, represent San Jose State University, work with this staff and these great kids,” says White, who replaces Bojay Filimoeatu, who was recently named to the Utah State coaching staff.

San Jose State looks to rebound at Cal on Friday night

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State men’s basketball is set to take on its second straight Pac-12 opponent this Friday night as they take on the Cal Golden Bears inside Haas Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 7 pm PT. Justin Allegri will have the radio call for KLIV 1590 AM, while Kate Scott and Mike Montgomery will broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.

Game #11
San Jose State (3-7) at Cal (4-6)
Friday, Dec. 21, 7:00 pm PT
Haas Pavilion (11,877)
Berkeley, Calif.

Live stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the “Live Stats” feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

What would a win mean?
SJSU is looking for their first win over Cal since 1977. They are also looking for their first win over a Pac-12 opponent since defeating Washingtong State 88-76 on Nov. 27, 2016. A win would also be the fourth of the season, tying the team’s 2017-18 total for the whole year.

Heads held high
Despite falling to Stanford 78-73 in their last outing, the Spartans have a lot of momentum on their side after playing one of their best games of the Jean Prioleau era. SJSU shot 45.6 percent for the game and outshot the Cardinal 48.3-45.2 in the second half. The Spartans held the lead for all, but :02 seconds in the first half and regained the lead in the second half until the 12:15 mark. Late turnovers and several missed free throws proved costly down the stretch as the Spartans fell by five.

Michael Steadman and Oumar Barry became the first Spartan duo since Ryan Welage and Brandon Clarke to record a double-double in the same game. Welage and Clark achieved the feat against Washington State on Nov. 27, 2016 in Pullman.

Five players (Steadman, Barry, LeCense, Ivey and Baumann) scored in double-figures. It was the second time SJSU had five players do so this season, and first agaist a D1 opponent.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. The 6’10″ forward is averaging a team-high 13.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the Mountain West with 9.4 rebounds per game. He also ranks 35th nationally in both total and defensive rebounds per game. Steadman has four double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and has scored in double figures in 9-of-10 games, including seven straight.

Staff shakeup
Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Another SJSU-Cal meeting
SJSU and Cal have met 22 times with the Golden Bears holding a a 19-3 advantage, including a 19-1 mark in Berkely. The teams last met on Dec. 11, 2011 in an 81-36 blowout loss. The Spartans are looking for their fourth win in the series and first since Dec. 27, 1977 (76-74).

The Golden Bears, led by second year head coach Wyking Jones, will be facing their second straight MW opponent after falling to Fresno State 95-73 on Dec. 19. Cal is 4-6 overall with wins over Hampton (80-66), Santa Clara (78-66), San Diego State (89-83) and Cal Poly (67-66).

Big game Baumann
Sophomore Noah Baumann is once again displaying his impressive 3-point shooting ability this season after finishing in the top 40 in the MW in 3-point percentage as a freshman. He is currently 22-for-40 from 3-point range (.550) and ranks second in the MW in 3-point percentage. He also ranks 10th in the conference with 2.2 3’s per game. Baumann is averaging 15.3 PPG in the last three outings (Bethune-Cookman, NAU, Stanford).

Baumann was a key cog for the Spartans in their two wins over B-CU and NAU. Against B-CU, after the team went 0-10 from 3-point range in the opening half, Baumann drained 3-of-5 attempts in the second half and finished with a then-season-high 12 points to help lead the Spartans to a victory.

Baumann followed up with his best performance as a Spartan in the win over NAU. He scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 18 in the second half to lead the Spartans to victory. He finished 5-of-6 from 3-point range and made four free throws in the final :37 seconds to close out the game.

Oumar coming on strong
Senior center Oumar Barry is playing his best basketball as a Spartan as of late. Against Bethune-Cookman, he finished with a then-career-high 13 points and seven rebounds. He followed that up with his most dominating performance at SJSU as he recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, his first-career game with double digit rebounds. Barry also blocked two shots and was 7-of-10 at the free throw line to help the Spartans to a victory.

Barry followed up with another double-double against Stanford (15 points, 10 rebounds). After playing 38 career games without recording a double-double, he now has two in the last two games.

What’s next on the Bay Area road trip?
After playing at Cal, the Spartans will bookend their nonconference slate on Dec. 29 against Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., completing their road trip against Bay Area opponents.

Stanford Cardinal football podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Love leaves Stanford and the Sun Bowl and prepares for NFL draft

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bleacherreport.com file photo: Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love is setting his sites on the 2019 NFL Draft and foregoing the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve between the Cardinal and the TCU Horned Frogs

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Stanford running back Bryce Love chose to participate in the Hyundai Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh. Love has been hampered with injuries all season.

#2 Love said that he wants to be completely healthy for the 2019 NFL draft.

#3 Will Love be a high draft pick?

#4 Love had an incredible 2017 with 2118 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns, this season he had only 739 yards

#5 The Big game, the Sun Bowl, is upon us between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Stanford Cardinal on New Year’s Eve Monday, Dec. 31st.

Jerry has the Stanford Cardinal podcast each Thursday and Daniel Dullum has game recap coverage of the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve at http://www.sportsradioservice.com