Author: Sports Radio Service

Deja vu – Cal upends Cardinal in opening round of Pac-12 tournament

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The Cal Bears Matt Bradley guard (20) brings the ball down against Stanford forward James Keefe (22) during the Pac 12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas on Wed Mar 10, 2021 (photo from Cal MBB twitter)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Stanford’s chances of extending its men’s basketball season took a serious blow on Wednesday, when the Cardinal fell to Bay Area rival California 76-58 in the opening round of the Pac-12 Conference postseason tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.

Cal (9-19 overall) led 35-29 at halftime while defeating the Cardinal in the opening round for the second year in a row. The Golden Bears held Stanford scoreless in the opening 4 minutes and 27 seconds, but the Cardinal got as close as 52-51 before a Ryan Betley 3-pointer at 5:56 of the second half sparked a 24-7 run to end the contest.

Stanford (!4-13), which suffered its fifth straight defeat, won the two regular season meetings between the schools in early February.

Matt Bradley led the Golden Bears with 19 points on 7 of 11 field goals, including 3 of 4 on 3-pointers. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists.

Betley was next for Cal with 13 points, and Andre Kelly added 12 points along with a team-leading nine rebounds and two blocked shots.

Jaiden Delaire led the Cardinal with 14 points. Oscar da Silva returned to the Stanford lineup and scored 12 points. Michael O’Connell also scored 12 points and had three assists. Lukas Kisunas grabbed seven rebounds, and da Silva and Spencer Jones each had five boards.

The Golden Bears led from start to finish and held Stanford to 37.7 percent field goal shooting (20 of 53) and 7 second-chance points. Cal shot 53.8 percent from the field (28 of 52), including 9 of 17 behind the arc, and held a 52-12 edge in scoring off the bench.

Prior to the game, da Silva was named as the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year – the fifth player in Stanford history to receive the award.

Cal advances to the quarterfinals to face Colorado on Thursday. Stanford could possibly receive a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, which begins March 17 in Frisco and Denton, Texas.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Rangers announce capacity for opening day; What are the risks?

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Opening day in Texas as the Texas Rangers line up on the foul lines at Globe Life Field in Arlington TX on July 24, 2020. The Rangers expect a full house for Opening Day Apr 5, 2021 but mask wearing enforced. (AP News file photo)

Texas Rangers Announce Capacity for Opening Day

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Texas Rangers are the first team to announce that Globe Life Field will be open for the full capacity when they play their first game of the 2021 season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5.

Although every seat will be available for 40,518 fans, fans will be required to wear masks. Also, they will be required to maintain social distancing while they enter and exit the stadium as well as standing in line at concession stands.

This includes their two final exhibition games as well. For this Opening Day in Texas the team announced that they are going to sell tickets in “pods”.

Therefore, the Texas Rangers are the first professional team to open to a full capacity since the beginning of the Covid-10 pandemic. The front office also announced they are working with Major League Baseball on other protocols regarding player health and their safety.

With populations of approximately 30 million, Texas is the second most populous State in the country behind California.

The Oakland Athletics announce they are planning for a limited capacity at 20 percent to start of their season opener April 1 at the Oakland Coliseum vs. the Houston Astros, while the San Francisco Giants will soon announce their plans for fans allowed. The San Francisco Giants open season on the road and their home opener will take place on April 9 vs. the Colorado Rockies.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for his weekly podcast of That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Jose State’s difficult season comes to an end with 111-80 blowout loss to Wyoming in Mountain West Tournament

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Photo credit: @SanJoseStateMBB

By Ana Kieu

After suspending its regular season due to COVID-19, the #9 San Jose State Spartans took on the #8 Wyoming Cowboys in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Unfortunately, SJSU suffered a triple-digit loss, 111-80. 

But the Spartans’ journey wasn’t without its fair share of trials and tribulations. From tough losses to delayed flights, SJSU was burdened by a laundry list of issues. SJSU, however, rose up from those challenges. 

“Our team has transformed and evolved over the course of this season,” head coach Jean Prioleau told media members. “Toughness comes in many forms and this group has shown toughness on many different levels.”

The Spartans’ starting five featured Omari Moore, Trey Smith, Sebastian Mendoza, Richard Washington, and Ralph Agee. Agee made a jumper to get the Spartans on the board first 2-0 just 30 seconds into the first half. Just eight seconds later, Ike Graham responded with a layup to tie the game at 2. 

The Spartans and Cowboys exchanged leads and ties for several minutes in the first half. But it was the Cowboys who took the lead and never looked back. Marcus Williams made a layup in the paint to make it a 10-point game, 21-11, at 14:21. Graham Ike helped Wyoming open a 16-point lead with 2:51 left.

Wyoming closed out the first half scoring with a pair of free throws from Kenny Foster with 28 seconds left. SJSU trailed 59-45 at halftime. Omari Moore led the Spartans with 13 points and five assists at the half.

The Spartans had their work cut out for them. SJSU opened the second half scoring as Ralph Agee capitalized on a Cowboys turnover, made a second-chance layup, and brought the Spartans within 12 points, 59-47, just 34 seconds into the second half.

After a glimpse of hope, the Spartans’ problems reappeared. Ralph Agee appeared to have put a foot to Graham Ike’s groin. The officials handed Agee a Flagrant 2 foul. Subsequently, Agee was ejected from the game. Nate Lacewell entered the game for Agee. 

Marcus Williams made a jumper to help the Cowboys take a 20-point lead, 79-59, at 11:27. While the Spartans tried to inch closer, their efforts were ineffective as the Cowboys used a 11-3 run to take a 90-64 lead with 7:36 left. 

The Cowboys reached the 100-point mark when Marcus Williams made a layup with 4:15 left. Wyoming proceeded to pour in the points with back-to-back three-pointers by Drake Jeffries and Hunter Thompson, respectively. 

The Spartans went on a late 5-0 run, but continued to trail 109-80. The Cowboys had the last laugh as Drake Jeffries capitalized on a Spartans turnover and made a two-point dunk to make it a 111-80 game with three seconds left. The Spartans lost 111-80.

SJSU finished with a 5-16, 3-14 MW record, while Wyoming called it a wrap with a 14-10, 8-9 MW record. Wyoming moved on to the quarterfinals. 

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: How serious is Golden State about trading Wiseman?

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Golden State Warriors rookie center James Wiseman the center of trade rumors has the Minnesota Timberwolves shopping. The Warriors are asking for some of a “generational superstar” status (image from USA Today)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 With the trade talks about Warriors rookie center James Wiseman would it be safe to say the Warriors have given up on Wiseman and why?

#2 Were the Warriors opened to trading Wiseman to the Minnesota Timberwolves but want someone of the caliber of a Joel Embiid or Giannis Antekounmpo. Warriors sources have said they would have to acquire a “generational superstar.”

#3 The Warriors are back against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night as we just mentioned they’re open to making a deal for Wiseman does this reflect some of the concern they many have being on a three game losing streak and having struggled this season and Stephen Curry carrying a lot of the weight?

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Wed Mar 10, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro: Will electric win put Sharks back on track?

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San Jose Sharks goaltender Devan Dubnyk center gets congratulated by Marc-Edouard Vlasic (left) and center Ryan Danato (16) after the Sharks win on Mon Mar 8, 2021 at SAP Center San Jose (@SanJoseSharks photo)

On the Sharks podcast with Len:

#1 Len, after losing three straight games the San Jose Sharks (9-11-3) looked like they tightened down the defense despite getting behind early 2-0 on Monday night against the St Louis Blues (14-8-2).

#2 The defense played a big enough role for San Jose that allowed them to tie the score at 2-2 in the second and third periods with a goal a piece from Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

#3 The Sharks in their last few games have been getting goal scoring help from their defencemen and Vlasic’s goal on Monday night no exception.

#4 Evander Kane can come out and get one in the back of the net and he didn’t waste anytime on Monday night 41 seconds in the overtime and scored the game winner.

#5 The Sharks open up back to back games in Anaheim this Friday and Saturday. The Anaheim Ducks (7-12-6) have lost five of their last six games this is a team that has been struggling will this give the Sharks an opportunity to take advantage of the Ducks?

Join Len for Sharks podcasts every Wednesday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro Wed Mar 10, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Barracuda up end Gulls 4-2

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San Jose Barracuda forward Sasha Chmelevski (55), Alexi Meinchuk goalie (1), Lean Bergmann (45) share congratulations following the Barracuda win over the San Diego Gulls on Tue Mar 9, 2021 in San Diego (@sjbarracuda photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif—The San Jose Barracuda scored three unanswered goals and then held on to defeat the San Diego Gulls 4-2 on Tuesday evening at Solar4America Ice At San Jose.

San Jose has won three out of their last five games, including two out of three from San Diego. The Gulls have lost four of their past six games.

The ‘Cuda (5-3-2-0) drew first blood in the first 11 seconds of the game.

Christian Jaros fed a pass over to Noah Gregor at the blueline. Gregor made a deke past a Gulls’ defender into the middle of the ice and snapped home a hard wrist shot past Gulls’ goalie Lukas Dostal for his first goal of the season.

San Jose out shot San Diego 10-7 after the opening 20 minutes.

The Barracuda extended its lead with two goals in a two-minute span to begin the second period. Gregor skated in from the right wing before centering a pass back up to Fredrik Handemark and buried a wrist shot far side past Dostal for his third goal of the season at the 2:28 mark. It was also Gregor’s first assist of the season.

San Jose made it 3-0 when a San Diego turnover in the neutral zone proved costly to the visiting team. Handemark brought the puck into the Gulls zone and gave it up to Evan Weinger with a rink wide pass. Weinger found Jayden Halbgewachs down low where he slid a backhander past Dostal for his fourth goal of the season at the 4:41 mark.

San Diego (9-6-0-0) got on the scoreboard with under a minute left in the middle frame on the power play. Sam Carrick sent a cross ice pass over to Kodie Curran who blasted a one-timer top-shelf past Cuda

On the Sharks podcast with Len:

#1 Len, after losing three straight games the San Jose Sharks (9-11-3) looked like they tightened down the defense despite getting behind early 2-0 on Monday night against the St Louis Blues (14-8-2).

#2 The defense played a big enough role for San Jose that allowed them to tie the score at 2-2 in the second and third periods with a goal a piece from Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

#3 The Sharks in their last few games have been getting goal scoring help from their defencemen and Vlasic’s goal on Monday night no exception.

#4 Evander Kane can come out and get one in the back of the net and he didn’t waste anytime on Monday night 41 seconds in the overtime and scored the game winner.

#5 The Sharks open up back to back games in Anaheim this Friday and Saturday. The Anaheim Ducks (7-12-6) have lost five of their last six games this is a team that has been struggling will this give the Sharks an opportunity to take advantage of the Ducks?

Join Len for Sharks podcasts every Wednesday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

for his third goal of the season at the 19:16 mark.

The Gulls made the ‘Cuda pay once again for it’s fifth trip to the sinbin. Andrew Poturalski sent a shot-pass to a wide open Sam Carrick who tapped home the puck right in front of the crease for his fifth goal of the season at the 16:36 mark.

Jaycob Megna scored an empty netter from his own defensive zone with 30 seconds left to ice the game.

Melnichuk stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced to earn his second victory of the season. Dostal made 21 saves on 24 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0-for-4 on the power play. San Diego went 2-for-5.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Gregor 2) Handemark 3) Alex Dostie

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel back down to Bakersfield to take on the Condors on Friday 3/12 at 6:00pm at Mechanics Bank Arena.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Cleveland isolates two players over Covid protocols; How Griffin fits in Brooklyn; plus more

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Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez (pictured) and outfielder Framil Reyes have both been isolated by Cleveland after it was reported that they were out dinning with Chicago Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop after a Cactus League game (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary pod:

#1 It’s the third time in a year that Cleveland has to isolate players due to Coronavirus protocols. This time third baseman Jose Ramirez and outfielder Franmil Reyes were both placed in isolation after telling the team they both went out for dinner.

#2 It was reported that this was the second time Reyes had broke Covid-19 protocol rules, Reyes and Ramirez had gone out to dinner with Chicago Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop and medical staff told Cleveland manager Terry Francona that they were this to the league.

#3 Former Los Angeles Clipper Blake Griffin has joined the Brooklyn Nets. Griffin joined the Detroit Pistons after leaving the Clippers and signed with the Nets after he completed a buyout agreement with Detroit giving him the opportunity to sign with any team.

#4 Matt Chapman and Matt Olson were using virtual hitting simulating hitting against Cleveland pitcher Adam Plutko. The simulation had a program showing Plutko and his pitches. As A’s reliever Jake Diekman said after watching the simulation 30 minutes later “whack”

#5 A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie who is coming back from knee surgery is expected to be in the line up today. A’s manager Bob Melvin has been watching Lowrie and Lowrie ran bases on Sunday.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast Tue Mar 9, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks end three game loss streak edge Blues 3-2

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Evander Kane left winger (9) of the San Jose Sharks put the puck on net in overtime past St Louis Blues goaltender Ville Husso (35) for the game winner on Mon Mar 8, 2021 at SAP Center in San Jose (AP News photo)

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 One way for the San Jose Sharks to start the week is with a win over the St Louis Blues as they ended a three game loss streak at SAP Center on Monday night in overtime.

#2 The Blues began the game with a goal in each of the first and second periods for a 2-1 lead. Getting goal each from Niko Mikkola and Brayden Schenn.

#3 The Sharks answered right back scoring goals in the second and third periods from Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic to tie up the game.

#4 In the overtime stanza the Sharks got the overtime goal from Evander Kane to edge the Blues 3-2. The win ends the Sharks seven game home stand.

#5 The Sharks will now head to the Southland to face off with the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim for a two game series. The Ducks have lost five of their last eight games and played the Los Angeles Kings in Anaheim last night. How do you see this match up between the Sharks and Ducks opening up this Friday night.

Join Mary Lisa for the Sharks podcasts each Tuesday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh Tue Mar 9, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Pac 12 Tournament tips off Mar 10th; Cal a long shot

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Oregon Ducks guard LJ Figueroa (top) goes for the throw down as Cal defenders Ryan Betley (left) and Andre Kelly (right) could only watch during the last regular season game on Sat Feb 27, 2021 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley. Cal will face Stanford in the Pac 12 Tournament in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Center on Wed Mar 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris, one consolation about the Cal Bears season (8-19) the Pac 12 Tournament will be their last hurrah for the 2020-21 season.

#2 Let’s talk about some of the players who shined and had some good games during the season for Cal we’ll start with the very popular Matt Bradley who finished the season with 18.4 points per game average

#3 The Bears Andre Kelly finished in second in average season scoring with 10.4 not the biggest overall season number but Kelly did help out with some games this season.

#4 For head coach Mark Fox looking past the Pac 12 Tournament he should have a busy off season recruiting.

#5  The Bears are in Vegas on Mar 10th and will face Stanford do you see any outside chance the Bears could make this an interesting game although their long shots for advancing in the Tournament.

Morris Phillips covered the Cal Bears men’s basketball team for the 2020-21 season and will return next Monday for the San Francisco Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Embiid and Simmons barber had Covid-19 leading to removal from All Star Game; Kings and Warriors reviews

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Joe Embiid (21) and Ben Simmons (25) of the Philadelphia 76ers both were removed from playing in the NBA All Star Game due to Covid-19 protocol issues on Sun Mar 7, 2021 in Atlanta (@sixers)

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 The Philadelphia 76ers (24-12) Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons received haircuts from a barber who had tested positive for Covid-19 and the NBA announced that both players were not going to play in last night’s All Star game in Atlanta.

#2 Barbara, the Sacramento Kings (14-22) have been playing .500 ball in their last four games. The Kings lost their last game to the Portland Trailblazers (21-14) 123-119 on Thursday night. The Kings previous game to that one was a shocker as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (24-13) 123-120 also memorable because LeBron did not play.

#3 The Kings although they lost to Portland on Thursday looks to have improved over the last two games with the win over the Lakers and the close contest against the Trailblazers.

#4 The Golden State Warriors (19-18) just below the playoff line in ninth place in the Western Conference the Warriors after winning six of seven went on a three game losing streak losing most recently to the Phoenix Suns (24-11) 120-98 last Thursday. Jordan Poole scored 26 leading Golden State in scoring.

#5 The Warriors face the fourth place Los Angeles Clippers (24-14) on Thu Mar 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Clippers have lost five of their last seven games and in their last game they lost a close one to the Washington Wizards (14-20) 119-117.

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Monday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Mar 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud