Category: NCAA

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson Tue Mar 18, 2025: Stanford holds lead over Matadors in 87-70 win

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) led with 22 points against the Cal State Northridge Matadors at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue Mar 18, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 First half Michael the Cardinal were just scoring like it was going out of style. The Cardinal finished the first half with a 46-29 lead against the Cal State Northridge Matadors.

#2 Once again Maxime Raynaud led Stanford in scoring with 22 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. Raynaud has come through all season long.

#3 Oziyah Sellers finished second in scoring with 20 points and three rebounds. Sellers has come through for the Stanford offense all season long.

#4 In the second half after a rough first half the Matadors ended up tying the Cardinal in second half scoring 41-41 but Stanford would come away with a 87-70 win at Maple Pavilion.

#5 The Cardinal take on Kent State Golden Flashes this Sunday at Maples. The Flashes have had a good season at 23-11. This could turn out to be as rather contested game coming up?

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinal can’t get over the buzzer beater shock to Louisville

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Oziyah Sellers guard (4) for the Stanford Cardinal goes up for the high percentage shot against the Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte NC on Thu Mar 13, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Stanford Cardinal were up for the Louisville Cardinals on Thursday night only to lose it on a Chucky Hepburn buzzer beater at the Spectrum Center on Thursday night 75-73. The Cardinal record falls to 20-13.

#2 For Stanford leading scorer Oziyah Seller with 22 points and made seven of 12 field goal attempts and four out six 3 pointers. Oziyah also had four rebounds, three assists had three steals which is a career high.

#3 The Stanford effort was all there in this heartbreaker, Maxime Raynaud scored 17 points, Ryan Agarwal had 11 points and Chisom Okpara had ten points.

#4 This is the first time the Cardinal had lost on a buzzer beater since Feb 27, 2010. The Arizona Wildcats LaMont Jones shot was the game winner as time run out.

#5 One of the amazing parts about this game Stanford who had lost previously to Louisville by 20 points was a prepared team and battling team that kept it close all game long and even had a 15 point lead at 14:36 only to see it melt away with 5:40 left in the game by just one point.

Michael Roberson is a Stanford Cardinal beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips Thu Mar 13, 2025: Coach Smith gets five year extension; Successful season at 25-8 and counting

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Cal Bears head coach Charmin Smith who coached Cal to a 25-8 record during the regular season and the ACC Tournament was given a five year extension contract on Wed Mar 12, 2025 (San Francisco Chronicle photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 Cal Bears head coach Charmin Smith was given a well deserved five year extension as announced by Athletic Director Jim Knowlton as announced on Wednesday. The Cal Bears had a successful season at 25-8.

#2 Smith is in here sixth year with Cal and inked a deal though the 2029 season. The new contract now replaces her last contract and she is as excited as her players, fans, as well as the Athletic program.

#3 Smith has is committed to keeping the basketball program competitive in the ACC and on a national level. Smith is committed also to the revenue sharing with the student athletes and also improving the facility.

#4 The Bears are having their best season since 2018-19. Cal is coming off a tough loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament last Friday 73-64 but in spite of that last loss once again Coach Smith coached a very competitive game against a tough school.

#5 Smith was grateful for the opportunity to get the five year extension thank Knowlton and the university, “First off, I want to thank Jim Knowlton for staying with me and believing in me.”

Morris Phillips is a Cal Bears beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson Wed Mar 12, 2025: Raynaud and Blakes lead Cardinal to 78-73 win over Cal; Stanford faces Louisville tonight in round 3

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Stanford Cardinal Chisom (10) pins the Stanford decal on the NCAA bracket after defeating the Cal Bears at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro NC after the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wed Mar 12, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal (20-12) defeated the Cal Bears (14-19) in five point win 78-73. Both teams were dealing but Stanford was able to be the last team standing as the Cardinal advance in the ACC Tournament,.

#2 The Cardinal had a six point edge on Cal in the first half 38-32 In the second half the Bears had the edge with a 41-40 lead but couldn’t catch the Cardinal in the end.

#3 Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud scored 23 points and Jaylen Blakes had 21 points to supply the offense for Stanford.

#4 Cal’s Mady Sissoko was hit for a blocking foul when he tried to set up a screen with Addrei Stojakovic with 6.9 seconds left in the game. Raynaud was fouled by Cal and Raynaud went to the free throw line with five seconds left to give Stanford the lead for keeps.

#5 With the win Stanford now advances to face the Louisville Cardinals. at 4:00pm PDT in Charlotte NC at the Dale F Halton Arena. Stanford last faced Louisville last Sat Mar 8 where they were defeated by 20 points 68-48. How do you see this match up on Thursday night.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinals take out Cardinal 68-48 to close out regular season in Louisville

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Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) takes a shot over Stanford Cardinal forward Aidan Cammann (52) in the second half at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on Sat Mar 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Louisville Cardinals (25-6) basketball are a force to reckon with after winning their ninth straight game against the Stanford Cardinal (19-12) by a whopping 20 points 68-48 earlier today in Louisville.

#2 Louisville’s Terrence Edwards Jr and Chucky Hepburn had 16 points each they were two that the Cardinal defense had trouble stopping.

#3 One of the struggles for the Cardinal was that they went without a basket for eight minutes and missed 11 shots in a row. The Cardinals went on a 14-1 run and took a 29-11 lead.

#4 Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud was the only Cardinal to finish in double figures with 17 points. The Cardinal needed offense from Jaylen Blakes with five points, Oziyah Sellers eight points, Chisim Okpara eight points, and Ryan Agawal with seven points.

#5 Michael from what you have seen from today’s game the 20 point loss, the struggles from the defense, Raynaud being the only player in double figures. Going forward what adjustments will the Cardinal need when facing these Goliath teams.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Spartans smash Fresno Bulldogs 92-68 on Senior Day

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San Jose State Spartans vs Fresno Bulldogs at Provident Credit Union Event Center on Saturday March 8th (via sanjosestatembb/instagram)

By Madison Montez

In Uduje, Hall, Yap. Jr, and Marial’s last game at Provident Credit Union Event Center, the San Jose State Spartans claimed victory against the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Going into the locker room with their biggest lead of the game so far, Donovan Yap.Jr led the way. After missing one game due to a toe injury, Yap.Jr registered 16 points, a 6-8 FG, 3-6 3FG, 3 rebounds, and two assists. Vaihola in his first game back, registered seven rebounds in just the first half.

Each team had three turnovers but San Jose took advantage scoring five points in comparison to Fresno’s three. The three’s were dumping for the Spartans having a 40% in comparison to Fresno’s 17%.

Making sure that the seniors went out with a bang, the Spartans won 92-68. Yap.Jr led the way once again with 14 points. 5-5 FG, 2-2 3FG, one rebound, and one assist. With 23 points registered throughout the whole game, he now holds a career-high against his former team.

Robert Vaihola now holds a career-high in rebounds being 19.

The freshman Jermaine Washington had a breakout game, hitting his career-high in points being 19. Washington went 5-11 FG, 2-6 3FG, 7-7 FT. Also registering six rebounds and one assist.

And now, the seniors’s stats in their final home game:

Uduje: 16 pts, 6-11 FG, 1-3 3FG, 3-4 FT, three rebounds, two assists

Hall: four pts, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3FG, two rebounds, one assist

Marial: 3 rebounds

Yap Jr: 30 points, 11-14 FG, 5-7 3FG, 3-4 FT, four rebounds, three assists

The San Jose State Spartans will be back in action in the Mountain West Tournament on Wednesday March 12th. The Spartans will be taking on the ninth seed Wyoming. The last time these two teams faced off was on Saturday February 22nd when he Spartans traveled to Wyoming. In that game, San Jose State won 82-73.

Levels To The Game: No. 6 Irish Too Good For Cal Women Down The Stretch in 73-64 Win

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Cal Bears Marta Suarez (right) finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and got her sixth double double of the season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro NC on Fri Mar 7, 2025 (Cal Bears photo)

By Morris Phillips

For 26 minutes, Cal’s typically uneven game was more smooth than rough, giving them an unlikely 47-43 lead over higher-seeded Notre Dame. Over the final 14 minutes, the Irish took over.

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame’s only efficient scorer in this one, scored 25 points and the Irish advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals with a 73-64 win. Cal finishes their season 25-8 but should hear good news next weekend when the NCAA Tournament field is announced.

The Bears played without top reserve Jayda Noble, and saw Michelle Onyiah limited by foul trouble before fouling out in the final minutes. Still, the Bears came up with a far better effort against Notre Dame than they did in a 91-52 regular season loss. The Bears could have fared better but 28 turnovers gave the Irish more than enough opportunities to lift their play as the game progressed.

“I thought we were really competitive, and I thought we played good basketball aside from turning it over a bit too much,” coach Charmin Smith said.

“I think defensively we did a great job,” Marta Suarez said. “I think offensively we did a good job finding our shots. Our only issue was taking care of the ball.”

Cal’s offense looked elite with Onyiah on the floor and providing her team with a low-post presence. Onyiah shot 6 of 8 from the floor, and Lulu Twidale led Cal with 16 points. But the turnovers were glaring, and they kept the Irish from having to pay for subpar shooting from distance, and having anyone else on point from a shooting standpoint besides Hidalgo.

“Some of our shots, our normal shots, didn’t really go in in the first half. But I thought we really settled in in the second half,” coach Niele Ivey said.

The Irish will face Duke in the ACC semis with North Carolina and North Carolina State facing each other in the first matchup.

Smith wants to see her team seeded higher than eighth in the NCAA Tournament but without a significant upset win over Notre Dame or another top eight-nationally program, that’s where they figure to land come selection day a week from Sunday.

Cal Women Play Big: Bears Win ACC Tournament Opener 75-58 Over Virginia

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Cal Bears Marta Suarez is double teamed by the Virginia Cavaliers in ACC Tournament action in Greensboro NC on Thu Mar 6, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

By Morris Phillips

The Bears’ 30 points in the first 13 minutes of their ACC Tournament opener emphatically stated that they were more than happy to participate in a conference tournament 3,000 miles from campus.

And from that point, things got better still.

“I was really proud of how we started the game,” coach Charmin Smith said. “We came out with the intensity that we needed and were able to jump on Virginia right away and then kind of never looked back.”

The Cal women played fast from the start, and were forceful in getting the ball into Michelle Onyiah against a Cavaliers’ defense that was light in the post. The higher-seeded Bears hit just two 3-pointers in their opening run, but finished with nine, which demonstrated how their early aggressiveness opened up their complete attack.

Four Bears finished with double digits in points, including Lulu Twidale, Marta Suarez and Onyiah, who each scored 16. Cal again enjoyed a healthy edge on the glass, outrebounding Virginia 46-28.

The Bears advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round and a meeting with Notre Dame at 2pm.

Virginia was led by Kymora Johnson with 18 points and Paris Clark with 15. They finish the regular season at 17-15 and will be eligible for an invitation to the WNIT.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal and Cardinals face off in Louisville Saturday in regular season finale

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Stanford Cardinal Maxime Raynaud goes up for the finger roll against three Notre Dame Fighting Irish defenders at the Purcell Center at Notre Dame (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 It was a tough, tough loss for the Stanford Cardinal (19-11) who got edged by a very competitive and competent Notre Dame Fighting Irish club (13-17) 56-54 at the Purcell Center at Notre Dame.

#2 Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud led with 20 points and every one of those points made the difference in a tight game like this despite the two point loss.

#3 Stanford Jaylen Blakes followed up Raynaud in scoring with 13 points he’s had a great season and has been key for some of the Cardinal wins this season.

#4 Stanford’s Benny Gealer was third in scoring with 11 points and was valuable when you consider the Stanford nearly came back to win the game and getting outscored by the Irish in the second half 35-30.

#5 The Cardinal next up face the Louisville Cardinals in Kentucky this Sat Mar 8th for a 11:00AM PDT. Louisville are third in the ACC at 24-6. 13-3 at home and have won eight in a row. The Cardinal are seventh and are struggling on the road at 3-7.

Michael Roberson is a Stanford Cardinal beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

March Is Just Beginning For Cal Women After Their Regular Season-Concluding 82-63 Win Over Miami

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Michelle Onyiah and the Cal women are on a roll at the right time.

Onyiah led Cal with 26 points and 10 rebounds in their regular season-ending 82-63 win over Miami on Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion. Now the Bears can turn their attention to the post-season with aspirations they haven’t held in six seasons.

“We still have a lot of work to do which is a good thing,” coach Charmin Smith said.

The Bears will be seeded seventh in the upcoming ACC Tournament and will be matched with the winner of Pittsburgh/Virginia in their opening game on Thursday afternoon. Visiting Miami needed to win Sunday to finish in the top 15, and they conclude their season at 14-15.

Cal’s seven seniors–Kayla Williams, Marta Suarez, Claudia Langarita, Ioanna Krimili, Natalia Ackerman, Jayda Noble and Onyiah–were honored in a ceremony before the game. The emotional beginning transferred to the game as Cal opened an 11-3 lead five minutes into the game.

The hosts extended their lead to 11 at the half and 21 after three quarters. Cal registered a 39-26 edge in rebounding, and scored 36 points in the paint, punctuated by Onyiah making her first 10 shots from the floor before finishing 10 of 12. Suarez added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Williams had 11 points in just 26 minutes of activity.

Haley Cavinder had 16 points for the Hurricanes.

The Bears won for the 16th time at home, establishing a new program record with their only loss to North Carolina. Krimili added three 3-pointers giving her 431 in her career, which ranks ninth all-time at the Division 1 level.