Category: NCAA

Cardinal Shalantly defeated the Cavaliers 88-65; Sweeping the Commonwealth of VA. on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal forward Jaylen Thompson (24) drives on the Virginia Cavaliers forward JT Power (23) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Jan 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (11-5, 3-2 ACC) beat the Virginia Cavaliers (8-8, 1-4 ACC) 88-65, and swept the two conference schools from the state known as the “Mother of Presidents” over a three-day period inside Maples Pavilion.

Stanford got off to a TREEmendous start to the game. They hit two three pointers before their Atlantic Coast visitors knew what happened. Freshman forward Donavin Young and junior guard Oziyah Sellers both confidently stroked consecutive Threes immediately after tip off.

Virginia was not cavalier in their attempt to compete with the Cardinal. They performed a 6-0 run and led by as much as three points. There were eight lead changes and two ties during the first 20 minutes of gameplay.

However, the Cardinal responded with another 6-0 run and led as many as 10 points by intermission, and kept the lead for good. That was the halftime margin, due to a runnin 3-pointer at the buzzer by senior guard Jaylen Blakes.

At the half, Stanford maintained a double-digit advantage, 40-30. Maxime Raynaud led both teams with 10 points and 5 rebounds, while junior guard Isaac McKneely paced the Cavs with 9 points.

The Cardinal partially duplicated the beginning of the game, as they did the second Stanza. Sellers opened the final half two with a three to put them up by 13 points. They did not hit two in a row, as they did in the first, but held on to a significant lead throughout the second 20-minute block.

Stanford increased that 13-point lead to as high as 23, but the Cavaliers continued to battle back. They actually got the deficit as low as nine points momentarily, by way of a 7-0 run. Stanford trumped that with a 10-0 run of their own.

After the Cardinal withstood their guest’s best punches, they cruised through the last minutes of the contest to a 23-point victory, 88-65. Stanford is undefeated at home in ACC play, and 3-0 in the Bay Area, including the conference opener at Berkeley against Cal.

Raynaud led all players with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Sellers contributed 15 points, while Blakes added 10 points to the Cardinal’s cause.

McKneely topped Virgina with 22 points and Jacob Cofie tallied 11 points and 5 rebounds.

The Cardinal will next be in action Wednesday, January 11, as they travel to North Carolina to take on Wake Forest at 6:30 ET on ESPNEWS. Virginia heads back to Charlottesville to host SMU on the same date at 9:00 PM ET on the ACC Network.

Cal Women To Be Pushed By Florida State, Nation’s Leading Scorer, Ta’Niya Latson

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Brooke Wyckoff’s Seminoles have never been to Berkeley. This season, they’ve yet to face a ranked opponent and No. 24 Cal is up next. And they’re coming off a frustrating loss at Stanford in which they scored 84 points, and lost in regulation.

When you’re 13-3 with big goals, you crawl back to the hotel, recharge, and spend little time waxing poetically about your beautiful January weekend in Northern California.

“What it takes is a standard of excellence on both ends of the floor,” Wyckoff said immediately, in reflecting on the trip so far, including a loss at Stanford that was simply not what she wants from her experienced, talented team.

The host Cardinal came in a mess, and left blessed. Losers of five of their last six, Stanford pushed the pace, and made shots. They also dominated the glass, and never trailed after 9-8 early in the first period. Wyckoff demanded her team assess themselves, individually and collectively, and take responsibility for their performance in the 89-84 loss.

“We need better defense, no uncontested threes,” she said. “We scored 84 points, which is less than what we normally score, but enough to win a basketball game.”

Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s leading scorer at 27.7 ppg, put up 24 but wasn’t on her game. Two games ago, she scored 40, and she’s exceeded 24 on ten other occasions. But against Stanford, she needed 22 shots to reach that 24, and defensively, she got caught on a couple of instances outside of reach of Stanford shooters.

Latson’s response to a subpar game could be Cal’s biggest concern. The junior guard is rarely out of pocket and produces big numbers effortlessly and seemingly from muscle memory. Cal will dial up several different defenses, but Latson’s unlikely to be phased.

“It’s the natural growth as a player, from day one she’s seen every type of coverage thrown at her,” Wyckoff said of Latson. “She’s more comfortable now than ever.”

Latson’s body maturity after a couple of seasons in a university-style gym is noticeable. At 5’8″, she’s exceptionally smooth, and now, with the increased muscle, far less likely to be impeded in the paint, even by defenders that are five or six inches taller.

Cal will counter with their uncanny shooting prowess that ranks them 12th nationally in made threes per game at 10.1. They shoot 46 percent from the floor, which ranks 37th. At Haas Pavilion, the Golden Bears are 10-0 and their crowds are building as their 15-2 won-loss record gains notice.

Wyckoff, a year removed from a cancer diagnosis, and an intense regime with chemotherapy, is again enjoying the process, and the intense competition within the ACC that coaches crave.

“You’re preparing for opponents, you’re playing games,” Wyckoff said, in comparing her coaching career to a form of therapy.

“(Having that distraction) was a huge blessing. And an amazing staff supported me through it,” she said about last season before declaring that her chemo treatments have ended for now.

Cal Women Shoot Up No. 21 N.C. State In 78-71 Win

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–By the time Kayla Williams went washing machine, and put N.C. State defender Zoe Brooks into a spin cycle at the elbow before finishing over fast closing  post Tilda Trygger, the Golden Bears shot making display was already in full effect.

Coach Wes Moore hinted to Thursday’s game as being a continuation of his opponent film study that clearly demonstrated Cal’s basketball team as exceptional shooters. The game validated Cal, and the show started early and continued late.

Ioanna Krimili struck first with a floater in the game’s first 13 seconds. Then Lulu Twidale buried a three as soon as Kayla Williams’ pass arrived on a rope. Marta Suarez casually dropped a three. The Haas Pavilion crowd, minus a few friends, perked up fast and got loud.

The No. 24 Golden Bears would limp through the remainder of the opening quarter, then suddenly seize control early in the second. Suarez’s three 3-pointers in less than a minute neatly erased the visitors’ lead, put Cal in the driver’s seat, and frustrated Moore, who abruptly called a timeout.

“They’re a very explosive offensive team,” Moore said. “We knew that coming in. Four starters shoot over 40 percent from three. I thought (Michelle Onyiah) really did a nice job for them tonight as well. So they had a great balanced attack.”

In the first, authentic big game at Haas since 2018, Cal showed out. Coach Charmin Smith knew it and expressed joyous relief.

“I’m just really proud of this team. I think this was a great program win,” Smith said. “Those (N.C. State) guards have been to a Final Four.”

“That’s what we do. That’s what we say. We make threes in tough moments. I was just feeling it,” Suarez said.

“Having shooters all around the floor, it creates a lot of space for everybody, so that was what coach kind of mentioned.”

On a night where the referees effectively kept both teams away from the free throw line (only 16 free throws were attempted in the game), shooting was the key to victory. Both teams displayed Top 25 shot making, but Cal had the ball in Williams’ hands, and she was either efficient or spectacular all night.

For the entire 40 minutes without a substitution, Williams probed, attacked, and dechipered. Each time down the floor, and with the ball in her hands, she broke the Wolfpack defense and found her teammates. When the defense relaxed, she got to the basket with a series of jaw-dropping finishes.

“I thought Williams killed us off the bounce,” Moore admitted.

Suarez led Cal with 17 points. Krimili, Onyiah, and Williams each added 15. Twidale contributed 11, and Gabrielle Obigor and Jayda Noble provided critical play off the bench.

N.C. State’s unflappable duo of Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James combined for 33 points, but they missed 19 shots, and couldn’t string together a flurry of buckets that would have surely given the hosts pause.

Cal (15-2, 3-1) hosts Florida State on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game provides Cal an opportunity to remain connected to league-leader Notre Dame, the only conference team that’s undefeated in league play. The Bears visit the Irish on February 9.

Cardinal Won ACC Home Opener over the Hokies 70-59; stopped losing streak on the Farm

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Virginia Tech Hokies guard Rodney Brown Jr (4) takes a shot against the Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Jan 8, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (10-5, 2-2 ACC) ended their 3-game losing streak, while winning their Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) home opener, 70-59, against the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-9, 1-3 ACC), on a Wednesday Evening inside Maples Pavilion.

The Cardinal overcame a 12-point deficit, and performed a 23-point turnaround during their 40-minute conference battle versus their new rival Hokies. VA Tech took the lead a little over three minutes into the game, after trailing by two twice.

Virginia Tech not only took the lead, they went on a 14-0 run, amassing their largest advantage of the contest, 12 points. They accomplished that margin midway through the first half. Stanford did chip away at the lead, and managed to get within single digits of the lead.

The Hokies managed to hold onto the lead going into recess, but felt the comeback momentum of the Cardinal. VA Tech led by five at the half, 30-25. They had one player reach double figures, while the home team had none, Senior forward Ben Burham led all players with 12 points, while Stanford’s leader was junior guard Qziyah Sellers with 9 points.

In the second half, the Cardinal made their move, with two 9-0 runs and finally taking the lead in just under five minutes into the final half. The second stanza had two ties and seven lead changes. After the 56-56 tie, Stanford put on the second 9-0 run and pretty much sealed the game.

Virginia Tech only managed to add three more points from that final tie, while the Cardinal put up 14 more tallies. Their defense was also a lot better during the second 20-minute block. VA Tech shot 50$ from 2 and 3 in the first half. Their percentages were 43% & 0% respectively in the second half. They also outrebounded their cross-country visitors 21:11 in the second stanza.

With all of those statistical advantages, VA Tech not only relinquished the lead, but essentially conceded the game. Stanford went on to win the conference contest by 11 points, 70-59.

Three Cardinal hoopers accomplished the 10+ points plateau. Senior forward Maxime Raynaud grabbed 14 rebounds and he and Sellers both led with game high 19 points. Senior guard Jaylen Blakes contributed 17 points and 6 assists to the cause.

As for the Hokies, Burnham finished with a team high 18 points, while his teammates Tobi Lowal chipped in 15 points and 5 rebounds and Mylyjael Poteat offered 12 points to his squad.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday, January 11, as they host the Virginia Cavaliers, at 1:00 PM PT on ESPNU. Virginia Tech heads across the Bay to Berkeley to take on Cal on the same date, at 3:00 PM PT on the ACC Network.

Golden Bears down Virginia 75-61 for first ACC win

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Cal Bears forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (1) throws down on the Virginia Cavaliers at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Jan 8, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

California came up with its first Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball victory of the season Wednesday at Haas Pavilion, as the Golden Bears defeated Virginia 75-61.

After the Bears’ win, Cal (8-7 overall, 1-3 ACC) and Virginia (*-7 overall, 1-3 ACC) are tied for 13th place in the conference race.

Andrej Stojakovic topped the scoring column for the Golden Bears, popping in a game-high 23 points on 6 of 11 field goals and 11 of 13 at the fee throw line. It was the eighth 20-point game for Stojakovic, who transferred to Cal from Stanford.

DJ Campbell was next for Cal with 11 points, followed by Joshua Ola-Joseph and Jeremiah Wilkinson with 10 points each off the bench.

Mady Sissoko scored nine points while leading Cal with 11 rebounds, as the Golden Bears had a 40-33 edge on the boards.

Andrew Rohde led the Cavaliers with14 points and six assists, followed by Jacob Cofie with 12 points and Elijah Saunders with 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.

The Golden Bears shot 43.1 from the field (22 of 51, 4 of 13 3-pointers) and 27 of 33 at the free throw line. Virginia was held to 32.8 percent shooting 19of 58 field goals, 7 of 23 3-point) and 16 of 18 free throws.

The announced crowd of 3,696 watched the Golden Bears snap a three-game losing streak.

On Saturday, the Golden Bears host Virginia Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Stanford gets convincing win against Virginia Tech; Cardinal tips off against Virginia Saturday

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Stanford Cardinal guard Jaylen Blakes(21) had 17 points scored against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Jan 8, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael, the Stanford Cardinal (10-5) played a solid game Wednesday night against the Virginia Tech Hokies (6-9). Stanford started out behind the Hokies in the first half 30-25 but caught on later with a 45-29 second half.

#2 The Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud and guard Oziyah Sellers both wound up with 19 points and when you get a tandem like that your going to win some ball games.

#3 Michael, in that first half was it a matter of Stanford just getting out of the gate a little slow on offense.

#4 Jaylen Blakes provided some offense as well finishing with 17 points he was a key distributor for Stanford getting some good looks.

#5 Stanford hosts the Virginia Cavaliers who just got done playing the Cal Bears on Wednesday night. Virginia is 12th in the Atlantic Coast. The Hokies are just above .500. This game is at Maples Pavilion this Sat Jan 11 and Stanford is coming off that win against Virginia Tech how do you see this match up?

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

Cal Bears WBB podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal and NC State clash Thursday night at Haas Pavilion

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Cal Bears head coach Charmin Smith goes over instructions with the players during a time out (photo by Cal Bears Athletics program)

On the Cal Bears WBB podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 The Cal Bears (14-2, 2-1 ACC) will tip off against No.21 NC State (12-3) on Thursday night at 7pm here at Haas Pavilion. It is the first top 25 match up played here in Berkeley since the 2017-18. This is the first ever meeting between Cal and NC State.

#2 If Cal were to win on Thursday that would give them two top 25 wins at home for the first time since 2018-19 when they beat No.8 Stanford and No.17 Arizona State.

#3 Morris, what could have been the Bears could have been 10-0 but lost a couple game between win number nine and the two loses but just the same they’ve been a tough customer.

#4 Marta Suarez is having a season she has a leading 19 points hitting eight of 12 shots with six rebounds and was three for three from downtown. What do you look from Marta going into Thursday’s game?

#5 Morris, one important note the NC State Wolfpack are no pushovers they bring a seven game win streak into Haas Pavilion on Thursday night and defeated the Boston College Eagles (10-8) in their last game by a clear decision 91-52 at NC State last Sun Jan 5th.

Morris Phillips does the Cal Bears podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

SJSU MBB extend losing streak, falling 85-78 to Utah State

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Robert Vaihola touching the net during their game on Tuesday January 7th at Provident Credit Union Center against Utah State (Via SanJoseStateMBB)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE–Coming into today’s game, San Jose State was fighting against a losing streak losing their last two, most recently on the road against UNLV, a 79-73 loss at Provident Credit Union Center.

After the 1st half, the Spartans went into the locker room trailing the Aggies 45-36. In the first half, it was all Utah State with a 46.2% 1st FG going 12-26 while San Jose State went 13-34 with a 38.2%. “Ultimately I think our first half defense let us down, it was too easy for Utah State” said HC Tim Miles.

When asked about if there was a message given to the team between halves, Miles put it simply. “It’s not repeatable”, then after chuckling he responded, “I just think we had to commit to playing harder, just effort level, and intensity, and defensive edge. I just think we didn’t have that and I let them have it at halftime”

Coming out of the gates strong, Yap Jr started the second half with a steal, drew a charge, and shot a three. That really fueled the bench and set the tone for how the rest of the game was going to go after going into the locker room down. “That was a big momentum boost for us as a group so you know, we could have that type of energy in the second half every game” said Teammate Josh Uduje.

San Jose State was able to stay in the game because of a career-high night by Donovan Yap Jr. He registered 22 total points, four assists, one steal, and went 6-10 on three pointers, his best offensive game of the season. “Coach was really preaching for us to come out playing harder defensively and I just wanted to set the tone for my team, make sure I was doing what it took to try to come out and win the game.”

Their record now falls to 7-10 but although their record isn’t the best, it doesn’t define the type of team that they are. “I feel like we’re better than the record displays, we’ve had some up and downs throughout the season but I do feel like we should have won some of those games for sure” said Yap Jr.

The Spartans will be back in action on Saturday January 11th traveling to Colorado to take on the Air Force.

Mustang Must: Cal Women rebound with 81-66 win at SMU

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Cal Bears forward Marta Suarez led with 19 points against the SMU Mustangs in Dallas on Sun Jan 5, 2025 (Cal Bears photo)

By Morris Phillips

There’s nothing like weekend travel in the ACC. The Golden Bears know that after experiencing 48 hours of idled frustration following an unanticipated loss at Clemson. In this case, a rough Friday and Saturday prior to a triumphant Sunday afternoon at SMU in Dallas.

It wasn’t easy excursion, but it was productive.

The Bears relied on great shooting, including 10 made threes to get past Clemson. Five of those threes fell in the third quarter when Cal extended a four-point halftime lead to 64-51 after three quarters. Marta Suarez was the most aggressive shooter with 19 points on 9 of 12 from the floor.

“That’s a really good team,” SMU coach Toyelle Wilson said of Cal. “They’re Top 20 for a reason. They can shoot the ball, they can get downhill. They’re physical. Charmin has done a great job with that program. 

“But it wasn’t our day, and the girls know: we’re going to have to take some bumps and bruises to get through this ACC conference. Today was a good day for us to learn a lot.”

Cal returned to physical play with 40 rebounds and a healthy edge on the glass, along with 36 points in the paint. The referees weren’t all plussed, and they assessed fouls to Michelle Onyiah and Suarez that limited both players’ minutes.

Kayla Williams impressed legendary North Carolina All-American point guard Ivory Latta, who said, “she’s so poised. She really controls that offense.”

Williams killed with efficiency. She had 17 points, seven assists, and five assists. The visitors followed Williams’ lead: after squandering a pair of second quarter leads, the Bears led the entire second half, briefly by as many as 19 points.

Nya Robertson led the Mustangs with 22 points, but she needed 20 shots to get there. Chantae Embry had 12 points, and Ella Brow added 10.

The Bears (14-2, 3-1) return to Berkeley on Thursday to meet ranked opponent North Carolina State at Haas Pavilion.

Clemson’s Late Spurt Sends Cal Women To 69-58 Defeat In ACC Road Opener

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By Morris Phillips

Won-loss records and national rankings don’t win games, seizing an opening and capturing the moment does, just like the Clemson Tigers did on Thursday night.

A 12-0 run that followed 15 lead changes broke open a close game in the fourth quarter and carried Clemson past the Cal Women 69-58 at Littlejohn Coliseum. The loss thwarted Cal’s attempt to achieve a program-first 14-1 start to a season.

“We’re slowly building this, and we’re trying to do it the right way, in a way that feels like we’re part of Clemson,” coach Shawn Poppie said of his initial win over a Top 25 opponent as Tigers head coach.

“I think they were just really aggressive, and you could tell they had a sense of urgency, and they really wanted to win this game. And, I didn’t think we matched their intensity level. It was a poor shooting night for us, for sure. But this is road basketball in the ACC, and we’ve got to be better,” coach Charmin Smith said.

Loyal McQueen led Clemson with 18 points, 14 of those before halftime, when she gave the hosts narrow leads to end the first quarter and again at the halftime break. Mia Moore, Tessa Johnson, and reserve Raven Thompson also scored in double figures for Clemson, who found success driving to the rim for scores or by getting to the free throw line.

Cal got 18 points, including three 3-pointers, from Ioanna Krimili. But her teammates were 1 of 13 from distance, which doused any opportunities for a fourth quarter comeback. The Bears four made threes, and 20 percent shooting from distance were well below the visitors’ season averages.


“I thought we fouled a lot it looks like. I don’t know the foul discrepancy was, but it was very significant. They got a lot of trips to the line in that quarter, and we
weren’t able to keep people in front of us. We let them get downhill, get to the rim. We know that we have to be better defensively, and our defense usually
sparks our offense. So if we’re not getting stops, we’re not scoring as many points either.”

Cal gets a chance to salvage their road swing at SMU on Sunday afternoon. The Mustangs won’t be an easier target after they pulled past Stanford 67-63 on Thursday.