Category: NCAA

Cal’s Chilly Evening In The South Bay: Bears’ Offense Disappears in 71-50 Loss To No. 23 SDSU

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By Morris Phillips

SAN JOSE, CA–Fifteen ACC basketball teams hit the hardwood on Saturday, and one–Cal–had a particularly difficult time gaining a feel for holiday hoops.

The Bears made 14 baskets in 40 minutes of play and were drubbed by No. 23 San Diego State, 71-50 at the San Jose Tip-Off in the SAP Center.

During a lengthy run by the Aztecs late in the first half, and immediately after another missed shot by Cal, coach Mark Madsen lost it for nearly 45 seconds, yelling at the officials, drawing a technical, and needing three, different staff members to provide physical restraint.

“Mad Dog at Midnight* (in the East)” probably drew big numbers for ESPN. But this game in a quiet, cavernous Shark Tank did not.

“San Diego State took us completely out of our offense,” Madsen said. “Our defense in the first half was OK. Our defense in the second half was poor.”

Only one made 3-pointer highlighted the first half, and when the Aztecs’ Nick Boyd hit two threes in the first minute of the second half, the game was essentially over with Cal trailing 31-16. The Bears slumped even further, trailing by as many as 27 before falling by 19.

“We stuck in the game with our defense,” SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said. “We started making some threes, and that opened up the game for us.”

“We couldn’t find a rhythm,” Madsen said. “They played with so much physicality, got us off our spots.”

Boyd led SDSU with 17 points, Miles Byrd and BJ Davis each scored 12.

Cal shot 25 percent for the game, and leading scorer Andrej Stojakovic missed his first nine shots from the floor, and was limited to 10 points. Jeremiah Wilkinson led Cal with 13 points.

The SAP Center provided Cal the floor earlier in the day, but that session was canceled when the rims appeared six inches too low, and the 3-point line was set at an improper distance.

The Aztecs couldn’t get to San Jose after a couple of canceled flights on Friday, and they ended up driving to Ontario to fly from there. That change completely severed the traveling party, all of whom outside the players and coaches ended up on busses that arrived less than an hour before game time.

All the upheaval was brushed off by both coaches, but Cal’s play obviously suffered. Dutcher, who has more than two decades coaching at San Diego State alone, was more effusive about what his Aztecs have accomplished despite challenging logistics.

“We had as good a non-conference we could have with the schedule we played. A loss to Gonzaga and a loss to Oregon is nothing to hang your head over. Wins obviously over Creighton, Houston and Cal, UC San Diego was 9-2. We put together a good non-conference resume,” Dutcher said.

Cal’s 50 points on Saturday were easily the fewest scored by a team on the ACC scoreboard. Stanford, with 61 points, and Georgia Tech with 65 were also challenged to score, and both lost as well. The Bears resume ACC play in Pittsburgh on New Years Day.

Oh, not to muddle Cal’s holiday cheer, but the Pitt Panthers scored 110 points on Saturday in dusting Sam Houston State to improve to 10-2.

Merry Christmas.

Cardinal Swarmed by the Ducks 76-61, inside the Shark Tank (San Jose Tip Off)

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) drives on the Oregon Ducks forward Supreme Cook (left) in first half action at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Dec 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (9-3, 1-0 ACC) were bombarded by the Flying Oregon Ducks (11-1, 1-1 Big 10) 76-61, in the Capital City of the Silicon Valley.

Stanford went scoreless for nearly four minutes to start the game. During that time frame, Oregon had a 4-0 run for their points production.

When the drought finally ended (16:10), it was on a Maxime Raynaud Trey, he added a dunk later, to go on his own personal 5-0 run and give his team their first lead, 5-4. There were six lead changes in the first 20-minute stanza.

The Ducks performed an 8-0 run, as well as a 9-0 one. They led by as many as 17 points before intermission, At the midway point of the game, Oregon led by that same margin, 36-19. Stanford shot a putrid 24% from the field, and worse (18%) from beyond the arc.

Neither team had a player with double-digit scoring; however, Raynaud led the Card with nine points and seven rebounds, while senior center Nate Bittle topped the Ducks with seven points and five rebounds.

Stanford shot considerably better from both perspectives in the second half. However, their deficit was as large as 26 points, despite outscoring the Ducks 42-40. That was assisted by a 10-0 run late in the game, but not close enough to tie, and there were no lead changes during minutes 20:01 – 40:00.

At the final whistle of game one of the San Jose Tip-Off, Oregon defeated the Santa Clara County based Stanford Cardinal by 15 points in the county’s capital city. Final score inside SAP Center, Oregon 76, Stanford 61.

The Cardinal presented two players who reached the 10+ points plateau. Raynaud led all players with 20 points and he also grabbed 13 rebounds, garnering another double-double for the senior forward. Junior guard Benny Gealer added 10 points to the Cardinal total.

The Ducks also produced two players with the aforementioned tally. Sophomore forward Kwame Evans Jr, (13) and sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad (10), while their leader at the half, Bittle, was close, with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Ex-Cardinal Brandon Angel offered a modest 7 points against his former university.

Stanford will next be in action on New Year’s Day in South Carolina, to take on new ACC foe Clemson Tigers at 4:00 PM EST on the ACC Network. The Ducks fly North back to Eugene Sunday, December 29 to host Weber State at 2:00 PM PT on B!G+.

Stanford Women Looking To Diversify Their Ways After Rough Night in 84-59 Loss To No. 11 Ohio State

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Kate Paye hasn’t spent two decades with the Stanford women’s basketball team without developing resilience. And that’s her makeup, not necessarily a characteristic she assumed from her mentor, legendary coach Tara VanDerveer. At this point, her Stanford experience is uniquely hers, for better or worse. And worse was Friday’s sobering loss to Ohio State at the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic at Chase Center.

Paye’s response to a third, aggravating loss this month?

“I love coaching this team. There are three other teams that are here, I wouldn’t want to be in any other locker room. I love the women on our team. We have an incredible staff who work extremely hard. We have to learn from it. This is as our mindfulness coach would tell us, this is information, this is feedback. It doesn’t affect the players or the coaches that we are, the human beings that we are. We have to learn from it, and we have to work to improve,” she said.

Starting with the Cardinal’s fourth quarter defensive hiccup at LSU, Paye’s team has regressed defensively. The host Tigers shot 10 for 17 in that final period, which forced overtime and resulted in a 94-88 loss for Stanford. Rival California found the hot hand early and maintained it in an 83-63 decision that dropped Stanford to 0-1 in the ACC. The Bears set a school record with 18 made threes.

And Friday, Ohio State shot it so well that Stanford resorted to playing zone briefly to break the Buckeyes’ spell. That didn’t make a difference, nor did Stanford’s tardy and lethargic offensive attack.

“I just didn’t come out with the level of aggression I usually do,” said leading scorer Nunu Agara, who looked good in the box score with 17 points, 10 rebounds, but didn’t impress herself. “Just being mentally locked in, staying with things. I think I didn’t do that great of a job in the first half–honestly the first three quarters. I turned it up a little too late. As for our team, we were a little shell-shocked about their press.”

Paye acknowledged that her team’s success shooting the three in the season’s first five games told future opponents to emphasize shutting down Stanford’s perimeter attack. From her perspective, the response has to be to drive and attack the basket. As of yet, that counter hasn’t kicked in. The quality of the opponents hasn’t helped either. Ohio State’s hands-on press proved pesky, forcing 19 turnovers and scoring 17 points off those mistakes.

Stanford’s issues started offensively with just 19 points scored before halftime, then defensively, by allowing Ohio State 51 points after the break.

The Cardinal catch a break after Friday to be home for Christmas. After that, a winnable road trip to SMU and Clemson kicks off conference play. Paye’s mission and her team’s will be to recapture the magic and remember what makes them a formidable team.

U Know Who It Is. UCLA!: No. 1 Bruins Win Convincingly Over Creighton At Chase Center

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Coach Cori Close is greatly loved by her players, the young women she recruited to assume the quest of returning the Bruins to national prominence. Those players are likely well aware that Close hasn’t taken UCLA to the Final Four in her 13 years as head coach.

When you love your coach, and you want her to have the very best storylines, trailing an inferior opponent at halftime of a second round NCAA Tournament game is a nerve wracking situation. Compounding the scene for Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic and the rest of the Bruins was a downcast Pauley Pavilion crowd that had experienced disappointment before.

The team’s play appeared tense, and their defense slipped. Creighton kept pushing, trying to put as many made baskets in their cookie jar as possible before the hosts snapped to. The Bluejays led 38-28 in the second quarter, and we’re still leading 44-34 in the third when Rice settled in.

“I just knew that I needed to do whatever I had to do to help my team win, whether that was feeding the ball to Lauren (Betts), scoring, doing whatever, and I think I was just focused on that,” Rice said.

Close’s tough love speech was all focus, and very little to do with her Final Four aspirations.

“At halftime, I really laid into them about the choices,” she said. “We don’t give up that many points in a half to anybody. So, we needed to just get back to doing things with our defense. I knew if we could get enough stops, we would score enough points.”

Sure enough, UCLA’s defensive intensity prevailed as Creighton scored just 21 points after the break while experiencing three lengthy droughts. The Bruins’ crowd exhaled, and the team advanced to the Sweet 16.

But they went no further, suffering a late game defeat to LSU in Albany the following week, and Close’s streak continued for another year.

“We didn’t get the shots that we wanted,” she said. “We did not execute the way that we needed to, and that’s one that’s going to sting for a really long time for me.”

A really long time wasn’t long at all for the hyper-motivated Close. Along with associate head coach Shannon LeBeauf and assistant Tony Newnan, who have been with Close since her beginning in Westwood, they hit the transfer portal with a mandate to add more of everything to put around Rice and Betts. Adding Janiah Barker from Alabama, Timea Gardiner from Oregon State, and Charlisse Leger-Walker from Washington State along with a group of highly-regarded freshman accomplished that. UCLA’s reload was simply loaded.

The Bruins opened the season running and took down reigning National Champion South Carolina in the process. A more diversified offense and relentless defense fueled an 11-0 start to the season and the Bruins ascent to No. 1 in the polls. Creighton was next on Friday at Chase Center, and the Bluejays immediately saw their opponent’s relentless ways.

“Seventy or 80 percent of it was them, but I thought we were tight and sped up offensively,” Creighton coach Jim Flanery said of UCLA’s flawless first quarter that ended with the Bruins leading 28-4.

Flanery acknowledged that the Bruins probably weren’t in the mindset of having another close call in the rematch, even if they had to play without Betts, who was out with a leg injury.

“The first quarter, I thought they played really fast and had us on our heels.”

The Bruins went on to win easily, 70-41. Their 12-0 start to the season includes just one win by fewer than 11 points. And now their first season in the Big Ten has arrived, along with two huge dates with crosstown irritant USC. A team this deep that wins with ease frequently needs an edge. Close has that covered as well.

“Nobody’s going to play perfect every single night. And bottom line is we have to have a selflessness that if it’s not my night, I’m going to celebrate it being someone else’s night,” she said.

What of the pressure of being the best team in the polls now but needing to break through in March?

“We have not arrived. And I think our ability to be relentlessly focused on being present and having a growth mindset. It is urgent that we improve today. It is urgent that I make a teammate better today.”

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal host surging Ducks Saturday at Maples Pavilion Saturday

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Stanford Cardinal Anthony Batson Jr picked up one assist against the Merrimack Warriors on Tue Dec 17, 2024 at Maple Pavilion in Palo Alto (photo by fieldlevelmedia.com)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal (9-2)  Oziyah Sellers went on an offensive rampage scoring 19 points and was 8 for 11 shooting from the floor at Maple Pavilion on Tuesday night leading the Cardinal to a 74-68 win over the Merrimack Warriors (5-7).

#2 The Warriors almost came back on the Cardinal whittling their 19 point lead down to just six points before time ran out and Merrimack dropped their record to 5-7.

#3 Stanford’s always reliable Maxime Raynaud came through leading with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

#4 Jaylen Blakes contributed with 16 points to help improve the Cardinal record to 9-2. Blakes was 5-7 from the floor and was perfect in 3 point shooting going 4-4. Blakes had a pretty good night adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

#5 The Cardinal take on the Oregon Ducks (10-1) on Sat Dec 21st at SAP San Jose for a 5:00pm PST tip. The Ducks are fourth in the Big 10 Conference. The can be a tough customer and the Cardinal have been some great ball of late as well. How do you see this one on Saturday night.

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

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Without Mendoza and Hunter Cal was handicapped to keep up with UNLV

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UNLV Rebels linebacker Jackson Woodard (7) and defensive back Cameron Oliver (5) celebrate after a play in the first half against the California Golden Bears at SoFi Stadium on Wed Dec 18, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris :

#1 UNLV Running Rebels quarterback Hajj Malik Williams connected with wide receiver Kylin James that helped the Rebels come up with a win over the Cal Bears in the LA Bowl 24-13 at So Fi Stadium. Williams had good protection from his line to operate the football against the Bears.

#2 Morris this was a pretty special game for UNLV winning it’s first bowl game since 2000 that wasn’t the Las Vegas Bowl.

#3 This is the first time the Rebels have won 11 games since they joined the FBS Bowl.

#4 For Cal they finish 2024 at 6-7 and haven’t had a winning season since 2019. What weakened the Bears offense was quarterback Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Nyziah Hunter had entered the transfer portal.

#5 The wrap up the 2024 season. What are some of the things that head coach Justin Wilcox will be looking for in the 2024 season?

Morris Phillips is the Cal Bears beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Offense Falls Silent In 24-13 LA Bowl Loss to UNLV

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By Morris Phillips

The Art of Sport was overtaken by the Prevalence of Uncertainty at SoFi Stadium, and that was just another layer of bad news for the disheveled Cal Bears on Wednesday night.

The 24-13 loss to UNLV was empty of intrigue after the first quarter, which saw the Bears lead 3-0 and 10-7. The game fell out of reach at that point as Cal kicked just one field goal over the final three quarters while Coach Justin Wilcox was forced to devote all his energy to determining  who he had left to compete.

“There were a lot of guys playing who will be working to earn a spot going into spring,” Wilcox said. “Some of these guys really helped themselves. We have a lot of great evaluation. We wish we would have won the game.”

CJ Harris, Cal’s starter at quarterback, completed 13 of 20 passes but departed in the third quarter when he suffered arm and hand injuries. True freshman EJ Caminong stepped in, but with no playing experience at the collegiate level, he suffered, completing just 6 of 19 passing attempts along with a critical fumble on a botched lateral play.

Fernando Mendoza announced his intention to leave the program 10 days ago, entering the transfer portal and leaving Cal with precioulittle experience at the quarterback position.

The Rebels won their first bowl game since beating Arkansas after the 2000 season. They did so without coach Barry Odom, who accepted the Purdue coaching job in the last week. Hajj-Malik Williams threw two touchdown passes as UNLV started slowly but played steadily throughout with one score in each of the four quarters.

“I’ve done this so many times that it is a big deal for the players to experience,” interim coach Del Alexander said. “For them to feel it and get the reward and establish the legacy, it’s important for them.”

Cal finishes the season at 6-7, failing to post a winning season for the first time since 2019. The Bears won 3 of 4 and beat Stanford to gain bowl eligibility but lost their final two games.

Stanford gets early 19 point lead beat Merrimack by six 74-68

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Stanford guard Jaylen Blakes drives the ball against the Merrimack Warriors in the Cardinal six point win at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue Dec 17, 2024 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal  Oziyah Sellers went on an offensive rampage scoring 19 points and was 8 for 11 shooting from the floor at Maple Pavilion on Tuesday night leading the Cardinal to a 74-68 win over the Merrimack Warriors.

The Warriors almost came back on the Cardinal whittling their 19 point lead down to just six points before time ran out and Merrimack dropped their record to 5-7. Stanford’s always reliable Maxime Raynaud came through leading with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Jaylen Blakes contributed with 16 points to help improve the Cardinal record to 9-2. Blakes was 5-7 from the floor and was perfect in 3 point shooting going 4-4. Blakes had a pretty good night adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Sellers and Ryan Agarwal scored 11 points and each player had scored three of the Cardinal 11 pointers. The Cardinal were in control in the first half of the game with a 39-30 half time lead. The Warriors came back and lead the second half 38-35 but it wasn’t enough for Merrimack for the loss.

In the first half Blakes was unstoppable in the he hit a key 3 pointer that gave Stanford the lead for the rest of the game and fired up the Cardinal to make a 26-7 run for a31-12 score against the Warriors. The three players who made the difference in scoring Sellers with 19 points followed by Raynaud and Blakes who finished with 16 points each.

Williams Controls The Pace, Cal Women Follow Suit In 71-45 Win Over Austin Peay

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–The impromptu signature session between Kayla Williams and a trio of nine-year old buddies came with a teaching moment. Williams, the Bears’ graduate strategist, provided the lesson just minutes after Sunday’s game.

“That’s the wrong answer. I’m your favorite player,” Williams corrected when the name Jayda Noble came up, not hers.

The signatures strengthened the bond between the girls and the unassuming star player. Not that Noble isn’t noteworthy, but Williams, the hooper, is transformative for the Golden Bears.

After shooting 7 for 8 floor against Austin Peay, Williams cemented her position as the focal point in Cal’s 11-1 start to the season that has them on the precipice of the national Top 25. Shooting 51 percent overall and 46 percent from the three, while operating as the savvy, offensive decision maker puts Williams on the mantle without question.

Williams has attempted just 99 shots in 12 games, so she’s hardly the first option. But she’s clearly the most efficient and perfectly content to heat her teammates up first.

“We know we have shooters, and our job is to look for each other,” she said. “And our connection, our bond, our relationship off the court is great. So that carries on to the court.”

Williams is the reason opposing coaches point to Cal’s experience and shot selection when explaining the Golden Bears’ success. She’s 123 games into her five-season college career, which includes stops at UC Irvine and USC. Williams’ current shooting streaks point to her improvement. Juju Watkins’ arrival at USC last season chopped Williams’ playing time significantly and probably motivated the Los Angeles to reclaim the spotlight at Cal.

“My goal is always to improve and get better, and I know that there’s a lot of areas where I can do that. For this team, I want to be at my best as much as possible,” she said. “Better shooter, better scorer, better passer, everything… all-around.”

Stojakovic leads way with 31 points, and Bears snap Demons with 84-66 win

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Cal Bears guard Jovan Blacksher Jr drives on a Northwestern State Demons defender at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Dec 14, 2024 (Cal Bears MBB X photo)

Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Northwestern State Demons 66 (4-6)

California Golden Bears 84 (7-4)

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–Andrej Stojakovic dominated with 31 points, as the Bears snapped their three-game losing streak with an 84-66 win over the Northwestern State Demons.

The Bears came into today’s game after losing their last three. They were not blowouts, and the Bears were competitive in all three games, but three-straight losses following a 6-1 start had to wear on them.

Fortunately for the Bears, they would draw the Northwestern State Demons, and yes, there is a Northwestern, and a Northwestern State The Demons are from the lesser-known Southland Conference, and they are based out of Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Despite an easier matchup, the Bears could not get complacent, but it seemed like they did in the early going. A three by Landyn Jumawan and a layup by Willie Williams staked the Demons out to an early 5-0 lead. The Demons wouldn’t pull away with it, but they remained ahead for much of the first half.

The Demons led 22-16 with 9:05 left in the first half, but that was when the Bears—and really, Andrej Stojakovic—finally came charging. Cal came back to tie it at 26-26 with 5:39 to go. Joshua Ola-Joseph then put the Bears ahead with a three with exactly five minutes remaining.

The Bears would stay ahead for the remainder of the first half, but not by much, as they went into the half up 36-33. Stojakovic carried the way for the Bears, as he scored 16 points in the first half.

Cal then finally pulled away in the second half, as they opened up their lead to 19 points at 61-42 with 10:37 to go. Stojakovic continued to help lead the way, but he also got some help from Jeremiah Wilkinson, who came in off the bench.

The Demons did not give up, as they chipped away at Cal’s lead with a 15-6 run to close it to a 10-point game at 67-57 with 7:57 left. However, the Bears kept their lead at double digits the rest of the way, and won fairly comfortably by a final of 84-66.

Despite his high point totals, Stojakovic has often struggled with field goals in the early going this season, but that was not the case today. Stojakovic was 10-for-14 in field goals, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 7-for-8 from the line.

Wilkinson has another strong performance with 18 points, 16 of them in the second half. Ola-Joseph scored 13 points, and Jovan Blacksher Jr. scored 12.

The Bears improve to 8-4, and following a week off, they will travel down to San Diego to take on the San Diego State Aztecs for a game next Saturday night. Tipoff will be at 7:30 p.m.

FYI, it will be almost four weeks until the Bears are home again. Cal’s next home game will be on Jan. 8 against the Virginia Cavaliers. Tipoff for that game will be at 8 p.m.