Category: NCAA

Made Baskets And Turnovers: Cal Runs Past Grambling 86-63 Despite 26 Turnovers

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Coach Charmin Smith needs her Cal team to clean up their ball handling and cut down on the turnovers. But on Wednesday, Smith scheduled Grambling, a conundrum disguised as a basketball team that lives and breathes by forcing their opponents to cough up the ball.

The result: an 86-63 win for the hosts, but the Bears committed 26 turnovers, which set off alarms inside Haas Pavilion.

“We have to take better care of the ball,” Smith admitted. “We know that. We’re living dangerously right now. We have to clean it up.”

The Bears are 5-0 with a signature win at Gonzaga. As a testament to how well they’ve played overall, the Bears have spent every second of their five second halves so far with at least a 10-point lead. That’s noticeable and impressive enough to capture ESPN Bracketology’s attention, which projects the Bears as an NCAA qualifier as a No. 11 seed.

Of course, the season is young, and bigger tests are on the immediate horizon, starting with Auburn’s visit to Berkeley on Friday night. Following Auburn, the Bears  will see Michigan State and either Arizona or Vanderbilt in Palm Springs. All three schools are also projected as NCAA teams, meaning the jockeying for postseason position starts now.

What Smith liked was just as apparent as the unsightly turnovers: a five-minute stretch in the third quarter in which Cal made eight 3-pointers. That ballooned Cal’s 13-point lead to a 67-41 advantage that effectively ended the visiting Tigers upset aspirations.

Lulu Twidale led Cal with 19 points, a total boosted by her efficient 4 for 7 shooting from distance. Marta Suarez added 16, Ioanna Krimili had 15, and freshman post Gabrielle Abigor scored 11 on 4 for 4 shooting.

Kahia Warmsley led Grambling with 16 points, and Douthshine Prien and Lydia Freeman had 10 each. The Tigers were the SWAC regular season champions last season, winning 23 games. Coach Courtney Simmons concedes that her group, with 10 new faces this season, doesn’t shoot it well, but they do commit to a tremendous amount of defensive activity across all 94 feet, which explains how they succeed in the SWAC. But against Cal, the disparity in made threes (12-1 for Cal) and 32 percent shooting for the Tigers made for a lopsided result.

“If you research and do your homework on this, we probably shot 30 something percent last year and won 23 games,” Simmons said. “The key to the way we play is to rebound the basketball. In this system, there’s no such thing as a bad shot. We don’t go out and recruit kids that can only shoot the basketball. I recruit athletes to give the kids that can shoot the ball a little bit of problems.”

Simmons, intently dissecting the numbers with a scoresheet in hand, conceded that her Tigers fell short of 30 offensive rebounds, their average which leads the nation. Grambling managed “just” 19 o-boards, which wasn’t enough to compensate for their poor shooting.

“It’s the discipline factor. It’s not finding the shooters in transition, which was the same thing that happened to us at Tulane (in their previous game),” she said.

Auburn, a physical, defensive-minded group as well, arrives on Friday in a rematch of last season’s meeting in Alabama that went to Cal, 67-53 with Suarez scoring 27 points.

Cardinal Remain Undefeated after Wild Ride with Aggies, 79-65; Raynaud had Career Game

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Maxime Raynaud would not be denied leading the Stanford Cardinal in scoring with 33 points to help defeat the UC Davis Aggies at Maple Pavilion Sun Nov 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — Maxime Raynaud scored a career high 33 points and tied his career high five three pointers, while helping his Stanford Cardinal (4-0, 0-0 ACC) stay unbeaten, while taming the University of California – Davis Aggies (2-2, 0-0 Big West) 79-65, in a Northern California Battle.

“I think it started yesterday. I think our football team had an awesome win against a top ranked opponent. Everyone rushed the field, and I told the guys we’re going to keep that going, keep rolling.” Raynaud on his inspirational performance.

The Aggies actually scored first to start the game. There were three lead changes and one tie, in the early moments of the game, The Cardinal would have an answer for that mini run by their opponent.

Stanford would eventually go on a 9-0 run and lead by as many as 18 points by halftime. Despite the poor shooting (36%) by the home team, they were still able to pull away from Davis with contributions from Raynaud (17 points & 8 rebounds), Jaylen Blakes (12) and Benny Gealer (8), Raynaud also launched three successful three pointers.

UC Davis had no player score at least 10 points, and their shooting was worse (31%) than Stanford’s percentile. They were also outrebounded by more than double their amount.

After 20 minutes of action, Stanford led by 18 points, 41-28.

In the second half, Stanford scored the first points on a three by Oziyah Sellers, placing their lead at its highest plateau, 21 points. Davis was not going to go down without a fight. They actually had an 8-0 run in them during the second 20-minute stanza.

Stanford’s 12-0 run was a carryover from the end of the first half and the opening minutes of the second. The Cardinal’s shooting improved slightly in the second half, but did not prevent the racing Aggies from getting the game within single-digit(s). Davis, on the other hand, shot a blistering 59% from the floor. This assisted greatly on their comeback attempt, and their top scorer was much better in the second half.

Davis closed the gap to the smallest deficit of six points, midway through the second half; however, Stanford, still feeding off the football team’s momentum, turned up the heat inside Maples and widened the gap again.

When the final whistle sounded, after 40 minutes of regulation time, the mighty Tree (stanford) was still standing, and still Undefeated. The Cardinal won their fourth game in a row to start the season, by a 14 point victory, 79-65.

Maxime Raynaud led all players with a career high 33 points and 14 rebounds. His five 3s tied his career best too. Despite fouling ouy, Jaylen Blakes chipped in 17 points and handed out 4 assists, Ryan Agarwal did not reach double-figures in scoring (5), but he did in rebounds (11).

Davis was led by Ty Johnson’s 26 points, Pablo Tamba’s 13 points (also fouled out), and Leo DeBruhl (11).

Stanford will next be in action, Wednesday, November 20. They will host the Norfolk State Spartans at 7:00 PM PDT on the ACC Network, Davis heads to Arizona to take on the Grand Canyon Lopes, also on the 20th at 7:00 PM MST on ESPN+.

Syracuse Comes West To Bear Hunt In Capturing 33-25 Win Over Cal

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Coach Fran Brown’s preparation–for the post-game press conference–was flawless.

Accordingly, his Syracuse football team was best prepared to counter Cal’s momentum, built off consecutive wins, and took control of what could have been a tight game early.

“I was with coach (Kirby) Smart, and he told me, ‘we will not be hunted,'” Brown said. “And I told the team before the game, ‘we will not be hunted. We do the hunt.’ I’m not walking out here, scared.”

Not scared, and not preoccupied with tough results versus Boston College and Pitt, Syracuse surprised the Bears early and held on for a 33-25 road win. Cal’s bowl aspirations were put on hold with the loss, as was their path out of the cellar of the ACC standings.

For the first time in a season of jarring results, Cal was beaten from start to finish, with little to say had one or two plays gone their way.

Fernando Mendoza was intercepted twice in the first quarter, and the tone was set. Mendoza’s game shrunk, and the confidence on the visitor’s sideline grew.

“You can’t turn over the ball like that… It was my worst turnover game of the season by far, and [it] just simply was not my day,” Mendoza said.

“To start fast and get up early, that was big. And both sides of the ball did it,” Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord said.

McCord triggered a quick passing attack and effective run game to the extent that Cal’s defense was gassed early. Play action pass plays were especially successful as the Orange led 13-0 and extended that lead to 27-7 at halftime. McCord and the offense racked up 299 yards in offense in the first half, while skillfully navigating away from Cal’s defensive playmakers.

“We certainly were outplayed today. There’s no doubt about that,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “I don’t see anything we did very well.”

Two lengthy run plays highlighted Cal’s attack with Jaivian Thomas’ 75-yard dash trimming Syracuse’s lead to 13-7 in the second quarter. On Cal’s first offensive snap of the fourth, Jadyn Ott broke free for 53 yards. But that drive stalled, and Cal could only cut the deficit to 30-17 after Ryan Coe converted a 44-yard field goal with 12:43 remaining.

Jackson Kennedy’s 32-yard field goal capped a 13-play Syracuse drive that effectively ended Cal’s afternoon by taking a chunk of the time remaining. Mendoza connected with Jonathan Brady on a five-yard TD pass, but Cal failed to regain possession with a successful onside kick in the final minute.

In his first year at Syracuse after a fulfilling season with Georgia as defensive backs coach in which the Bulldogs won the National Championship and Brown was named the #1 national recruiter by 24/7 Sports, Brown’s Orange have been confident despite mixed results on the field. Their damaging loss at Pittsburgh on October 24 was a nationally-televised embarrassment, but Brown refused to reference it after beating Cal.

Instead, the ebullient Brown celebrated Cal’s picturesque campus, stated his respect for Wilcox, and his team’s emphasis on limiting Nyziah Hunter (three catches for 42 yards) and not getting victimized by Bears’ cornerback Nohl Williams. With all boxes checked regarding Syracuse’s first visit to Berkeley since 1968, Brown concluded by celebrating himself.

“I should have let y’all hear my song,” Brown said before powering up his hand-held, Bluetooth speaker cued to Lil Durk’s “100 Grand,” a reference to his disclosure that to his wife’s dismay, he doesn’t shower after losses.

“Smelling like a hundred racks,” Brown mimicked confidently.

Cardinal Knocked Down Nesting Cardinals 38-35 on Senior Day Home Finale Thriller on the Farm; Kenney GWFG!

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Stanford Cardinal kicker Emmett Kenny (13) watches his game winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto at Sat Nov 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (3-7, 2-5 ACC) won their final home game of their inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, 38-35 over the Louisville Cardinals (6-4, 4-3 ACC), on a cool afternoon in Palo Alto.

Despite winning the coin flip and possessing the ball first to start the game, Stanford was unable to hold on to their early 10-0 lead. Louisville was able to spread their wings, and fly away–as so eloquently sung by the R&B group, Troop–for most of the game, but it was a 60-minute contest.

The Cardinal did nothing with the opening drive of the game; however, they were able to spoil the Cardinals’ initial drive. Stanford forced a turnover by Louisville, when their QB, Tyler Shough attempted a pass to Mark Redman, it was deflected by defensive tackle Zach Rowell, and intercepted by senior linebacker Gaethan Bernadel.

Stanford parlayed that early gift into three points on the scoreboard. Senior kicker Emmet Kenny booted a 41-yard field goal to put his team up 3-0.They would add more in less than two minutes of game time play. They forced there fine feathered guest from the Bluegrass State to punt the ball.

Junior QB Ashton Daniels launched a 62-yard bomb to freshman WR Emmett Mosley V, , to give the home team a 10-point lead, 10-0. Things were looking good for the Cardinal, but the Cardinals record indicated that they had the propicity to tally some points themselves.

They did just that with a little more than a minute left in the quarter. Redshirt-junior running back Donald Chaney burst through the line for a one yard touchdown. The red birds were within three, 10-7. That also was the score after 15 minutes of combat, the Cardinal up by three going into the second quarter.

Midway through the quarter number two, Stanford improved on their lead, with another field goal (24) by Kenney. The Cardinal went up by six, 13-7, but that did not last long. Louisville responded less than three minutes later to finally take the lead.

Freshman running back Duke Watson rushed for a five yard touchdown, and with the extra point, the Cardinals went ahead by one, 14-13.They were able to add more before the half.

Junior wide receiver Chris caught a ten yard touchdown pass from Shough, with :49 before intermission, giving the Cardinals an eight-point advantage at that point, and eventually at halftime. 21-13, Louisville.

Early in the second half, Duke Watson was at it again. The first-year exploded for a 68-yard run to paydirt. That scoring drive gave Louisville their first double-digit lead 28-13, widening the margin to 15.

Stanford pride showed up, and the Cardinal was able to score with :07 in the third stanza. Daniels completed another TD pass ((13 yards), this time to Elic Ayomanor. The Cardinal pulled within seven, after a successful two point conversion, 28-21, U of L.

A little more than five minutes into the final quarter, the running Duke made another appearance in the endzone. Watson scampered five yards to the TD zone, to place them in front by two touchdowns, 35-21. The game seemed to be in the Cardinals’ wings, not the Cardinal tree.

Freshman sensation Emmett Mosley V had to have made his four predecessor namesakes proud with his historic performance in the game, Especially the fourth quarter, when he took over, Mosley caught two crucial touchdown passes, Daniels hit him for a four yarder, and Justin Lamson tossed his (25) with :45 left in regulation. At that juncture of the conference battle, it was tied at 35′

Louisville had the ball, hoping to end it, avoiding overtime. Instead, they failed to move the sticks on a 4th down play near midfield, not attempting the potential game-winning field goal either. Not only was that questionable on the behalf of Louisville, but they committed some egregious errors too.

With a few seconds left, and Stanford also near midfield, too far away for a makeable field goal, the Cardinals committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with a second left.

That tagged on 15 yards to their trek downfield. Next, they jumped offsides on the field goal attempt. Five more yards, and the Cardinal were absolutely in FG range, with the 20-yards gift.

“It was the Penalties, you know, that gave us the opportunity. He [UL HC Jeff Brohm] didn’t expect to have two penalties to put us in that, but he is playing to win, you know.” Stated Stanford HC Troy Taylor.

Emmet Kenney stepped up and booted a 52-yard Game-Winner, and the crowd of 18, 685 were truly gleeful that Stanford won their second home game at the stadium, but first ACC home victory.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday, November 23 across the Bay versus Cal, in the first inaugural ACC Battle of the Axe, at 12:30 PM on the ACC Network. Louisville heads back to Kentucky to host Pitt, on the same date on ESPN2, game time: TBD.

Williams Sparks Cal Women to Statement 86-65 Win at Gonzaga

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(picture courtesy of Colin Mulvany, The Spokesman-Review)

By Morris Phillips

Kayla Williams has already been in the right place before… twice.

On Thursday at Gonzaga, Williams was the embodiment of the right place (at the right time) again.

The graduate transfer from USC put up 25 points, six assists, four steals, and Cal never trailed in an 86-65 win at Gonzaga. The Bears improved to 4-0, and now have their initial statement victory for NCAA Tournament consideration.

Lulu Twidale had 18 points, Ioanna Krimili added 17, and Marta Suarez scored 14 while holding Zags standout Maud Huijbens to 0 of 6 shooting. Williams sprinted up the floor right before halftime and sank a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Cal up 13. With 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Williams struck again from distance to put Cal up 19, entering the fourth.

The Bears shot 58 percent from the floor for the game after starting 13 of 20 through the first 13 minutes of play.  Gonzaga uncharacteristically committed 24 turnovers.

“We have these inexperienced guards that are handling the ball a lot, and they’ve (the Bears) got some good defenders,” coach Lisa Fortier said. “Some of them were forced, but other times too, we were a bit casual.”

Yvonne Ejim, the Canadian Olympian, didn’t score her first basket until 26 seconds remained in the first quarter, with Gonzaga already trailing by double digits. Cal’s center Michelle Onyiah played Ejim physically throughout and temporarily forced the Zags’ leading scorer to initiate her offense at the free throw line and back. Ejim finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, but only her first two baskets briefly shaved Cal’s lead to single digits. Ejim’s subsequent six baskets and ten made free throws all came with Cal leading comfortably.

“We are going to get turnovers because we’re trying to make the right reads,” Ejim said. “They’re there. We’re just not connecting. That just takes time.”

The Bears frustrated the home team’s starters with physical defense that left Gonzaga tentative and forced seven turnovers in the initial surge. The Zags’ new backcourt in place of the graduated and departed Truong sisters played well eventually, but went into the third quarter struggling to get Ejim the ball consistently.

Ines Bettencourt’s misdirected pass into the post bounced out of bounds, followed by a three-second violation as Ejim couldn’t shed Onyiah in a third quarter sequence that left the home team’s leading scorer visibly frustrated. Again, Ejim recovered, but after the game’s outcome was cemented.

Natalia Ackerman provided one of the two made baskets from Cal’s bench, but she did so adroitly, reaching behind herself to grab a pass, then turning 180 degrees toward the basket to lay it in. Ackerman’s third quarter basket put Cal up 50-38.

“Taking care of the ball and the way that we can shoot and score the ball definitely were strengths of ours,” coach Charmin Smith said. “On the defensive end, to force them into 24 turnovers is huge and bodes well for where we’re trying to head defensively and thinking about defending ACC teams.”

Williams began her career at UC Irvine, where she was Big West Freshman of the year with a career-best 32 points in January 2021 and first-team all-conference as a sophomore. She transferred to USC and helped lead the Women of Troy to their first NCAA appearance under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. But after starting all 31 games that season, Juju Watkins’ arrival relegated the 5’7″ guard to the bench in her senior season.

That demotion was Williams’ impetus for pursuing a graduate season at Cal, where she has regained her superior play immediately. She was 9 of 12 from floor against Gonzaga and a defensive pest in the Zags’ passing lanes.

The Bears attempt to stay unbeaten on Wednesday when Grambling visits Haas Pavilion at 7:00pm.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal looking to snap 6 game skid against Louisville Saturday on the Farm

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The Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) is trucking down field against the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh NC Sat Nov 2, 2024 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Stanford had a tough time shutting down NC State Wolfpack on Sat Nov 1st in Raleigh as NC State crushed the Cardinal 59-28. The Cardinal defense was left on the field for most of the game and just couldn’t stop the NC State offense who had a big day in scoring.

#2 Not only were the Cardinal steamrolled by NC State this last loss marks Stanford sixth straight loss in a row.

#3 The win for the Wolfpack ended their two game home losing streak. The Cardinal just couldn’t stop the Wolfpack run and in third quarter the Wolf Pack exploded for three touchdowns that pretty much put the game of reach for Stanford.

#4 For Cardinal quarterback Justin Lamson only 3-8, 103 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception. From all intense and purposes Lamson didn’t get enough time because it was four and out in most of Stanford’s offensive series.

#5 Up next for the Cardinal the Louisville Cardinals (6-3) this Sat Nov 16th. The Cardinals have won three of their last five games. The Cardinals won in their last game 33-21 against Clemson on Sat Nov 2. It’s the Cardinals vs. the Cardinal at Stanford Stadium a 12:30pm PST.

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

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal to host Syracuse Saturday; Bears look for a fifth win

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Cal Bears and Xavier Carlton (44) had a leg up on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Wake Forest on Sat Nov 9, 2024 (Cal Bears photo)

On Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris talk about how big of a day was it for Cal Bears (4-3) quarterback Fernando Mendoza who threw two touchdown passes against Wake Forest in Cal’s 46-36 win last Saturday?

#2 For Mendoza 40-56 on passing for 385 yards threw only one interception and for the most part was getting good protection up front.

#3 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox had to be relieved as this was Cal’s first road win since Sep 7 after beating Auburn 21-14. Wilcox said that the team kept after Wake Forest the whole game long, “Really proud of them for finding a way to win. Just proud of them for staying in the moment.”

#4 Talk about how valuable Liam Johnson’s interception was and how huge it was to keep Cal three points ahead of Wake Forest late in the game.

#5 Next up for Cal the Syracuse Orange come calling. Syracuse (6-3). The Orange have won four of their last six games. Syracuse in their last game last Saturday lost a tough one to Boston College 37-31 in Boston. Cal has home field at Berkeley Memorial coming off the win against Wake Forest. How do you see this match up this Saturday?

Ejim, Gonzaga The Opening Acts In Cal’s Opponent Showcase

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By Morris Phillips

One after another, accomplished players and talented teams cross paths with the Cal Bears, starting Thursday night at Gonzaga.

Canadian Olympian Yvonne Ejim and the Zags are up first, on the occasion of their first game following a lopsided loss at Stanford that dropped Gonzaga out of the Top 25 national rankings after one week of the season. The Zags scored four points in the first quarter, and lost by 31 to Stanford, who essentially switched places with their non-conference rival in the national polls.

Two seasons ago, Gonzaga registered an 18-point win over Stanford that stands as their best in program history, with the Cardinal then ranked 3rd nationally. Now the Zags are looking for a quick rebound and a return to grace, and Ejim, on track to become the leading scorer in Gonzaga history later this season, is the barometer for that effort. Once again, Cal occupies the unenviable spot as the team that must face a quality team one game after they were knocked around by Stanford.

Coach Charmin Smith knows her Bears need to be ready, especially early in the game on Thursday in a loud environment in Spokane. But the themes and motivations aren’t Smith’s concerns, better defense and offensive consistency from her group are. But after three, easy wins by an average of 37 points, Smith and Cal sense the urgency of their first road trip.

“We need to make a statement of our own,” she said.

Last season in Berkeley, the Bears let Gonzaga escape with a 78-70 win in overtime, after the hosts led most of the first half, and regained several leads in the fourth quarter. That Cal team needed bench support that was lacking with Ioanna Krimili out injured, and Michelle Onyiah limited by foul trouble. Marta Suarez and Cal’s departed backcourt of Leilani McIntosh and McKayla Williams all played at least 43 of the 45 minutes that day, and the Bears wilted late and were outscored 13-5 in the overtime period.

Cal has Krimili, in her 5th year, this time, along with experienced, transfer guards, Kayla Williams (USC), Jayda Noble (Washington) and capable freshman Lola Donez and Zahra King. The Zags are trying to find their hyper pace in the absence of graduated twins Kaylynne and Kayleigh Truong. New starters Claire O’Connor and UConn transfer Ines Bettencourt aren’t as swift as the Truong twins and that in turn limits Ejim’s effectiveness in transition, where she excels.

“We have to stop her in transition,” Smith said of limiting Ejim. “We can’t let her get easy baskets. And at the other end, we have to make her guard.”

The Bears will play as many as 13 teams this season that currently have a place in the Top 25 or in the next group of 10 to 15 that are getting votes. Stanford is the only one of the 13 that Cal will play twice, so scouting and preparedness will be crucial in all of these meetings. Cal may have an idea what to expect from Ejim, who was limited to 12 points against Stanford, a point total she’s exceeded in 36 of her last 39 games. But they need to be up to speed on O’Connor and Bettencourt, along with Maud Huijbens, who played just 19 minutes against Cal last season, but will likely play more than 30 on Thursday.

Natalia Ackerman, who decided to continue her college basketball career only a month before school started, is Cal’s secret weapon. In her first three games at Cal, after four, injury-plagued years at Cal Poly, Ackerman has 22 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and three blocks in just 33 minutes on the floor. Matched against inexperienced reserves, she’s thrived, doing a little of everything for Cal as their biggest threat outside their starting five. Smith said, she’s not surprised as Ackerman’s return to form followed her health returning in the off-season when she debated whether she wanted to play for a fifth season.

Smith said she’s reluctant to restrict any of her shooters outside of Krimili and Lulu Twidale, who have combined to start the season a scorching 23 of 45 shooting from 3-point distance. The rest of the Bears are 11 of 38, 29 percent, but have provided the Bears with the desired spacing on offense that creates driving lanes to the basket. It’s Smith’s belief that the other shooters will become more efficient as the season progresses.

“The more threes,’ the merrier,” Smith said.

Cardinal Frustrated and Withstood the Lumberjacks 90-64, on a Tuesday Night inside Maples

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Maxime Raynaud forward (42) throws down against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Maple Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue Nov 12, 2024 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — Led by Maxime Raynaud’s double-double (22 points & 11 rebounds), the Stanford Cardinal (3-0, 0-0 ACC) broke the axes of the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (2-1, 0-0 Big Sky) 90-64, on a cool evening on the Farm.

The Lumberjacks opened the game by chopping a huge chunk of wood out of the Cardinal. NAU went on an 8-0 run before Stanford even knew what happened. They were held scoreless for slightly over three minutes of the first half. The visitors led by as much as nine points in the first 20 minutes.

The Cardinal finally got on the scoreboard at the 16:58 mark of the first block of the contest, when Jaylen Blakes converted two free throws. However, that was only the beginning of his squad’s scoring barrage. Stanford went on two double-digit runs (16-0 & 10-0).

Stanford led by as much as 24 points, performing a 32-point turnaround from their slow beginning of the battle with their figurative arch rival. They had to settle for a 2-point reduction in their lead at intermission, 48-26 Cardinal.

Senior forward Maxime Raynaud led everyone with 13 points, while adding eight rebounds. Junior guard Oziyah Sellers contributed 12 points, while fellow junior guard Benny Gealer dropped in 10 points. The Lumberjacks were led by senior guard Trent McLaughlin’s 12 points.

At the midway point, Stanford was leading comfortably and in total control. The only question was, could they hold on to the lead?

That became a concern at the beginning of the second half. As they did in the beginning of the game, the Lumberjacks wielded their axes to the tune of a 5-0 run, giving the impression they were going to make a dramatic comeback. That was short lived, as the Cardinal went on an 8-0 run themselves, and increased their halftime margin by seven more points. Their largest lead reached 29 points, and they led overall approximately 25 more minutes than their Copper State opponent.

The Cardinal had other players pitch in to stymie the Lumberjacks. Blakes scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half, and both Raynaud (22) and Ryan Agarwal (15) added 9 points to their first half tallies. Gealer (10) did not score in the second stanza, but did give two assists (5), while Sellers (17) scored five more points.

Northern Arizona had two teammates join McLaughlin (20) in the double-figure category. Junior guard Oakland Fort and redshirt-junior forward Carson Towt had 13 and 11 points to their respective totals.

With the latest victory, (90-64) Stanford had their first 3-0 start in five years (2019-2020).

The Cardinal will next be in action Sunday, November 17, hosting the UC Davis Aggies at 1:00 PM PDT on ACCNX. NAU stays in California and heads East to Stockton, Thursday, November 14, to take on the Pacific Tigers at 7:00 PM PDT.

Cal Women Use Physicality, Pace To Wear Down Host San Jose State in 82-53 Win

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By Morris Phillips

SAN JOSE–The depth of talented teams in women’s college basketball is quite noticeable in the season following the Angel Reese/Caitlin Clark supernova that elevated the sport to new levels of visibility.

For Cal’s women, that means the Top 40 is the new Top 25. Most of Cal’s biggest opponents this season currently reside in the Associated Press “vote getting” group just outside the first 25. It’s that group Cal wants to join for the purpose of seizing their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019.

The quest has begun in earnest as the Bears completed a 3-0 opening week by beating host San Jose State, 82-53, on Saturday afternoon. Coach Charmin Smith wants a physical group defensively that also plays with pace offensively without turning the ball over. Smith admits it’s a dense mix.

“I think this was the lowest in turnovers for us to only have eight,” Smith said. “And they’re a really aggressive team, so we made some strides there. We know we need to be better with taking care of the ball, so we’re just taking steps to keep moving towards who we want to be ultimately.”

Cal’s wins against SJSU, Idaho, and St. Mary’s came with an average margin of victory of 37 points, which immediately catches the attention of the pollsters. But a win on Thursday at Gonzaga, currently in that group following the Top 25, would mean more, a sign that the Bears belong.

In that group are future opponents Miami, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, likely Thanksgiving opponent Vanderbilt and Stanford, who Cal plays twice. In addition, Cal plays No. 24 Alabama of the SEC, and six ACC conference opponents that are ranked as high as No. 6 Notre Dame and as low as No. 19 Florida State with North Carolina State, Louisville, North Carolina, and Duke in between.

Spartans coach April Jackson admitted that Cal went further in approaching their goals than her group did on Saturday. San Jose State trailed 15-3, 23-13 after the first quarter, 40-22 and 51-28 at halftime. The third quarter was even more lopsided as SJSU made just two baskets and scored six points. With Cal emptying their bench in the fourth, the Spartans won that 10-minute stretch, 19-12.

“Cal’s a good basketball team,” Jackson said. “They’re coming off a really good season and obviously returning a lot of key pieces. I don’t want to dismiss that they are a very talented team. But I think it was a good test for us to get an opportunity to see the level of physicality that we can face down the line. So I think it was a really good opportunity for us. We played a full game, we came back in that second half and actually competed. And when you get faced with that type of adversity to finish the last 10 minutes strong and together is always a positive sign.”

Ioanna Krimili led Cal with 18 points, Kayla Williams had 16, and Lulu Twidale added 14. Michelle Onyiah had eight points, 10 rebounds, and graduate transfer Natalia Ackerman was a beehive of activity with eight points, seven rebounds, one assist, one block in only 13 minutes on the floor.

Finau Tonga was the only SJSU player to score in double figures with 12. The Spartans’ defense was largely ineffective as they forced just eight turnovers and committed 23 fouls. That led to Cal converting 21 of 25 from the foul line.