New Year’s Eve Nightmare as Kings lose to the Grizzlies 114-96

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
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Skal Labissiere takes it to the hoop against the Grizzlies Photo: Jordan Chapin SportsRadioService.com

by Charlie O. Mallonee with Jordan Chapin

On New Year’s Eve at the Golden 1 Center, something happened that has not really been heard in the new building. In the third quarter, fans began booing their hometown Kings. They were frustrated with their play and the fact that the Kings were trailing the Grizzlies 90-63.

When the third quarter ended, a large number of fans headed for their cars in order to beat crowds coming into downtown and to get to their New Year’s parties early. Those who left had no hope that their Kings would mount a comeback in the final period. They were right.

Sacramento held the lead only twice in the contest. They took the first lead of the game on a Bogdan Bogdanovic 26-foot three-point basket for the first score of the game. After the Grizzlies tied the game on a Tyreke Evans 3-pointer – the Kings took a 5-3 lead when George Hill scored on a fast break. That would be the last time the home team would hold the lead in the game.

The Grizzlies lead was 14-points at the end of the first quarter and 18 at the half. Memphis built their lead to as many as 32-points in the third period and to a game-high 33-points in the fourth quarter.

After losing to the Warriors 141-128 on Saturday night, the Grizzlies should have been tired and ripe for the pickings in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road. Instead, they seemed pumped up by their performance and used that energy against the Kings for the entire 48-minutes on Sunday afternoon.

Kings Head Coach Dave Joerger Postgame Comment

Top Performers

Grizzlies

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Tyreke Evans scored a game-high 26 points versus the Kings Photo: Jordan Chapin SportsRadioService.com
  • Star of the Game: Former King Tyreke Evans came back to Sacramento and showed off his skills in front of the fans who once cheered for him when he wore purple and white. Evans – who has stepped up to really help a team that has been beset by injury and the loss of free agents – scored a game-high 26 points. He hit 10-of-16 shots from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the 3-point line. Evans also grabbed seven rebounds and five assists. His +/- rating was an impressive plus-23.
  • Co-Star: Jarell Martin -third-year player out of LSU. The 6-10 forward put up 11-points in 24-minutes off the bench. He went 5-for-8 from the field and 1-for-1 from 3-point land.
  • Co-Star: Deyonta Davis came off the bench to score 10-points and pull down nine rebounds in just over 23-minutes of playing time. The Grizzlies bench scored 64-points in the game.
  • Supporting Player Kings fans know: Ben McLemore is now a member of the Grizzlies and he played the entire fourth quarter. Ben Mac scored eight-points making two 3-point baskets and sinking two free throws.

Kings

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Willie Cauley-Stein was the Kings leading scorer with 21-points Photo: Jordan Chapin SportsRadioService.com
  • Star of the Game: Willie Cauley-Stein takes the honors for the Kings on Sunday night. He posted 21-points shooting 8-for-14 from the floor and going 5-for-9 from the free throw line. Cauley-Stein also grabbed eight rebounds and made to two steals in his almost 29-minutes on the court.
  • Co-Star: Buddy Hield worked hard in his 30-minutes of playing time off the bench. Hield scored 15-points shooting 5-for-14 for the game and hit 3-of-7 from downtown. He also dished out two assists as well.

Team Stats

Memphis (12-25)

  • The Grizzlies shot an impressive 53.9-percent (41-for-76) for the game. They hit 14-of-30 (46.7-percent) tries from behind the 3-point line.
  • Memphis took advantage of the free throw line converting 18-of-24 opportunities (75-percent).
  • The Grizzlies recorded 11 steals in the contest – five more than the Kings
  • Blocked shots: Memphis posted eight in the game. Veteran Marc Gasol had four of those blocks in the first quarter of the game.

Sacramento (12-24)

  • The Kings shot 43-percent for the game but only because the shot almost 58-percent in “garbage time” in the fourth quarter when the outcome of the game had already been decided.
  • Sacramento did not help themselves at the free throw line. The Kings went to the line 25 times but hit only 13 of those shots (52-percent). They are called free throws for a reason. A team must take advantage of those opportunities.
  • The Kings did do a better job working the boards on Sunday. They grabbed 42 rebounds while Memphis recorded 44 rebounds. That was a real improvement over the Phoenix game.

Up Next

Kings

The Kings first game of the new year will be versus the Charlotte Hornets at the Golden 1 Center on Tuesday, January 2. The Hornets are coming in off a 106-98 New Year’s Eve loss to the Clippers. This will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

Grizzlies

The Grizzlies will wrap up their West Coast swing with a game in Los Angeles versus the Clippers on Tuesday at Staples Center.

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Jimmy Garappolo Changed the 49ers’ Trajectory

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, left, hugs Los Angeles Rams quarterback Sean Mannion after their 34-13 win against the Rams during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

San Francisco 49ers ended the season with lots of hope for the future. The main reason is their everyday quarterback, Jimmy Garappolo, who is 26 years of age and has played football at Eastern Illinois University, was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

With the Patriots, he was the back-up for the great Tom Brady, San Mateo’s own, and future member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Garoppolo. experienced what it was to play on a team with one of the all-time greats. Garoppolo would finish the season for the 49ers with a 34-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams, who had won their division. On this last Sunday and last day of the year 2017, Garappolo completed 20 of 33 passes for total of 292 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The final record of the 49ers this season was 6-10. As a starting quarterback, Garappolo won the last 5 games of the season.

Considering that the 49ers have not enjoyed a winning season since 2013, when they finished 12-4, this season that ended Sunday was very positive and hopeful for the team. After the Colin Kaepernick years (2011-16) and after the controversy towards the end of his tenure, the 49ers were making more news because of political reasons than football reasons. 2016 was the last year for Kaepernick with the 49ers as he started 11 games that season, but became a huge distraction, not for what he could not do during the games, but what he did, before the games. Considering that a player in any sport, gets paid for what he does during the game, common sense tells you that the ownership of the 49ers was not thrilled about his antics. After those 11 games, he would join the unemployed.

In 2017, the 49ers had Brian Hoyer as a quarterback for six games, then C.J Beathard for five games, and then on December 3, at Chicago, Garoppolo got his first opportunity to start, and although he was far from perfect, he managed to bring home a winner, a 15-14 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Nobody can predict the future, who would have predicted the last month for the 49ers? Did you see it coming? Did you put back in your car that 49ers flag that you took away at the end of last season? C’mon, let’s be honest.

But seriously, and one thing for sure, the 49ers have found a quarterback than stands up for the National Anthem, and can also stand-up to win games. Regardless how you feel about Kaepernick (whom I respect and has the right to demonstrate for his cause, although I do not agree he should have done it on the field), the 49ers have totally changed their image from a loser to a winner in a span of a few weeks. In football, it has been proven again and again, that you cannot win without a good quarterback.

We all remember the 49ers during their glory years: the Bill Walsh offense, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, and all those great players and Super Bowls that made this franchise the top professional sports franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area, with five Super Bowl titles. It was a lot of fun covering those winning years at old and decrepit Candlestick Park. I covered those teams for Telemundo and it was always fun, from the tailgate parties to the post game interviews.

Rejoice 49ers fans, for your team, has found a leader on the field!

Happy New Year!

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

 

 

 

 

 

Sharks see Stars on New Year’s Eve in 6-0 loss in Dallas

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Dallas Stars left wing Antoine Roussel (21) and center Radek Faksa (12) celebrate a goal by center Tyler Pitlick (18) on San Jose Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell (30) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. The Stars won 6-0. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

By: M. Walsh

The San Jose Sharks were roundly defeated by the Dallas Stars 6-0 in their last game of 2017. The Sharks were unable to recover from a sluggish first period, despite having their leading scorer (Logan Couture) back in the lineup after a two week absence.

First period goals came from Stars defenseman John Klingberg and Stars forward Tyler Pitlick.

The first goal came just over six minutes into the game. Alexander Radulov pushed his way past the Sharks defenders on the boards and got the puck to Janmark. Janmark carried it behind the net and passed it up to Klingberg, whose quick shot beat Jones on the far side. Assists went to Janmark and Radulov. The second goal came at 15:07 just after a faceoff in the Sharks zone. Pitlick narrowly avoided losing the puck to Joe Thornton, and then to Melker Karlsson, before beating Jones over the right shoulder with a wrist shot. An assist went to Faksa.

The Stars outshot the Sharks 17-5 in the first period.

Second period goals came from Stephen Johns and Tyler Seguin.

In the second, the shots went the other way with the Sharks up 12-5, but still, the Stars scored twice. The teams were trading penalties during the first five minutes. The Sharks’ Joonas Donskoi and the Stars’ Brett Ritchie were in the box so the teams were playing four on four. The Stars took control after a defensive zone faceoff and moved quickly through the neutral zone. Stephen Johns took a shot from almost the blue line that made its way through traffic and past Jones’s right glove. Janmark and Faksa got the assists.

Near the seven minute mark, Alexander Radulov went into the boards after a not very dangerous-looking push from Justin Braun. He was down for some time before skating off the ice under his own power. He left the ice presumably for evaluation.

The Stars scored on a power play at 9:33, a Klingberg shot redirected by Tyler Seguin.

Third period goals came from Pitlick and Devin Shore. Klingberg, Pitlick, Jamie Benn, and Mattias Janmark each turned in two-point games, while Radek Faksa earned three.

The third period goals came just fifty seconds apart. Devin Shore picked up the puck at the blue line as he raced into the zone and slipped past everyone to get in front of Aaron Dell. He used a late backhand to get around the Sharks’ backup goaltender.

The final goal came after Faksa and Antoine Roussel entered the zone on a brief two on one. The Sharks caught up to them but a rebound snuck out to Pitlick who was trailing the play. He shot it through the mass of players in front of the goal and scored his second of the game. Assists went to Faksa and Roussel.

Joe Pavelski, Justin Braun and Brent Burns each got credit for four shots on goal, with Timo Meier coming in second for the Sharks with three.

Dallas goaltender Ben Bishop made 26 saves for the shutout. For the Sharks, Martin Jones made 18 saves in the first two periods, and Aaron Dell made eight saves in the third.

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said, of the first period: “We were fighting the puck, it was tough out there early. And they might have done a little of it but a lot of it came from us at the start and just really allowed them to stay in our end. It wasn’t one guy either, it was a group effort out there and we all contributed to that showing.”

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer dismissed the suggestion that this game was symptomatic of a larger problem with how the team plays on the road: “I don’t look at this like we’ve been a poor road team. This was a poor game tonight. We’ll see, I’d like to think that we can go on the road and play our game, we’ve done it even this year for stretches. So I don’t think it’s a symptom of something bigger, just a bad night.”

The only good news in the game for Sharks fans was Logan Couture’s return to the ice after missing four games to injury. Couture was asked after the game whether he had any doubts while he was recovering:

There’s always doubt and there’s always anxiousness. A lot of times, when you’re going to sleep at night when you’re dealing with this injury, you’re always doubting yourself and you’re always doubting coming back from it. Thinking of the worst just comes with the territory. I think the first shift I got out there and chased the puck around in our own end for about fifty seconds. First period was tough but from there on I felt okay. I didn’t play very well but I felt okay.

The Sharks next play in Montreal against the Canadiens at 4:30 pm PT on Tuesday.

Raiders part ways with head coach Jack Del Rio after 30-10 thrashing from Chargers

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Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio reacts during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

By Jeremy Kahn

Who would have thought when the 2017 season began, the Oakland Raiders would not make a return appearance to the AFC Playoffs, but now they are looking for a new head coach as well.

Jack Del Rio was informed after the game that he was being dismissed as coach of the Raiders by owner Mark Davis.

The firing of Del Rio comes just months after the Hayward native signed a four-year extension with the team.

“Today was kind of a microcosm of our season,” Del Rio said after the Raiders’ 30-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. “The opportunities and lack of production really not good enough, really disappointing.”

In his first season with the team in 2015, Del Rio went 7-9, then in 2016, the Raiders returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season, as they went 12-4; however, this season their record fell to 6-10 and they missed the playoffs for the 14th time in 15 seasons.

“He told me he loved me and appreciated all I did to get this program going in the right direction, but that he felt the need to change,” Del Rio said. “I told him how much I appreciated the opportunity he gave me; very grateful, my childhood team.”

“But it’s a results business. I understand that.”

In his three seasons with the Raiders, Del Rio went 25-23, becoming just one of seven Raiders coaches in team history to have a winning record their tenure ended.

Del Rio joins Al Davis (23-16-3), John Rauch (33-8-1), John Madden (103-32-7) , Tom Flores (83-53), Art Shell (56-52) and Jon Gruden (38-26).

ESPN.com contributed to this report.

Raiders’ season ends on a sour note as they get blown out by Chargers 30-10

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Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Darius Philon reacts after a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

By Jeremy Kahn

With their playoff chances on the line, the Los Angeles Chargers did not let the pedal off the gas against their biggest rival–the Oakland Raiders–on Sunday afternoon.

Philip Rivers threw for 387 yards and three touchdowns, as the Chargers defeated the Raiders 30-10 at the Stubhub Center.

Unfortunately, the news was not all good for the Chargers, as they were eliminated from the AFC Playoff race just moments after their win, when the Tennessee Titans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium.

Former Cal star Keenan Allen scored on a 27-yard fumble return for the Chargers, who were attempting to become just the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting the season with an 0-4 record.

Allen also scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from Rivers, as the Chargers ended the season by winning six out of their last seven games.

Rivers also threw touchdown passes to Tyrell Williams for 56 yards, and Travis Benjamin was on the receiving end of a 62-yard touchdown pass.

As for the Raiders, the nightmare season is now over, as they entered the season with such high expectations; however, they lost their final four games of the season to end the season with a 6-10 record.

Amari Cooper ended the season on a high note, as he was on the receiving end of an 87-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr; however, that would be the only Raiders touchdown of the afternoon.

Cooper ended the afternoon with three catches for 115 yards and that 87-yard touchdown reception from Carr.

In the season finale, Carr went 19-for-28 for 243 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception.

Marshawn Lynch led the Raiders in rushing, as he carried the ball 19 times for 101 yards on the afternoon.

It turned out to be a good day for Lynch, who went over the 10,000-yard plateau for his career and also earned a $600,000 bonus for going over the 800-yard mark for the season.

Barracuda get physical, but unable to close out 2017 with a win; lose 5-2 to Moose

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Barracuda were back at it against the Manitoba Moose at Bell MTS Place. Both teams came from different standpoints; the Barracuda were looking to extend their win streak to four games, while the Moose were simply wanting to avoid a two-game losing skid.

John McCarthy was called for tripping, and Manitoba got a power play. The Moose got on the board 4:22 into the contest. Michael Spacek got a power-play goal. Sam Niku and Brendan Lemieux got the assists on Spacek’s opening goal.

Mike Sgarbossa found Chase De Leo in front with a great pass and he fired it in for a 2-0 lead at the 11:17 mark.

The Barracuda found themselves in a two-goal deficit after 20 minutes of play. The Moose were up 2-0 after the first stanza.

The Barracuda finally got on the board when Brandon Mashinter got a shot into the goal. The officials reviewed Mashinter’s play after the Moose called for a challenge for the net coming off. They confirmed it was a good goal and San Jose cut the Manitoba lead to 2-1.

Gus Young found Adam Helewka wide open, and the Barracuda tied the contest at two apiece.

Cavan Fitzgerald went to the box for interference. The Moose capitalized with the man advantage to regain the lead with their second power play of the day. De Leo’s one-timer found the back of the net for a 3-2 lead at the 13:27 mark. Buddy Robinson (former Barracuda player) and Cameron Schilling picked up the assists on De Leo’s go-ahead goal.

The Barracuda players racked up the penalties in the second stanza. Jon Martin was called for boarding, Brandon Bollig was given a delay of game penalty and Jacob Middleton went to the box for tripping. San Jose managed to kill off all their penalties and survived 5-on-3 hockey.

The animosity ensued as Julius Bergman dropped the gloves with JC Lipon with just 17 seconds left in the second. The Barracuda still trailed the Moose by one after 40 minutes of play. The Moose were up 3-2 after the second.

Peter Stoykewych’s point shot redirected in and off of Robinson for a quick goal in the third stanza, expanding the Moose’s lead to 4-2.

The Barracuda went on the power play due to a previous Moose penalty. Around the same time, there was another fight as Emerson Clark fought a Manitoba player. Both players went to the box for roughing.

The game resumed to even strength, but the fighting continued as Clark and Lipon showed signs of aggression with each other. Both players headed to their respective locker rooms and each received 10 minute misconducts.

Again, 5-on-3 hockey occurred after Mashinter sat out due to a bench minor. Nic Petan scored on the two man advantage to increase the Moose’s lead to 5-2. The Barracuda got another penalty–this time, Young for roughing–and the Moose remained on the 5-on-3.

The roughness continued as Martin and Francis Beauvillier had some words for each other. Both players got four minutes for roughing.

The Barracuda had a power play in the closing minutes of the game and pulled Antoine Bibeau for an extra attacker. There was 6-on-4 hockey, but San Jose didn’t get an empty-netter to get past Manitoba.

The Barracuda lost to the Moose 5-2. San Jose’s loss snapped their three-game win streak.

Notes
Barracuda starting lineup: Emerson Clark, Tim Clifton, Jon Martin, Jacob Middleton, Julius Bergman and Antoine Bibeau.

Up Next
The Barracuda return to action on Friday, January 5th against the Gulls at 7 pm PT.

NHL Podcast with Daniel Dullum: Sabers-Rangers ready to face off in outdoor game; Bettman no rush on 22 Olympics; and more NHL headlines

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Airplane approaches nearby LaGuardia Airport during Sabres practice for the the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres Winter Classic NHL game on December 31, 2017, at Citi Field in Flushing, New York

NHL 1 Annual Winter Classic – Buffalo vs. Rangers at Citi Field, Sabres are the designated home team

2 Deputy Commish says NHL in no rush to discuss return to Winter Olympics in 2022

3 Blackhawks’ 32-year-old rookie netminder gets win in NHL debut

4 Ex-Shark Patrick Marleau continues to turn back the clock in Toronto

5 Golden Knights continue assault on expansion record book

Daniel Dullum does the NHL Podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Categories NHL

NCAA Basketball Podcast with Daniel Dullum: AZ State tops AZ for round one; Butler shocks Villanova; Alabama shoots the lights out on Texas A&M

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AP File Photo: Arizona State guard Remy Martin, left, reaches to steal the ball from Arizona guard Rawle Alkins (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)

NCAA Hoops Podcast with Daniel

1 Top Pac-12 men’s battle – No. 3 Arizona State at No. 17 Arizona – round one to the Wildcats…Sun Devils’ first loss

2 Hot-shooting Butler upsets No. 1 Villanova

3 Unranked Alabama scores big SEC hoop win over No. 5 Texas A&M

4 Stanford out of AP women’s hoop poll for first time since 2001, responds with upset of No. 11 UCLA

5 No. 20 Cal women beat USC for 7th straight win

Daniel Dullum is filling in for Michelle Richardson for this week’s NCAA Basketball Podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Cal’s rollercoaster season continues in Pac-12 opening win at Stanford

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Stanford forward Michael Humphrey (10) battles for a loose ball against California guard Don Coleman (14) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

 

By Morris Phillips

The switch operating the team performance appliance for Cal basketball didn’t get flipped until less than 10 minutes remained in Saturday’s conference opener at Stanford.

But once switched, the effect was immediate.

The Bears’ zone defense that was ineffective from the start disappeared. A menacing man-to-man scheme took its place. Despite a 17-point halftime deficit, the belief returned. And then the made baskets, one after another.

“Once our guys got settled in and saw what they were trying to do, we started doing a better job of containing them off the dribble,” Coach Wyking Jones said of the comeback that would wipe out Stanford’s big lead in the final seven minutes of the game.
“Nick Hamilton came in and really gave us a spark. His energy and enthusiasm–the other guys feed off of it. Once we did a better job of keeping them off the offensive glass, it worked out for us.”

For Cal, winning at Maples Pavilion has never been easy. Mike Montgomery did it on his initial visit as the opposing coach, then suffered a slew of losses in the ensuing years.  Jaylen Brown didn’t win at Stanford in his one opportunity. Ivan Rabb got two shots and came up empty. Jason Kidd won at Maples once–at the time it felt like the breakthrough of the century.

And this edition of California basketball coming off an embarrassing 25-point loss to Portland State at home, not to mention similar defeats at the hands of Central Arkansas, Cal State Northridge and Chaminade? They put on their super hero capes and pulled off a tremendous finish that gathered the collective strengths of a group that had been up and down throughout the non-conference slate.

Marcus Lee overcame early foul trouble and, along with Kingsley Okoroh, anchored the defense late. Lee finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Justice Sueing scored eight points in the final three minutes. And little utilized freshman Grant Anticevich canned a key three-pointer down the stretch.

And in a battle of struggling clubs grasping for 40 minutes of consistency, the Bears came up with 10 minutes of winning play that they’re unlikely to forget.

Stanford Cardinal defeated 77-74 by archival Cal Bears in Pac-12 opener

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Photo: @StanfordMBB

By Alexandra Evans

PALO ALTO—The Stanford Cardinal Men’s Basketball team faced their first Pac-12 opponent of the season and cross-Bay Area rivals, the California Golden Bears, at Maples Pavillion two days before the new year.

Don Coleman, Marcus Lee, Justice Sueing, Nick Hamilton, and Darius McNeill started for the visiting Golden Bears. Kezie Okpala, Daejon Davis, Reid Travis, Michael Humphrey, and Dorian Pickens (who was out with an injury earlier this season) started for the Cardinal.

Cal’s Marcus Lee made the first basket of the game 17 seconds in, and Stanford’s Michael Humphrey made the second basket 13 seconds later. Cal made another two baskets over the course of 24 seconds and exceeded Stanford by four points at the 1:25 mark, until Reid Travis got a layup 15 seconds later at the 1:40 mark and Dorian Pickens made a three-pointer at 2:16, commencing Stanford’s lead over Cal, which would gradually increase throughout the first half.

Stanford’s Michael Humphrey more than doubled the lead just over 4 minutes in (13-6), and Stanford upped their lead to 10 points at the halfway point of the first 20 minutes. The score more than doubled again at the 12-minute mark (25-12) when Kezie Okpala made a jumper, assisted by Robert Cartwright.

The energy on the court and in the stands amped up significantly in the remaining five minutes of the first half, during which Stanford did not let their lead drop below 11 points. Humphrey made a dunk at 18:06 which put the Cardinal at a 14-point lead over the Bears, followed by a three-pointer from Dorian Pickens, bringing the lead to 17 points and then down to 15 after Cal’s Justice Sueing made two free throws following a foul on Oscar da Silva. Coleman made a three-pointer for the Bears with 30 seconds left in the half, and the Cardinal exceeded the Bears 37-24 at halftime.

Cal would slowly catch up to Stanford throughout the second half, and eventually exceed them. Coleman made the first basket, cutting Stanford’s lead over Cal to 11 points, and then by 10 points at the 3:18 mark when Lee got a jumper. Humphrey scored for Stanford, then Sueing for Cal, and the Cardinal’s lead was once again a point away from the single digits. Every time Stanford’s lead was cut to 10 points, they would score again to keep their lead above it through the first 10 minutes of the second half. Lee dunked for Cal, and less than a minute later, Josh Sharma made a jumper followed by a layup from Travis, giving Stanford a 15-point lead (55-40) at 6:43. The score was 60-45 just after the 10-minute mark, courtesy of Humphrey’s layup. 20 seconds later, McNeill got a 3-pointer for Cal. Stanford attained a 17 point lead after a 3-pointer from Davis with 9:28 remaining in the half.

Stanford’s lead was cut to single-digits when Cal’s Kingsley Okoroh got a layup with 6:12 left; they only led Cal by nine points. Coleman got a layup almost a minute after Okoroh, bringing the score to 66-59. Humphrey dunked for the Cardinal, inching the way back to a double-digit lead. He made a jumper one minute after his dunk and brought Stanford’s lead to 11 points once again. However, McNeill made a three-pointer for Cal directly after, followed by two layups and a free-throw from Sueing; Cal trailed by only three points. Travis quickly retaliated for Stanford with a layup and a free throw, bringing their lead up to six points. With 1:17 left in the game, Grant Anticevich made a three-pointer for Cal, making the score 73-72, giving Cardinal fans a “sudden death” feeling. Sueing got a layup and a free throw, and the Bears led the Cardinal for the first time since the beginning of the match (73-75). Travis was given two free throw opportunities with 20 seconds left in the match, only one of which he made. Davis was then fouled for Stanford, and Coleman, with two free-throw opportunities, made both for Cal with 17 seconds remaining. Travis had a chance at a three-pointer in the final seconds, but could not make it past Cal’s defense.

The Bears took home a 77-74 win.

“You go into every game confident that you’re going to win,” Humphrey said after being asked about the expectations of facing an identically ranked team. “We were all fired up to play [a rivalry game]. We wanted to start off Pac-12 play the right way, but we didn’t do that.”

Stanford struggled to make a majority of their free throws, which could have been the “make or break” of the overall score.

“I’ve probably worked more with free throws and shot more with [Stanford] than any other team I’ve ever had,” said Coach Jerod Haase. “To miss 16 free throws is going to be a problem. Ideally, you don’t get into that situation if the lead [in points] is a little bit bigger.”

Haase continued, “The experience and the cohesion of playing together is still growing, as is the execution of everything we are doing. But at the end of the day, you find ways to get stops at the end of a game… this game is going to sting, it’s going to hurt, but I feel as though we are building a foundation of something special.”

Both Stanford and Cal were 6-7 going into the match; one could argue that the outcome was going to be unpredictable. Stanford’s leader in points, Travis, averages 21.4 points per game (almost double that of his runner-up, Michael Humphrey, who has an average of 11.6 points per game). Cal’s point leader, Coleman, averages 20.5 points per game.

The Stanford Men’s Basketball team will commence the new year with a home match against the UCLA Bruins on January 4, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.