Tag: ACC

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

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

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Morris Phillips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Morris Phillips

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

And from that point, things got better still.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson Sat Mar 1, 2025: Cardinal open up road trip with 2 games left; Tip off against Notre Dame Wednesday night

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All SMU Mustangs guard Chuck Harris (3) and forward Matt Cross (33) can do is just look as the Stanford Cardinal forward Donavin Young (3) goes for the throw down at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Mar 1, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson

#1 Big win for the Stanford Cardinal (19-10) they pick up their fourth win in their last six games defeating the SMU Mustangs (21-8) this win coming at Maple Pavilion in Palo Alto earlier today.

#2 Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud played hero again with a game winning slam dunk with 8.7 second left in the ball game as the Cardinal just got by the Mustangs in a tag team game 73-68.

#3 The Mustang ran off a 13-0 score after they were down ten points and took the lead 60-57 in the middle of the second half. Chuck Harris with 3:35 left in the game hit a jump shot and it was the last of the Mustang’s 68-67 for the rest of the contest.

#4 With the Mustangs missing their last four shots and turning over the ball over in a critical situation the Cardinal turned the game around. Ryan Agarwal shot a desperation shot that hit the rim and Raynaud came in without being defended from behind the 3 point line got the ball and slammed it in for the game winner.

#5 Two more regular season games left on the Stanford Cardinal (20-9) schedule both are on the road. The Cardinal take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-17) Wed Mar 5th for a 6:00pm tip. The Irish have lost their last two games and are 9-5 at home. The Cardinal are seventh and have now won three straight games.

Michael Roberson podcasts Stanford Cardinal basketball Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal game wrap: Cardinal Corralled the Mustangs 73-68, on Senior Day inside Maples Pavilion

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) takes a jump shot against the SMU Mustangs at Maple Pavilion on Sat Mar 1, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — Senior forward Maxime Raynaud’s points and four blocks helped his Stanford Cardinal (19-10, 11-7 ACC) close out their home schedule with a bang, by taming the Southern Methodist Mustangs (21-8, 12-6 ACC) 73-68, on the Farm. The Cardinal come away with a nail biter 73-68 on Saturday night at Maples Pavilion.

The Stanford Senior Trio (Maxime Raynaud, Jaylin Blakes & Cole Kastner) were determined to end their playing careers on the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples with a bang. Raynaud tallied his obligatory double-figure (11) scoring during the initial 20 minutes of game action. Blakes on the other hand, had a tough first half with 3 fouls midway through the half, including a technical foul. Kastner did not play a minute in half number one.

SMU scored the first points of the game with a three pointer. That margin was the ,ost they led by in the first half They also had runs of 6-0 and 8-0. Stanford had a lead as high as 13, with runs of 7-0 and 9-0.

Even with Stanford’s big lead at one point, it was a very competitive first half. There were 7 lead changes and 6 ties. After all the smoke settled, the home team had a six point lead at recess, 45-39.

Raynaud’s 11 points led the Cardinal, while Matt Cross’ 10 points and Chuck Harris’ 11 paced the Mustangs.

The second half was just as competitive, as the Mustangs overcame the 6-point halftime deficit and turned it into another three points lead midway through the second half. Minutes later they extended their advantage to five.

Stanford was not going to be denied, and they forged their own comeback. There were an additional 4 more lead changes and two more ties to the conference tussle. A total of 11 lead changes and 8 ties was the tally after 40 minutes of action. The Cardinal parlayed that into a five point win, 73-68.

The Cardinal held the Mustangs to a miniscule 39% shooting in the second half, which helped them avoid the stampede from the Dallas horses. Stanford’s 20:7 assist ratio versus SMU was a huge reason they were the victors.

Raynaud finished off his last game at Maples with campus shaking thunderous tip-dunk that sealed the contest. He finished the game with 26 points, and an underwhelming 4 rebounds. However, showed a great defensive front, with 4 blocked shots. Benny Gealer contributed with 17 points and some clutch 3-pointers. Oziyah Sellers chipped in 10 points, and Jaylin Blakes had a disappointing finale with 2 points, but a quality win.

The Mustangs had four players in double-figures. Chuck Harris led the way with 17 points, while Kario Oquendo put up 15, and Matt Cross offered 13, in addition to Yohan Traore offering 10

Stanford will next be in action in South Bend, IN, Wednesday March 5, as they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, on ESPNU. SMU heads back to Dallas to host the Syracuse Orange, on Tuesday, March 4 at 8:00 PM CT, also on ESPNU

Cardinal Grounded the Eagles 78-60 inside Maples; Raynaud School’s Double-Double King

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Stanford Cardinal forward Chisom Okpara (10) takes a jump shot against the Boston College Eagles at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Feb 26, 2025 (Stanford X photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD. Calif. — Maxime Raynaud’s record breaking 21st Double-Double helped his Stanford Cardinal (18-10, 10-7 ACC) preserve Palo Alto as a NO-FLY Zone for the visiting Boston College Eagles (12-16, 4-13 ACC) 78-60, while maintaining their home-court conference dominance (8-1) on the Farm..

Raynaud was on a mission right away from the scoring side of his game.  He not only converted the first bucket of the game, but the initial seven points for the Cardinal.  He was on fire from beyond the Arc, and making hook shots from either hand.

Stanford’s defense was also steller and sturdy as their mascot (Tree).  They held their Massachusetts opponent to a putrid 27% from the field, and 18% from threeland, in the first 20 minutes of gameplay.  The Cardinal, on the other hand, shot 54% & 46% respectively for the home squad.

When the recess horn went off, the Cardinal held their largest lead of 18 points, 37-19.  This was assisted with an 8-0 run and controlling the clock, by leading for more than 18 minutes (90%) of the first stanza,

Raynaud led all players with 16 points, and was the lone player in double figures.  However, he had a low count of rebounds (3), possibly interrupting his chance to eclipse school history.  Junior guard Dion Brown led the Eagles in scoring with a mild five points.

In the second half, Stanford scratched first again with a Jaylin Blakes bucket.  That immediately put the Cardinal up by 20 points.  By the end of the conference battle, Stanford increased their advantage to as high as 27 points, but settled for an 18-point victory (78-60), after 40 minutes of regulation action.  This was also the same margin at halftime.

Boston College shot an impressive 50% from the field in the second half, while hitting a sizzling 56% from behind the 3-point line.  They equaled the Cardinal in points production (41) in the last half; however, being down by 18 midway through the contest, that effort will keep you in the same hole, down by 18 after 20 minutes.

Several players joined Raynaud in the double-figures stratosphere, including three of his teammates.  Maxime totaled 23 points, and grabbed 10 rebounds (7 in 2nd Half), placing him on top of the Cardinal’s list of double-doubles in a single season. Twenty-One D-D’s surpasses Stanford legend Adam Keefe, with several games still left in the season’

Oziyah Sellers (18), Chisom Okpara (15) and Jaylin Blakes all joined their Senior record-breaker in double-digit scoring.  As for Boston College, two players reached that plateau.  Senior Chad Venning led the Eagles with 13 points, while his fellow senior teammate Roger McFarlane chipped in 11 points of his own efforts.

The Cardinal will next be in action, Saturday, March 1, as they host the Southern Methodist Mustangs at 2:00 P M PT on the ACC Network.  Boston College heads across the Bay on the same date to take on Cal at 7:00 PM PT on ESPN2/U.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal tips off against Georgia Tech Thursday nite in the battle for seventh place

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Cal Bears guard Lulu Twidale (10) takes the ball up the floor against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum at Blacksburg Virginia on Sun Feb 23, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Tough loss for Cal last Sunday at Virginia Tech a close game 87-84.

#2 The Hokies just wouldn’t bend in that crucial fourth quarter edging out the Golden Bears 23-21 was just a matter of Cal having an off night or the Hokies hit the books on Cal and studied film and were prepared?

#3 How surprising was it that the Bears who had the better record at 22-8 were turned back by a Hokies team that was 18-10. Sometimes those records just don’t matter on any given night in the NCAA.

#4 Morris hard as they tried lets take a look at some of Cal’s top scorers from Sunday’s game Marta Suarez 20 points, Ioanna Krimili 19, and Kayla Williams with 17 points talk about their efforts to try and keep up with the Hokies on Sunday.

#5 Next up for the Cal Bears the Georgia Yellow Jackets who aren’t no slouch at 21-8. The Jackets are eighth and are just one game behind Cal in the ACC for seventh place. Do you see the Bears regrouping and coming after the Jackets at Haas Pavilion on Thursday night which could be a real battle?

Join Morris Phillips for the Cal podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com