Tag: ACC

Cal Bears/NCAA Tournament podcast Morris Phillips: Cal-MS State meet in the 4-Spokane Saturday in LA

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Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron (top right), forward Liatu King (left), battle for the ball with the Cal Bears forward Ugonne Oniyah bottom right in the ACC quarterfinals in Greensboro NC Fri Mar 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

On Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 Cal is in their first March Madness since 2019 and will be in the 4-Spokane. The Bears are No.8 as they face No.9 Mississippi State on Saturday for a 2:30pm PDT tip in Los Angeles.

#2 The Bears will be playing in a familiar place at USC Galen Center. Would it help playing in a building they used to go to every year?

#3 Cal head coach Charmin Smith said, “I’m thrilled” said Smith “I’m just really excited. We did a lot of work to get to the NCAA Tournament. I think we can bring a lot of fans to Southern California and it’ll be a great matchup.”

#4 Cal who had a 25-8 season celebrated at a watch party last Saturday. This is Cal’s best record since 2012-13 Cal had finished 32-4 that season.

#5 Cal took a tough loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second round 73-64. Cal was the seventh seed in that tournament. The looking to rebound against Mississippi State Saturday. The Bulldogs are 21-11 and 6-6 on the road.

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

#2 Cardinal Charged the Matadors 87-70, in NIT Opener, Tuesday Night on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud led in scoring against the Northridge Matadors at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue Mar 18, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Second ranked (NIT SF Regional) Stanford Cardinal (21-13) utilized their Maples Magic to handle instate opponent California State University – Northridge Matadors (22-11) 87-70, inside their Maples Pavilion.

Stanford led from wire to wire and had an advantage in the first 20 minutes The Cardinal was in control from the first shot made by redshirt-sophomore guard Ryan Agarwal from beyond the arc. They never looked back after that bucket.

The home team also produced a 9-0 run, while playing stellar defense against the Matadors. Stanford forced CSUN to shoot 37% from the field and 22% from three in the first half.

Senior forward Maxime Raynaud led all players in scoring at recess. He compiled 15 points, 5 rebounds and an intimidating 4 blocks in the initial half of the contest. Raynaud was not only the leading scorer for both squads, he was the only Cardinal player in double figures.

Although Benny Gealer was in single digits at the midway point of the game, his second three-pointer was at the halftime buzzer, which gave them their then largest lead (17). Also during the beginning frame, Raynaud placed himself in Stanford’s Top 10 scoring list.

Senior forward Keonte Jones was the Matadors’ lone double-digit scorer (11) and was the key player attempting to keep Stanford in reasonable reach.

After the Stanford mid-game buzzer beater, Stanford led by 17 points, 46-29. All the momentum seemed to be in Stanford’s favor and the sting of that heart-wrenching loss in the ACC Tournament appeared to be a distant memory

The second half had a similar start as the first half did 20 minutes prior. This time it was freshman forward Donavin Young launching a trey, putting his Cardinal up by 20 immediately. They would add another point to that impressive scoring margin during the final half.

CSUN tried to make it competitive, as more players contributed from the scoring aspect. However, Stanford was able to hold on to their large lead and win by 17 points, 87-70. Out of the Cardinal’s 21 wins, 17 have been in the friendly confines of Maples Pavilion.

Raynaud posted another double-double, 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. Oziya Sellers also scored 20 points, while Benny Gealer dropped 13 points and Jaylin Blakes chipped in 11 points and offered four assists.

The Matadors had four players scoring at least 10 points. Keonte Jones led CSUN with 18 points and 5 rebounds, while Scotty Washington tied Jones in rebounds while producing and tallied 17 points. Grady Lewis led his team in rebounds (7), while while producing 12 points, and Tyler Beard mustered up 10 points and team high four assists.

The Cardinal will play Round 2 of the NIT at Maples hosting Kent State, Saturday March 22 or Sunday March 23, time and date TBA at a later date,.

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