Stanford Tames and Infects #4 Arizona with Cat Scratch Fever 88-79

Stanford guard Michael O’Connell (5) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Feb 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — Michael O’Connel’s career-high 22 points helped his Stanford Cardinal (11-14, 5-9 Pac-12) upset and brake the #4 Arizona Wildcats (22-4, 11-43 Pac-12) inside a crowded Maples Pavilion, 88-79.

Stanford took charge after the opening tip-off and led for the first six minutes of the game. However, the desert cats of Arizona clawed their way back to take the lead

Both teams battled the rest of the half, with Stanford orchestrating a 7-0 run and 5-point lead, while Arizona put on a 13-0 run and garnered a 9-point advantage.

After 20 minutes of action, the Wildcats were in front by three, 44-41.

The Cardinal had no player in double-figures, but Maxime Raynaud scored nine. Arizona’s top baller was senior guard Courtney Ramey (14) with four 3’s made.

Part 2 of the contest demonstrated more of a conference scuffle, as both teams exchanged leads, but the Cardinal really took charge at the 3:28 mark, establishing a 10-point lead.

Although scoreless in the first half, Cardinal senior forward Spencer Jones contributed an impressive 18 points in the second stanza.

The Farm Faithful energized the home team to perform a 10-0 run and lead by as much as 11 points and they finished off the felines from the Grand Canyon State by nine, 88-79.

Stanford’s entire starting lineup was in double-figures: Michael O’Connell (22) Spencer Jones (18) and six rebounds Brandon Angel (14) Maxime Raynaud (13) and five rebounds Harrison Ingram (12), nine rebounds and seven assists Arizona produced four double-digit scorers: Courtney Ramey (26) on eight treys, six rebounds and five assists. Cedric Henderson Jr. (12), Pelle Larsson (12) and Kerr Krisa (10).

The Cardinal travel downstate to take on the UCLA Bruins Thursday, February 16 at Pauley Pavilion, while Arizona heads back to Tucson to host the Utah Utes on the same date.

Spencer Jones has his Kansas City Chiefs winning SB LVII.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum: Brink and Jones lead the way for Cardinal in win over Wildcats 84-60

Arizona guard Shaina Pellington (1) manages to get to a long rebound before Stanford guard Haley Jones, left, in the second quarter at McKale Memorial Arena in Tucson AZ on Thu Feb 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

#1 Cameron Brink and Hayley Jones each scored 18 points for Stanford Thursday, as the No. 6 Cardinal bounced back from last Sunday’s loss at Washington to rout No. 17 Arizona 84-60 in Pac-12 women’s basketball at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.

#2 It was the Cardinal’s sixth consecutive win over U of A (18-6 overall, 8-5 Pac-12), a streak that includes the 2021 NCAA championship contest. 

#3 Stanford (23-3 overall, 11-2 Pac-12) moved into first place in the conference standings, a half-game ahead of No. 7 Utah.

#4 Stanford led 38-27 at halftime, outscored the Wildcats 24-10 in the third quarter. Hannah Jump’s 3-pointer gave the Cardinal a 21-point lead midway through the period. The Cardinal led by as many as 37 in the fourth quarter.

#5 Daniel, The Cardinal concludes their four-game road trip in Tempe, visiting Arizona State on Sunday afternoon.

Daniel Dullum covers Stanford Cardinal basketball Fridays for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 6 Cardinal women rout No. 14 Arizona 84-60

Arizona guard Lauren Fields, left, ties up Stanford forward Cameron Brink (22) during the first quarter at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Thu Feb 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, February 9, 2023

Cameron Brink and Hayley Jones each scored 18 points for Stanford Thursday, as the No. 6 Cardinal bounced back from last Sunday’s loss at Washington to rout No. 17 Arizona 84-60 in Pac-12 women’s basketball at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.

It was the Cardinal’s sixth consecutive win over U of A (18-6 overall, 8-5 Pac-12), a streak that includes the 2021 NCAA championship contest. Stanford (23-3 overall, 11-2 Pac-12) moved into first place in the conference standings, a half-game ahead of No. 7 Utah.

Jones hit 8 of 11 field goal attempts while pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists. Brink, playing 21 minutes, had eight rebounds, one block and one steal as the Cardinal outrebounded Arizona 45-27. Lauren Betts added 12 points and Talana Lepolo had four assists.

Paris Clark, Esmery Martinez and Cate Reese each scored 10 points to lead the Wildcats, who were coming off their first road sweep of UCLA and USC since 2002. Martinez had six rebounds and Clark had four assists.

Arizona shot 35.8 percent from the field, and the defeat was the program’s most lopsided loss since Kansas beat them by 27 in December. Stanford, meanwhile, scored 50 of its points in the paint.

Stanford led 38-27 at halftime, outscored the Wildcats 24-10 in the third quarter. Hannah Jump’s 3-pointer gave the Cardinal a 21-point lead midway through the period. The Cardinal led by as many as 37 in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinal concludes their four-game road trip in Tempe, visiting Arizona State on Sunday afternoon.

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca: Cal trying to prevent their 22nd loss tonight against Arizona; Team reportedly flying commercial not charter

Cal Bears guard Joel Brown shoes in hand heads for the tarmac and boards a plane at Salt Lake City after playing the Utah Utes on Sun Feb 5, 2023 (@CalMBBall photo)

On Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Sitting on 19 losses and inevitably headed toward an undesired historical 20th loss, the Cal Bears started Sunday needing to fess up to one fair conclusion. Is a big part of the reason Cal is not focusing is because they’ve been flying commercial rather charter as reported?

#2 Cal Bears currently not talented enough to compete in the Pac 12 with or without injuries, with or without USC and UCLA or any number of other considerations.

#3 It’s not a good look, and a trip to Utah’s Huntsman Center certainly didn’t change that. The Bears fared no better in a dreary 61-46 loss to the Utes that leaves them as the only program to suffer three consecutive 20-loss seasons in Pac-12 history.

#4 Cal trailed at halftime and then went the first six-plus minutes of the second half without a made basket. That allowed the hosts to extend their lead to as many as 20 points and cruise in beating the Bears for a fifth, consecutive time dating back to 2021.

#5 Cal (3-20, 2-10) fell to 0-8 in true road games and are fortunate to have their next two games at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley with Arizona up first on Thursday evening.

Join Michael Duca for the Cal Bears basketball podcasts Thursdays and Morris Phillips does all game recaps at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum: Cardinal dropping to No.4 is not that big of deal after being No.2

Stanford guard Talana Lepolo, right, drives toward the basket as Southern California guard Kayla Williams defends during the first half at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Sun Jan 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel in the loss to the USC Trojans (13-4) 55-46 last Sunday in the Southland it was the Stanford Cardinal (17-2) first loss after wining 12 straight games their last loss coming in overtime to South Carolina back on Nov 20th at Maples Pavilion.

#2 The loss drops Stanford who had been in the No.2 seeded spot for weeks to No.4 the consequence of that loss was that USC was an unranked school coming into that game.

#3 Daniel, defense on behalf of the Trojans in the first quarter of last Sunday’s game made all the difference and the Trojans had a game plan on double teaming and shutting down the Cardinal’s Cameron Brink who did lead Stanford in scoring with 11 points. The Cardinal would only get 4 points in the first quarter.

#4 Daniel, was the loss to USC just taking the Trojans for granted after the Cardinal had that huge win to UCLA on the Friday before or the Trojans just had a game plan and executed.

#5 You can best bet that the Cardinal will review what went wrong against USC regroup and be prepared for their next opponent at Maples Pavilion tonight the No.8 ranked Utah Utes (15-1). The Utes last Friday were supposed to host the ASU Sun Devils but that game was forfeited due to medical issues with the Sun Devils and they couldn’t travel. The Utes in their next game took on Arizona Wildcats and defeated them 80-79 last Sunday. Daniel how do you see this match up for tonight between the Utes and Cardinal?

Join Daniel Dullum for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 2 Cardinal women prevail over No, 15 Arizona 73-57

Hannah Jump (33) gets to jump for joy as the Stanford Cardinal defeat the Arizona Wildcats at Maples Pavilion on Mon Jan 2, 2023 (Bay Area News Group photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Monday, January 2, 2023

Stanford used a big second quarter surge to pull away from No, 15 Arizona Monday, as the No, 2 Cardinal earned a 73-57 Pac-12 women’s basketball victory at Maples Pavilion.

It was the Cardinal’s 10th consecutive win, as they held the high-scoring Wildcats to their lowest offensive output o the season. Arizona (12-2 overall, 2-1 Pac-12) had been averaging 81.2 points per game and had been winning by an average of 22.3 points.

Haley Jones led the Cardinal (15-1 overall, 3-0 Pac-12) with 18 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and five assists. Francesca Belibi had 14 points and 10 rebounds off the Stanford bench – both season highs, Hannah Jump bagged four 3-pointers on her way to finishing with 13 points.

Cameron Brink finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots despite a cold shooting day. Brink was 3-for-15 from the field and missed all of her 3-point attempts.

The Cardinal were 20-for-34 at the free throw line, but had a 53-35 rebounding edge.

Jade Loville led U of A with 12 points. Helena Pueyo and Madison Connor each added 10 polints for the Wildcats, Pueyo also had seven rebounds,

Stanford used a 7-0 run to take a 17-11 lead in the first quarter, then outscored the Wildcats 17-7 in the second quarter to take a 36-22 halftime lead.

The Cardinal visit California this Sunday in Berkeley in their second matchup of the season. Stanford won the first game 90-69 at Maples Pavilion on Dec. 23 in the Pac-12 opener.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum: Cardinal men host Green Bay Friday; Cardinal women go for 5 wins in a row Sunday

Gonzaga guard Kaylynne Truong (14) is fouled by Stanford guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu during the first half action at Maples Pavilion on Sun Dec 4, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

#1 MBB the Cardinal (3-6) lost a close contest 68-64 to the Arizona State Sun Devils (10-1) in their last game Sun Dec 4th. The Cardinal got good efforts from Spencer Jones 13 points and Harrison Ingram and Michael Jones both scored 12 points.

#2 The Cardinal face the Green Bay Phoenix (2-8) who are struggling in their own right this Friday night at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal have won only three games and have the home floor advantage.

#3 Stanford women (10-1) have won four straight games, five of their last six games including a win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-2) in their last game 84-63. The Cardinal are getting offense and defense on both sides of the basketball and it might be safe to say look for this team to be a huge threat when March comes rolling around.

#4 The Cardinal match up against the Tennessee Vols (6-5) who have won four of their last five games. Tip is a 12 noon at Maples Pavilion how do you see this match up on Sunday.

#5 On Monday the Cardinal football team announced a new head coach Troy Taylor who comes from Sacramento State. Taylor help bring three Big Sky titles after taking over the Hornets football program in Dec 2018. Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir said “Troy’s credentials stood out”

Join Daniel Dullum for the Stanford podcasts Thursday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears basketball podcast with Michael Duca: Starving Cal looking for first win against Eastern Washington Wednesday night

Cal Bears Lar Thiemann take a shot from the free throw line against the Arizona Wildcats on Sun Dec 4, 2022 (CalMBBall photo)

On the Cal Bears basketball podcast with Michael:

The Cal Bears are preparing to host Eastern Washington this Wednesday night at Haas Pavilion and Cal is hoping to get in the win column which Cal has the home floor advantage. Despite the fact that their 0-9 right up there for the worst starts for a power five team.

The Bears have actually played better the last couple of games decently against USC for 31 minutes and went cold missed 13 straight shots and they went into Arizona and it was probably their best performance of the year on the road. To play on the road in the Pac 12 at the McKale Center it wasn’t a win for Cal but it was a competitive game.

Not too many people would have given Cal a fighting chance to challenge the Wildcats but they were giving them a good battle.

Michael Duca filled in for Morris Phillips who does the Cal Bears podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Homecooking puts Golden Bears back in win column; Cal’s Ott runs past Wildcats in Berkeley

Cal Bears Jaydn Ott rushes for a 73 yard carry against the Arizona Wildcats on Sat Sep 24, 2022 at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris after a tough loss at Notre Dame last week the Cal Bears redeemed themselves with a rather convincing win over the Arizona at Cal Berkeley last Saturday 49-31.

#2 Basically the mantra was give the ball to Jaydn Ott and when Cal quarterback Jack Plummer did Ott was off to the races carrying for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

#3 On a second play of the first quarter from scrimmage Ott was so reliable he took the ball and ran for 73 yards. Ott also who appeared to have been stopped on another play turned around and took the ball for an 18 yard carry.

#4 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said of Ott that he’d seen flashes for a long time and has a lot of ability to take it to the house. Morris do you view this game as a break out game for Ott?

#5 On Sat Oct 1st the Bears head to Pullman to take on the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars got edged by the Oregon Ducks 44-41 before that loss the Cougars had won three straight games. This no doubt will be another big test for coach Wilcox and the Bears.

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

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Just wasn’t meant to be for Cal; Loss comes down to tipped ball

Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph (16) and Cal Bears wide receiver Mavin Anderson (11) jump for the ball as the ball was tipped and bounced off several players in the last second of the game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend on Sat Sep 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Drew Pyne quarterback of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-2) made inroads in his first game under center for the Irish. Pyne threw for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the Notre Dame 24-17 win in South Bend Indiana over the Cal Bears (2-1).

#2 Morris the win was also pretty special for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman it was his first victory as head coach for Notre Dame.

#3 The Irish came in ranked No.5 to start the season and had to comeback from behind three times to beat the Bears by a touchdown.

#4 Morris, tough finish for the Bears missed a last second shot when Cal quarterback Jack Plummer let one loose in the end zone as the ball bounced several players and receiver Jeremiah Hunter had it in his hands but the ball ended up off his hands and on the end zone grass.

#5 The Arizona Wildcats (2-1) will be playing the Bears next Sat Sep 24th at Cal Memorial. The Wildcats are coming off a 31-28 win against the North Dakota State Bison (2-1). Wildcats quarterback Jayden de Laura threw for 229 yards and one touchdown. Morris how do you see the Wildcats and Bears matching up this coming Saturday?

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