Tag: Cal Bears

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Bears take on Virginia tonight at John Paul Jones Arena to start road trip

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The Cal Bears will meet the Virginia Cavaliers Thu Feb 20, 2025 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottsville VA with a 4:00pm PT tip off (photo by Cal Bears Athletic Dept)

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 The Cal Bears are coming off a two game homestand sweep over the Boston College Eagles and the Syracuse Orange. Cal (21-6) will got back east for their final regular season road trip starting at Virginia on Thursday at 4pm PT.

#2 In the history of both Cal and Virginia this will be their sixth meeting and the Cavaliers are 3-2 in that history. The Cavaliers also have two wins over Cal in the NCAA Tournament. The last time these two clubs met was 2018 in the NCAA Tournament with a 68-62.

#3 If Cal can pull off a win tonight it would give them their most wins since the 2016-17 season when they won 24 games.

#4 The Bears will be keyed in on the Cavaliers Kymora Johnson who leads the team with 17.5 points per game and was named the All ACC second team and All Freshman from last season.

#5 In the last game Cal played on Sun Feb 16th at Syracuse as Cal led with guard Kayla Williams 21 points, forward Marta Suarez finished in second with 16 points. Talk about their game against the Orange and how important Williams and Suarez is to Cal.

Cal Bears podcasts are heard Thursdays with Cal Bears beat writer Morris Phillips at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Stanford hoping to end 2 game skid against Cal Saturday

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Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) drives on Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) at Cameron Indoor Arena in Durham North Carolina on Sat Feb 15, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal came into Duke University on Sat Feb 15 hoping to bounce back from a tough loss to the Georgia Tech on Wed Feb 12th 60-52 but got destroyed by the Blue Devils 106-70.

#2 In the first half Duke offense was unstoppable scoring 49 points to Stanford’s 34. The Cardinal simply couldn’t do anything with Duke’s defense that prevented them to get inside all first half long.

#3 Duke turned it up a notch not holding back in the second half scoring 57 to Stanford’s 36 points. Not much difference from the first half but it sure had Stanford head coach Kyle Smith busy with his X’s and O’s.

#4 Only three Stanford Cardinal finished in double figures. Forward Maxime Raynaud led with 19 points followed by guard Oziyah Sellers second with 11 points, and Donavin Young with ten points.

#5 Up next for the Cardinal the Cal Bears who pay Stanford a visit this Sat Feb 22 a 7:00pm PST. The Bears have lost their last three games and have struggling road record at 2-8. Stanford is 13-2 at home and lost their last two games in a row. How do you see this match on Saturday?

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

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal gets back in win column with 72-63 win over Boston College; Onyiah leads with 21 points for Bears

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Cal Bears center Ugonne Onyiah (0) attempts to block a shot against the Boston College Eagles at Haas Pavilion on Thu Feb 13, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Cal head coach Charmin Smith picked up her first 20 game win that improved Cal’s record to 20-6 for the season it was exciting for coach Smith to pick up the win but also for the players to help get that win.

#2 The Cal starting five played some potent basketball against the Boston College Eagles for a 72-63 win at Haas Pavilion on Thursday night.

#3 Top scorer for Thursday night for Cal Michelle Onyiah with 21 points she is one of the most improved players at Cal.

#4 Cal’s defense in the second quarter was impressive holding the Eagles to just ten points but the Eagles had a break out fourth quarter scoring 22 points to Cal’s 21 none the less it wasn’t enough as the Bears win it by nine points.

#5 Cal could win another one as they take on the Syracuse Orange on Sun Feb 16th for a 3:00pm tip off at Haas Pavilion. Syracuse is 10-14 and are 13th in the ACC. How do you see this one this coming Sunday?

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

Wilkinson’s 21 points not enough, as three-headed Wake Forest beast downs Bears 76-66

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Cal Bears Andrej Stojakovic takes warm ups before the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Feb 8, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Wake Forest Demon Deacons 76 (18-6)

California Golden Bears 66 (12-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 21 points, but it wasn’t enough, as Cal fell back to .500 with a 76-66 loss at the hands of Camer Hildreth, Hunter Sallis, Reid Efton and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Cal got back over .500 with a 74-62 win over NC State on Wednesday night. Saturday, they would be in for a challenge against the 17-6 Wake Forest Demon Deacons.


The Bears amped and ready to go out of the gate. Jovan Blacksher Jr. hit a three 25 seconds in to start the day. Mady Sissoko then hit a hookshot 36 seconds later to put the Bears out to an early 5-0 lead.

Even though the Bears held onto a steady lead in the opening minutes, Wake Forest made their charge. They tied the game at 13-13 on a layup by Jake Harris, and then they took their first lead of the game, 16-15, a minute and 25 seconds later on a free throw from Cameron Hildreth.

Wake Forest opened up their lead to six points at 24-18 with 6:45 to go in the first half, and appeared ready to pull away with it. However, Cal quickly closed the deficit to 24-23 after Jeremiah Wilkinson hit a three and Andrej Stojakovic hit one in the paint. 

Efton Reid extended Wake Forest’s lead to 26-23 with a layup, but Rytis Petraitis tied the game with a three, and Blacksher put the Bears back ahead with a three of his own. Efton then hit a three to re-tie it, and Hunter Sallis took an alleyoop for a dunk to put Wake Forest back ahead 31-29.  

That would be the score as the game moved to the second half. Wake Forest held a small lead for the first two minutes and 46 seconds until Wilkinson tied it with a three. 

The game would remain neck and neck over the next few minutes, as Wake Forest would twice retake a miniscule lead, and Cal would tie it again both times. However, after Wilkinson hit two from the line to make it 42-42 with 14:51 left, everything would suddenly change.

Wake Forest scored eight unanswered points to take a 50-42 lead. Wilkinson hit a much-needed three to close it to 50-45, but Wake Forest did not let up. They ended up going on a 20-5 run to take a 62-47 lead and put the game away.

The only real excitement in the game’s final minutes was a near-fight that Head Coach Mark Madsen had to sprint to the middle court to break up. He had to restrain two young and tall basketball players, which is no small task for a coach. But hey, when you’re in a hurry to make sure two of your guys don’t get suspended, I guess it comes naturally. 

Really, three guys carried Wake Forest to victory Saturday. Camer Hildreth scored 23 points; Hunter Sallis scored 20; and Reid Efton scored 19. The three of them combined for 62 of Wake Forest’s 76 points. 

Wilkinson of course led the scoring for Cal with 21 points. After Wilkinson, Blacksher scored 12, and Stojakovic scored 10.

The Bears fall back to .500 at 12-12, and things won’t get any easier for them when they head to Durham, North Carolina to take on the Duke Blue Devils on Wednesday. Duke is only number two in the entire country, so no pressure.

Cal will also head to Georgia Tech next Saturday, and they will conclude their three-game road trip much closer to home, as they will go just down the road from Berkeley to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinal the following Thursday.

Cal Bears podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Cal frustrations come out in 76-66 loss to Wake Forest

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Cal Bears guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (0) takes the ball up the floor against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Feb 8, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 One thing you can say about the visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons (18-6) is they’ve kept their shots falling and staying ten points ahead of the Cal Bears (12-11) all game long Saturday at Haas Pavilion.

#2 Wake Forest’s leading scorer Cameron Hildreth was hitting his shot and lead the Deacons in scoring in this on.

#3 Another thing that was working for Wake Forest was they were getting their share of shots that were falling.

#4 In the second half Cal was behind on an average of ten points and just couldn’t get enough offense against the Deacons to make up the difference. The game got physical and at one point frustrating for Cal as head coach Mark Madson had to come out on the court to restrain his players who were jawing with a Demon Deacon player.

#5 Cal tries it again this time at Duke University who are number two in the nation at 21-2. The Blue Devils are first are 12-0 at home and have won seven in row. Cal with the loss to Wake Forest on Saturday come into Duke with a 2-6 away record. Cal is playing .500 ball having won three of their last six games.

Stephen Ruderman covers Cal basketball for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Louisville Defends Cal Women Early, And Holds On Late in 70-63 Win

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By Morris Phillips

Offensive droughts and foul trouble made the Cal Bears women’s visit to Louisville an unsuccessful one on Thursday night.

The visitors quest for a significant Quad 1 win on the road fell apart in a stretch spanning the first and second quarters in which they were outscored 17-2 and fell behind by 13. While Louisville surged, the Bears missed 12 consecutive shots. Cal still trailed 64-48 midway through the fourth quarter before finishing with a run that made the final margin a respectable, but still unsatisfying seven points.

The matchup of a significantly more experienced Cal team and a youthful Louisville squad was decided by turnovers as well as Cal committed 23 which led to 22 points for the hosts.

Olivia Cochran led the Cardinals with 18 points and nine rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes. Highly touted freshman Imari Berry added 14 points off the bench in one of her best games to date, while former Cal standout Jayda Curry had eight points on 3 of 11 shooting in her first meeting against her former team and coach.

Cal (19-5, 7-4) was led by Michelle Onyiah with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Cal’s other four starters also scored in double figures, but their bench managed just four points on the evening, all four from guard Gisella Maul.

The Bears will need to regroup quickly for their next game at No. 3 Notre Dame on Sunday. The Fighting Irish maintained their unblemished record in ACC play on Thursday by routing Stanford 96-47.

Golden Bears cruise to 74-62 win over Wolfpack

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Cal Bears guard Jovan Blackshear Jr (10) raises a hand to teammates against the NC State Wolfpack at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Feb 5, 2025 (Cal Bears X)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, February 5, 2025

California continued to enjoy success in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball Wednesday, as the Golden Bears defeated North Carolina State 74-62 at Haas Pavilion.

Jovan Blacksher led Cal (12-11 overall, 5-7 ACC) with 18 points, followed by Jeremiah Wilkinson with 14 points. Joshua Ola-Joseph added 13 points and Mady Sissoko pulled down 13 rebounds.

Andre Stojakovic returned to the Golden Bears lineup from illness and contributed six points. He hadn’t played since Jan. 18, also against NC State.

Cal led 34-30 at halftime. A key factor in the Golden Bears’ win was their defense, which held NC State to 2 of 12 shooting over the final 6 1/2 minutes. The Wolfpack (9-13 overall, 2-9 ACC) missed nine shots during that stretch.

A Rytis Petraitis 3-pointer put the Golden Bears up 47-46 with 13 minutes remaining in the second half. Petraitis later gave Cal 62-54 lead with under seven minutes to go. Cal put the finishing touches on the victory with a 10-0 run, giving them a 72-57 advantage with 90 seconds to play.

Marcus Hill led the Wolfpack with 20 points. NC State has lost seven consecutive games.

This Saturday, the Golden Bears host Wake Forest at 4 p.m., while NC State visits Stanford.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal takes on Louisville Thursday in bid for 21st win

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Martz Suarez forward (7) of the Cal Bears takes a jump shot against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sun Feb 2, 2025. (Cal Bears X photo)

#1 In the Cal Bears (20-4) last game Marta Suarez and Ioanna Krimili scored 16 points a piece and Lulu Twidale had 15 points as Cal picked up fourth win in their last six games against the Pittsburgh Panthers (9-15) 84-53 last Sunday.

#2 For Cal they reached a season high for scoring with 84 points and won by a season high 31 point gap with their win over Pittsburgh.

#3 The Bears had control over the Panthers early outscoring them 28-9 in the second quarter and taking an 18-11 lead after the first quarter. Cal had runs of 13-0 and 10-0 leads during the second quarter to hold a 46-20 lead at the half.

#4 Cal had all 12 of their players score against Pit and for head coach Charmin Smith she now chalks up her 19th win and seventh conference win tying the most she had last season.

#5 Cal heads to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. The Cardinals are sixth in the ACC at 15-7 over all and 6-3 at home. Tip off Thursday night 5:00pm PST.

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

Syracuse uses big first half to upend Cal 75-66

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Cal Bears guard Javon Blackshear (10) points to his teammates as Cal battles the Syracuse Orange at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Feb 1, 2025 (Cal Bears MBB X photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Lucas Taylor scored 19 points and J.J. Starling bagged 18 for Syracuse Saturday, leading the Orange past California 75-66 in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball at Haas Pavilion.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Orange (10-12 overall, 4-7 ACC).

The Golden Bears (11-11 overall, 4-7 ACC) were led by Jeremiah Wilkinson and Jovan Blacksher, who each scored a game-high 20 points. Rylis Petraitis was Cal’s leading rebounder with eight, to go with two assists, two steals and 13 points.

Syracuse opened the game with back-to-back layups by Starling, followed by a Taylor jumper and Elijah Moore’s 3-pointer, giving the Orange a 9-0 lead. The Orange never trailed.

Chris Bell hit a short jumper and a 3 to cap a 10-1 Syracuse run that put the Orange up by 13 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Taking advantage of poor shooting by Cal (17 percent on 4 of 23 shots), the Orange build a 40-23 at the break.

The Golden Bears battled back with two 11-0 runs to pull within seven in the second half. Petraitis scored seven points during a 9-3 Cal run, pulling the Bears to within 67-61 on Blacksher’s layup with 1:14 remaining. The Golden Bears got no closer.

The Golden Bears were without Andrej Stojakovic, their leading scorer. Stojakovic averages 18.9 points per game – third in the ACC.

Cal hosts N.C. State on Wednesday. Game time is 8 p.m PST.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Bears battle UNC in Berkeley tonight; Cal still perfect 11-0 at home

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Stanford Tree (left) not happy, Cal Bears players (right) happy after sweeping the two game season series against the Stanford Cardinal on Thu Jan 25, 2025 at Maples Pavilion (Cal Bears X photo)

On Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Cal Bears (18-3) Kayla Williams scored 18 points and Ioanna Krimlli had 17 point and the Cal defeated the Stanford Cardinal (10-9) 75-72 last Thursday night.

 #2 The win was historic it was the Bears first sweep of the Cardinal in 39 years.

#3 The win on Thursday was Cal’s first win at Stanford since the 2014-15 and Stanford suffered it’s second home loss of the season.

#4 Marta Suarez who scored 13 points. The Bears had lost 12 in a row against the Cardinal. The win on Thursday was Cal’s first win by 20 points after having a successful evening of hitting 18 three pointers.

#5 The North Carolina Tar Heels (18-5) come calling Thursday night against Cal for a 7:00pm PST tip. NC has not lost a road game yet this season at 4-0.

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