Photo credit: @SanJoseStateMBB
By Ana Kieu
San Jose State men’s basketball opened their 2020-21 conference slate with a road trip to Logan, Utah to take on the Utah State Aggies. The two-game series began on Monday night at 6 pm PT.
The Spartans’ starting five featured Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Seneca Knight, Chase Courtney, and Hugo Clarkin. Courtney made his first career start and grabbed three boards by the 15-minute mark of the first half. Even so, SJSU fell behind early, and suffered a brutal loss to USU 107-62.
The Aggies jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Richard Washington tied the game at 3-3 at 18:31. Omari Moore helped the Spartans take their first lead of the game, 4-3, with a free throw at 17:34.
USU wasn’t a force to be reckoned with. Rollie Worster knocked down a jumper to extend the Aggies’ lead to 11-4 at 15:15. SJSU appeared to be disoriented for a little bit as Chase Courtney missed a jumper and a layup, but managed to bounce back, thanks to Sebastian Mendoza and Richard Washington. Mendoza’s three-pointer jumper cut the Aggies’ lead to 23-11 at 10:29.
Seneca Knight made a layup and cut the Aggies’ lead in half, 32-16, with 5:56 left in the first half. However, USU continued to dominate offensively and defensively to maintain a double-digit lead. Marco Anthony had a dunk and Justin Bean grabbed a defensive rebound as the half came to an end. The Aggies took a 47-26 lead into the locker room.
The Aggies used a 19-0 run to open the second half and take complete control of the Spartans, USU took a 40-point lead, 66-26, at 15:01. Sebastian Mendoza knocked down a jumper to end the Aggies’ run at 14:51.
Sebastian Mendoza’s glimpses of tremendous talent weren’t enough to bring the Spartans back to life. The Aggies reached the century mark with 4:08 remaining as Zahar Vedischev knocked down a jumper to make it 101-55. Harminder Dhaliwal’s late jumpers and rebounds were gravity defying, but a lost cause, as the Spartans took a tough loss, 107-62, to the Aggies.
Richard Washington led the Spartans with 20 points. SJSU fell to 1-3, 0-1 Mountain West. USU improved to 4-3, 1-0 Mountain West.
The Spartans conclude their series against the Aggies on Wednesday, December 23 at 6 pm PT.
Tag: NCAA
San Jose State beats Boise State 34-20 for first Mountain West football title
Photo credit: @SanJoseStateFB
By Ana Kieu
This year, San Jose State has been in the news for the right reasons.
Saturday marked the Spartans’ first Mountain West championship game, which was aired on FOX, and their opponent was the Boise State Broncos, a conference foe who has won three out of four championships–2014, 2017 and 2019–since joining the Mountain West in 2010. The Spartans held on to win 34-20 to remain undefeated at 7-0 and become the 2020 Mountain West football champions.
The Spartans put their game faces on and took deep breaths prior to the kickoff at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. SJSU received the opening kick, but Boise State forced a 3 and out, took over a punt and an offensive play led to a Broncos first down. However, the Broncos’ drive stalled at the Spartans’ 29-yard line, and SJSU took over. Nick Starkel threw a 55-yard pass to Tre Walker, who ran it in a touchdown. The extra point was good. SJSU took a 7-0 lead with 8:36 left in the first quarter.
Boise State finally got on the board late in the quarter. Jonah Dalmas’ 51-yard field goal attempt cut the Spartans’ lead to 7-3 with 3:31 left in the first.
With back-to-back sacks, Cade Hall became the first Spartan since 2012 to have 10+ sacks in a season. Hall achieved this feat in less than seven games. The Spartans led 7-3 at the end of the first.
The Spartans struck again early in the second quarter. Matt Mercurio kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 10-3 Spartans just 14 seconds into the quarter.
Matt Mercurio added his second field goal of the quarter–a 36-yarder. The Spartans made it 13-3 with 6:40 left in the second.
Matt Mercurio added his third field goal of the quarter–a 26-yarder. As a result, Mercurio recorded a season-high three field goals, and achieved this feat in less than two quarters. The Spartans’ lead was extended to 16-3 with 2:31 left in the second.
Matt Mercurio went on to tie the NCAA record for field goals with four. Mercurio kicked a 32-yard field goal for a 19-3 lead with 50 seconds left in the second.
Jonah Dalmas wrapped up the first half with a 51-yard field goal. The Broncos cut the Spartans’ lead to 19-6 with one second left. SJSU took a 19-6 lead into halftime.
The Broncos received the ball to start the second half. Avery Williams, the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, returned a 69-yard punt for a touchdown, and tied the NCAA record for career return touchdowns. The extra point was good, and Boise State cut SJSU’s lead to 19-13 with 2:48 left in the third quarter.
Just like that, SJSU was back in the game. Nick Starkel threw a 30-yard pass to Isaiah Hamilton for a touchdown. Starkel then threw to Sam Olson for a two-point conversion. The Spartans took a 27-13 lead at the 14:17 mark of the fourth quarter.
Boise State made it a one touchdown game midway through the fourth. Hank Bachmeier ran for two years for a touchdown, and the extra point was good. The Spartans led 27-20 at the 10:51 mark of the fourth.
SJSU had no fear as Derrick Deese collected Nick Starkel’s pass and ran for a 1-yard touchdown. The extra point was good. The Spartans led 34-20 with 3:48 left in the fourth.
The Broncos finished the season with a 5-2 record.
Notes: SJSU defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack 30-20 in Sam Boyd Stadium last Friday and broke into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2012 on Sunday.
In his Monday press conference, Spartans head coach Brent Brennan said: “It was a mad scramble, but through everybody’s hard work, we got it done. Our offense got it done, our defense gave us a heart attack, but our defense came through and we had a great time, a really great time for us to come together.”
In his Tuesday press conference, Spartans defensive lineman Cade Hall, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, emphasized the importance of not only his accomplishments, but also his teammates’ hard work.
Hall said: “I’m playing for my teammates, especially for the guys who have been here for all the hard years of this program. I’m playing for them. They deserve it. They put in a lot of hours than I have. They’ve been here longer than I have. They deserve to be a part of a team that has a lot of success and takes this program where it wants to go.”
Up Next: The Spartans will play the Ball State Cardinals in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson on New Year’s Eve.
San Jose State’s non-conference game against Santa Clara cancelled
Photo credit: 247sports.com
By Ana Kieu
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball was scheduled to wrap up their non-conference slate versus the Santa Clara Broncos at the Kaiser Permanente Arena on Friday night.
Unfortunately, SJSU’s annual non-conference game versus Santa Clara was postponed due to an issue that prevented the Spartans’ COVID-19 tests from arriving in time for the tip-off.
The game was originally scheduled for 6 pm, and was pushed back to an 8 pm or 8:15 pm start before the unfortunate postponement. There are no plans for the Spartans to reschedule.
SJSU remains a lowly 1-2, while Santa Clara remains a perfect 6-0.
The Spartans kick off a conference slate against the Utah State Aggies on Monday, December 21 at 6 pm.
San Jose State defeats Fresno Pacific 87-79
Photo credit: @SanJoseStateMBB
By: Ana Kieu
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball kicked off its non-conference slate against the Fresco Pacific Sunbirds at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Wednesday evening.
The Spartans’ starting five featured Omari Moore, Richard Washington, Seneca Knight, Michael Ofoegbu, and Hugo Clarkin. Ofoegbu and Clarkin earned their first career starts.
The Spartans wasted no time getting into the groove. Richard Washington got nine points early in the first half. Omari Moore made things look easy by pushing the pressure, driving in a bucket, bumping off contact, and fading away. Chase Courtney scored his first career bucket.
A familiar sight returned when Seneca Knight became a playmaker on the hardwood. SJSU led Fresno Pacific 39-15 at the under-eight, and Richard Washington had a game-high 12 points. Washington recorded 23 first-half points as the Spartans cruised to a 52-32 lead at the end of the first half.
The Sunbirds weren’t pushovers in the second half. Fresno Pacific jumped out to a 17-1 run to start the second. They pulled within 13 with 15:14 left in the second and it took them less than one minute to cut their deficit to 10.
The Spartans’ offense was nonexistent as the Sunbirds came from behind to take a short-lived lead. The Sunbirds also cut the Spartans’ lead to single digits and maintained a manageable deficit for a good chunk of the second.
The game was tied 71-71, but Richard Washington made a pair of free throws to help the Spartans take a 73-71 lead with 5:13 left in the second. Washington added another pair of free throws to extend the Spartans’ lead to 75-71 a little over one minute later.
The Spartans rose up and led the Sunbirds by six, 77-71, with 3:23 left in the second. Omari Moore needed a basket, but was fouled out. SJSU tried to play with more grit in order to hold on for the win. Moore blew past a Fresno Pacific defender for a reverse layup and Trey Smith added a free throw.
The Spartans beat the Sunbirds 87-79. SJSU improved to 1-0, while Fresno Pacific fell to 0-1. Richard Washington led the Spartans with a career-high 37 points and 12 rebounds.
The Spartans head to Moraga, Calif. to take on the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Friday evening at 7 pm PT.
Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca: Big Game commences after season of cancelation and loses for both teams
On the very offensive first play of the game between the Cal Bears and Oregon State Beavers running back Jemar Jefferson (6) carried for 75 yards for the opening score on Sat Nov 21st, 2020. Cal is trying to avoid such an offensive volley like this as they kick off with the Stanford Cardinal in the Big Game Fri Nov 27, 2020 at Memorial Stadium (AP News photo)
Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca:
#1 The Big Game has arrived an event that everyone is counting on regardless where either Stanford (0-2) or Cal (0-2) is in the standings both schools look forward to the battle for the ax.
#2 Taking a look at visiting Stanford first, quarterback Davis Mills threw for 327 yards and carried for a touchdown. In spite of a great day of throwing the Cardinal offense couldn’t execute against the Colorado Buffaloes defense scoring in single digits in each of the first three quarters in a 35-32 loss.
#3 The Cal Bears quarterback Chase Garbers threw a game that was good enough to win against the Oregon State Beavers (1-2) in the Bears last game. Garbers with 315 yards passing and three touchdowns but Cal came up short 31-27.
#4 Michael, both teams have lost both of their games and have two games canceled due to Covid-19 for this Big Game today how much of their timing do you expect to be off after two weeks worth of downtime?
#5 It’s the Big Game today at Cal you’ve attended a few Big Games in your career and while it’s a great thing to be their working a game like this behind the scenes you can get a great sense how important it is for both of these schools to battle hard for that ax.
Michael Duca does the Cal Bears podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Cal Football podcast with Michael Duca: Covid outbreak cancels opener with Washington with no make up date; Bears head to ASU for next game
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox will have to lead his troops the Cal Golden Bears another day as the home opener at UC Berkeley has been canceled for this Sat Nov 7th due to a Coronavirus outbreak (file photo from Bruins Nation)
Cal Football podcast with Michael Duca:
#1 Michael what does the cancelation of Saturday’s game mean for Cal as they were to open the season at home against the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium?
#2 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox says the team takes all kinds of precautions against the spread of Covid 19 but sometimes that’s like plugging multiple holes in a row boat.
#3 One unnamed player and his co-position players are quarantined, the unknown player is asymptomatic and keeping with Berkeley’s Health Department’s protocols the player’s teammates who share the same position with him are quarantined.
#4 The Bears have this game canceled and coach Wilcox says this is a huge disappointment for the alumni, fans, faculty, school, coaches and players and worst it opening day in college football is something that every campus is always looking forward to.
#5 So the Bears will try to again this time at Arizona State on Sat Nov 14th it will be the Bears first game and the Sun Devils second game of the season in the brief six game campaign.
Join Michael Duca for the Cal Bears podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Cal/Stanford podcast with Morris Phillips: Pac 12 Commish Scott missed 8 game playoff opportunity; plus more on Cal and Stanford
Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott stands in front of So Fi Stadium in Inglewood addressing the media back on Feb 26, 2020. Scott tried to get the Pac 12 an eight game playoff format in September but those plans got rejected (AP News photo)
Cal/Stanford podcast with Morris:
#1 Morris, the Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott made news today he was called incompetent by missing a change to have an eight team playoff.
#2 Scott could have had a better playoff that had eight teams but delayed and missed an opportunity and the deal he settled for got rejected in September by the College Football Playoff management committee.
#3 Morris how important is it when Cal Senior Associate Athletic Director Josh Hummel says it’s important to bring back student athletes for voluntary conditioning workouts?
#4 Morris Cal quarterback Chase Garbers has started 19 of his last 21 games with a 13-6 record is remarkably 13-2 in games he’s played more than half the game.
#5 Morris for Stanford quarterback Davis Mills has played in his last eight games and made six starts, throwing for 1960 yards and 11 touchdowns how solid do you see him at quarterback in the all six game Pac 12 schedule?
Join Morris each Monday for the Cal/Stanford podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
RedBox Bowl cancelled for 2020
The image of the Illinois Illini and the Cal Bears at the Red Box Bowl Levis Stadium in Santa Clara back on Dec 30, 2019. It is not known when the Red Box Bowl will return because of Covid-19 related protocols. (Image from the Big Ten Conference)
By Jeremy Kahn
A San Francisco tradition will not be played this December at Levis Stadium, and it is unclear if it will return.
The RedBox Bowl that moved to Levis Stadium when the stadium opened in 2014 from AT&T Park was cancelled back in August due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
While its unfortunate that we are unable to stage the 19th iteration of the Bay Areas Bowl game this December, I’m confident that the Bowl property, along with the entire live sports, events and tourism industry, will be in a healthier position next year, and we cant wait to welcome new college football teams and fans back to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021, said RedBox Bowl executive director Ryan Oppelt in a statement.
The RedBox Bowl made its debut in 2002 as the San Francisco Bowl at what was known as Pacific Bell Park in a game that pitted the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Air Force Falcons.
Just one year later, the San Francisco Bowl was the last event at Pacific Bell Park before the name change to SBC Park.
Not only did the name of the ballpark change, but the name of the bowl changed as well, as the name of the game became the Emerald Bowl and that was the name until it became the Fight Hunger Bowl when the Nevada Wolfpack defeated the Boston College Eagles 20-13, as the Wolfpack were led to victory by a senior quarterback named Colin Kaepernick.
After the game moved to Levis Stadium beginning with the 2014 edition, the name of the game changed to the Foster Farms Bowl and that would be the name of the game until 2018 when it became the RedBox Bowl.
When the game moved to Levis Stadium, it also became a matchup between two of the elite conferences in the country, as the game matched teams from the Big Ten and the Pacific 12 Conferences.
The California Golden Bears defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini 35-20 before 34,177 in the 18th edition of the game.
Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stars draw first blood win NHL Finals opener; Pac 12 football still mulling it over; plus more
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) gets a save on a Dallas Stars’ shot the Stars Jamie Benn (14) looks on Sat Sep 19, 2020 at Rogers Centre in Edmonton (AP News photo)
On Headlines podcast with Daniel:
1 Stars dominate in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals
2 Pressure building on Pac-12 to reverse its decision to delay football and other fall sports; SEC football starts next week
3 WNBA semifinals underway
4 Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire retires, citing health issues
5 NBA: Celtics’ Gordon Hayward reportedly won’t leave bubble for the birth of his child
5 Sports world honors Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday
Daniel Dullum does Headlines Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: Chapman out for season; Covid-19 haunts Ohio State and Virginia; plus more
Oakland A’s third baseman Matt Chapman will have hip surgery that will take him out for the rest of the season (AP News photo)
On Headline Sports podcast with Daniel:
1 A’s Matt Chapman out for the season — hip surgery
2 Ohio State study: 4 of 26 athletes who tested positive for Covid-19 ‘had CMR findings suggestive of myocarditis’; Covid-19 knocks out Virginia-Virginia Tech football opener
3 NHL announces sixth straight week of zero positive Covid-19 tests
4 Protestors block NBA media buses at Disney World
5 MLB finally gives Mets permission to honor 9/11 first responders
6 Phils’ Zach Wheeler to miss one start after injuring a finger while putting on his pants
Headline Sports podcasts with Daniel are heard every Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com










