Tag: Stanford

Stanford Can’t Rebuff Buffaloes, Fails to Seperate from Herd in Pac-12 Standings

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DSC_0018 By Matthew Harrington

STANFORD, Calif. – That beeping sound you hear on Campus Drive isn’t the sign of construction and work trucks on Leland Stanford’s old stomping grounds; it’s the sound of the Stanford Cardinal backing into the Pac-12 and, possibly, NCAA tournament.

With a disappointing 59-56 loss to Colorado Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion on a missed game-tying shot at the buzzer, the Cardinal (18-11, 9-8 Pac-12) has now dropped three-straight games for the first time this season. The slump comes at an inopportune time as the season draws to its close and the selection committee reviews Stanford’s tournament credentials as a bubble team with an eagle-eye.

A tournament berth of in the air, Stanford entered play looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak all season after losses to Arizona State and Arizona last week. They ultimately couldn’t right the ship against Colorado (21-9, 10-7), finding themselves in foul trouble throughout Wednesday’s contest. Chasson Randle and Stefan Nastic finished the night with four infractions, while Dwight Powell finished the game watching from the bench with five personal fouls. Colorado made 17 free throws on 25 attempts, the same number of makes as Stanford had attempts.

“That’s very frustrating,” said Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins. “They shot more free throws than we did. We’re a team that usually gets to the line quite a bit. Unfortunately we didn’t get to the line as much tonight. They converted on a number of them. They made 17, we shot 17. That’s difficult in a three-point ballgame.”

Randle, despite the foul concerns, continued his strong down the stretch by sinking 9 from the field on 18 attempts, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for a game-high 24 points over 34 minutes. Josh Huestis came a point away from a double-double after pulling down a Stanford-leading 13 rebounds, two more than Josh Scott, Colorado’s top rebounder on the night. Scott also lead the Buffaloes with 17 points. Colorado won the battle of the boards 39 to 31.

“We’ve been out-rebounded the last couple games,” said Dawkins. “With our size and our front line that’s very disappointing. We challenge our guys. We have to do a much better job of rebounding the basketball.”

The two teams traded baskets and blows like prize fighters throughout the first, with neither side snatching a two-possession lead until Colorado’s Ben Mills hit a layup with 5:34 left in the half for a 22-17 edge. Stanford cut the lead to one with baskets from Powell and Randle but the Buffs outscored Stanford 11-7 over the final five minutes before the intermission.

“We were getting open looks,” reflected a dejected Randle on the Cardinal first-half. “We just needed someone to knock them down.”
The Stanford struggles in the first stemmed from poor shooting, as the Cardinal converted only 31 percent of its shots, including 1-for-9 from three-point range. Despite the shooting woes and Powell finding himself on the bench late in the period nursing three fouls, Stanford found itself fortunate to only be facing a five-point deficit at the half thanks to stout defensive work forcing seven Colorado turnovers.

On the poor shooting, Dawkins pointed at the defense first. “Overall, our defense needs to make sure if we’re not making shots, we need to make sure the other team’s not making them either.”

The Cardinal came back strong in the second half, holding the visitors to only 13 points while grabbing 17 of  its own over the first 11-plus minutes to cut it to a 46-45 Colorado advantage.

“Guys stepped it up in the second half defensively,” said Randle. “We did a really good job of bringing our effort and intensity, especially that second group that came in. We need more of that.”

The comeback was completed after a thunderous Stefan Nastic block on Xavier Johnson led to a Huestis bid for the lead at the other end. Huestis missed the shot, but Johnson fouled the forward on the attempt. Huestis hit one of two from the line to pull Stanford even 46-46 with 7:49 to go in the game. Johnson, who finished with 14 points, restored the Buffaloes lead on a jumper from the top of the key.

Red-hot Randle handed the home team its first lead of the half, 49-48, connecting on a trey, 3 of his 17 second-half points, with 4:50 remaining.

“We need more guys stepping up,” said Dawkins. “Chasson, offensively, has really stepped up and done what he has to do. We need more guys. It can’t just be one guy playing offensively. Our offense is built around a balanced attack so we need guys to step up and make plays.”

Colorado regained the lead and created some breathing room on three consecutive field goals, punctuated by a Xavier Talton trey to make it 55-51 with 130 ticks left on the game clock. Dwight Powell was then forced to the bench with his fifth foul on am offensive violation with just over two minutes to play. Powell watched as Randle pulled Stanford within two, his jumper finding the basket despite contact from Talton. Randle would convert the and-one play to make it a 55-54 Buffs lead with 1:12 left in the period. The Cardinal stifled Colorado with a shot clock violation with 45 seconds remaining but failed to take advantage. Colorado them hit four of six from the charity stripe down the stretch, setting up a Stanford a tying bid at 59 points aside. Randle’s three-pointer, potentially tipped on the way to the basket, fell just short of the rim as time expired.

The loss muddies up both the Pac-12 play-off picture and Stanford’s standing as a Big Dance bubble team (the Cardinal entered play in the no. 42 slot in RPI, a criteria used to determine the NCAA tournament field), what could be Stanford’s first appearance in six seasons under Dawkins. Of more concern on the Farm is where Stanford stands in the Pac-12 rankings. Stanford and Colorado entered play with identical 9-7 conference records, tied with Cal for fourth in the standings and a chance for a first-round conference tournament bye. Cal takes on Utah at home Wednesday night.

“I don’t keep up with that stuff at all,” said Dawkins when asked if he thought the loss hurt his team’s tournament standing. “We’re in a great conference. It’s so thick in our conference with competitive teams. Who knows what’s going to happen.”

Stanford continues its unusual stretch of facing unfamiliar conference foes late in conference play when Utah comes to Maples Saturday afternoon for an 11:30 am tip. The Cardinal will look to wrap up Pac-12 by avoiding a four-game losing skid on Senior Day before heading to Sin City for the conference tournament.

“That loss was very disappointing, coming home and having the crowd here,” said Randle. “It’s disappointing having a chance to get a first round bye. We have the opportunity Saturday, and we’re looking forward to that.”

Upset Over Bruins Bolsters Cardinal Case for Tournament Place

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By Matthew Harrington

The wait may finally be over for coach Johnny Dawkins and Stanford. With selection day looming, the Cardinal pieced together a statement win at the right time, beating 23rd-ranked University of California Los Angeles 83-74 at Maples Pavilion Saturday afternoon, the Cardinal’s third win over a ranked opponent this season. The upset, Stanford’s third-straight win and fifth in six games, presents the NCAA tournament selection committee with another reason to move Stanford off the bubble and into the big dance on an at-large bid for the first tournament appearance in six years under Dawkins.

The veterans have led the way of late for Stanford (18-8, 9-5 Pac-12), understanding the importance a strong finish has on their tournament hopes. One game after setting a career-high in rebounds while also moving into first place all-time in school history in blocks, senior Josh Huestis once again forged an amendment to his biography in the programs, netting 22 points to match his single-game best. His 22 points were second only to guard Chasson Randle’s 26 on the day. Randle, a junior, put on a three-point clinic with 7 treys on 10 attempts, the most he’s made in a single game. Fellow junior Anthony Brown pitched in 18 points for Stanford who clicked at an eye-popping 62.2 shooting percentage as a team. Starting guard Norman Powell matched freshman Zach LaVine’s 14 points off the bench to lead UCLA (21-6, 10-4) while Tony Parker chipped in 13 points for the Bruins.

The opening 10 minutes saw both teams refuse to cede an inch of the court, with no team leading by more than three points. Randle potted a shot from downtown with 9:46 left in the half to give Stanford the first five-point lead of the day for either team to make it 23-18 Cardinal before the home team closed the half out on a 15-12 for a 38-30 edge after 20 minutes of play.

The Bruins clawed back into the game, outscoring Stanford 35-33 over the first 15 minutes of the second half then proceeded to make it a two possession game on three LaVine free throws made with 2:48 left to play and Stanford leading 72-68. The Cardinal finished out the game with 11 points to UCLA’s 6 split the two regular season games with its Southern California foes. The Bruins previously routed a vastly Stanford squad vastly different than the one they faced Saturday afternoon 91-74 on January 23rd in Los Angeles. Stanford made 38.6 percent of shots that night and turned the ball over 19 times.

Continuing its march to a potential place in the Madness to come next month, Stanford moves on to the final road trip in Pac-12 play, a trip to Tempe that sees the Cardinal face Arizona State University Wednesday followed by a Sunday showdown in Tucson against fourth-ranked University of Arizona. After that, the Cardinal returns to Maples for one last home game against Colorado March 5th to wrap up Pac-12 play before the conference tournament tips off in Las Vegas.

Huestis King of the Block on the Farm as Stanford Rolls Past USC 80-59

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By Matthew Harrington

At the time of the year when teams are piecing together the final bullet points of their March Madness resumes, the Stanford Cardinal did exactly what it needed to do Thursday night; It won. The 80-59 victory over visiting University of Southern California at Maples Pavilion didn’t captivate audiences like North Carolina’s stunner over Duke earlier in the evening, but Stanford still managed to finish just good enough to come out ahead against the Trojans (10-16, 1-12), firmly entrenched in the Pac-12 standings cellar, to continue to roll towards an at-large bid in the big dance.

The Cardinal shooting touch appeared to be more or a flail Thursday, as Stanford (17-8, 8-5 Pac-12) finished 28 of 69 from the floor, including a lackluster 2 of 19 from beyond the three-point line. Stanford turned that negative into a positive however, besting USC in the rebound battle 45-40. Stanford’s tenacious forward Josh Huestis led the boards barrage, picking up almost half (7) of the Cardinal’s 18 offensive rebounds. USC finished with 10 off their own glass. The Cardinal owned the turnover battle, forcing 18 Trojan errors to 7 of its own.

For Huestis, the night proved a memorable one as the senior stalwart notched a double-double with 11 points and while setting a new career-best in rebounds with 18. With his denial of a Strahinja Gavrilovic lay up two minutes into play the Great Falls, Mont. native moved past Tim Young as the Cardinal all-time blocks leader. Huestis finished the night with three rejections for a career total of 169, two more than Young.

Along with Huestis, three of Stanford’s other four starters hit double-digits in scoring, with guards Anthony Brown (13) and Chasson Randle (18) joining forward Dwight Powell (14) on the list of scorers with ten-plus points. USC guard Pe’Shon Howard led the Trojans with 13 points, while Julian Jacobs chipped in 11. The Trojans were without junior guard Byron Wesley, team leader in scoring (17.6) and rebounds (6.9) due to a violation of team rules.

The Cardinal suffered an early scare when USC’s Strahinja Gavrilovic fouled Powell hard in the head at the 5:36 mark of the first. Powell would leave the game but ultimately returned with about seven minutes left in the half sporting a headband wrapped around some stitches and a new number. Powell’s traditional 33 jersey, now blood-soaked, was shed in favor of one with a 32 stitched on back.

The preeminent fear after Powell’s injury was a continuation of dismal first-half shooting display as the Cardinal only hit 10 of 35 field goals in the first 20 minutes. They managed to hold a 32-23 at the half on the strength of their ability to force turnovers, nab offensive rebounds and a six-point outburst from Powell’s injury sub, Robbie Lemons.

The Cardinal finished the final 20 minutes with a much better shooting performance by outscoring the visitors 48-36, including a stretch where the Trojans were limited to one basket and three free throws made. With Stanford leading 51-42 7 minutes in to the half, the Cardinal went on a dominant 21-8 run till Roschon Prince hit a lay up with 4:17 left in regulation. Stanford coasted from there on out for the 80-59 win to sweep the season series against their Southern California rivals.

Next on the schedule is the University of California Los Angeles for a Saturday tilt at Maples, game number two of the remaining four games at home. The Cardinal also have two road games sandwiched between Saturday’s contest and a return home March 5th against Colorado, the final two-game home stretch of the campaign.

Stanford Remains Unbeaten at Home

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By Joe Lami

Stanford (24-2,13-1) returned to action just two days after one of their most impressive performances of the season, defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils 61-35.  On Sunday, the sixth ranked Cardinal played host to the struggling Arizona Wildcats (5-20, 1-13).  Stanford defeated Arizona 74-48.

Arizona was coming into the contest with just five wins on the season, with a record of 5-19.  Only one of those wins has come in Pac-12 play.  The Wildcats started the game strong as they got the first bucket of the afternoon.  They would be able to keep up with the Cardinal for the first 5:30 of the game.  The game was tied at 11-11 before the Cardinal would take over.  Stanford would go on a ten minute 24-4 run before Arizona would hit their next field goal.  Arizona was only able to mustard up another field goal and two free throws to end the half.  Stanford was on top at the half by the score of 48-19.

Stanford would cruise to victory in the second half.  Arizona outscored the Cardinal in the second half 29-26.  However, Stanford played their reserves for most of the second half.  Chiney Ogwumike, who plays as much time as possible, only saw 22 minutes in the win, being her season low on minutes played this season.  The starter who saw the most minutes played was Amber Orrange, and she capped out at 24 minutes.

Bonnie Samuelson led the Cardinal in scoring with 17 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc.  Ogwumike finished with 15 points.  Lili Thompson and Orrange both had nine points in the game.  Orrange also had an astonishing nine assists.

Only six Wildcats played for Arizona.  Candice Warthen, Kama Griffitts and Keyahndra Cannon all played 40 minutes.  LaBrittney Jones led the team in scoring with 11 points.  She was the only Wildcat to get into double digits in scoring.

The Cardinal will finish off the road portion of their schedule next weekend as they travel to Los Angeles to take on USC on Friday and UCLA on Sunday.

Stanford Shuts Down Sun Devils

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By: Joe Lami

The Stanford Cardinal (23-2,12-1) returned to Maples Pavilion on Friday night, just five days after their disappointing loss in Seattle, to Washington on Sunday.  The Cardinal made up for it with a dominating performance over the Arizona State Sun Devils (20-5,9-4) with a 61-34 victory.

The Cardinal held the Sun Devils to one of the lowest scoring totals in Pac-12 history, with Arizona escaping that mark by one point.  The Cardinal’s impressive defense started early, as they held Arizona State to without a field goal until eight minutes into the first half.  This gave Stanford 14-3 lead, following a field goal and a free throw. “They had great defensive energy early, we never got into the flow of the game” said ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne.

The dominance continued as Stanford went into halftime leading the Sun Devils 32-12.  This is the 2nd time in Pac-12 history that Stanford has held an opponent to the least amount of points scored in a first half.  Arizona State shot 17% from the field in the first half, and it didn’t get much better from the charity strike, as they went two of seven from the line.

The second half wasn’t much better for the Sun Devils, as they continued to struggle shooting 30% from the field for a total game percentage of 24%.  The Sun Devils also finished the game shooting 8% from beyond the arc, as they only hit one shot in the 12 shots attempted.  It was an overall great defensive performance for the Cardinal, especially coming off of only their second loss of the season.  “We haven’t been this excited to play defense in a long time, and I’m excited that we are again” said star Chiney Ogwumike.

The Stanford defense kept the Sun Devil players from getting into double digits, as both Promise Amukamara and Sophie Brunner led Arizona State in scoring with nine points.  The leading scorer for the Sun Devils in the first meeting between these two top 15 opponents, Quinn Dornstauder, was held to only six points.

The offense was no slouch either for the Cardinal, as they had an impressive game on that side of the ball as well.  Stanford finished the game shooting 54% from the field.  Ogwumike led all scorers with 20 points in only 27 minutes of playing time, as she sat on the bench for the final 13 minutes of the game.  The player of the year candidate also finished with 13 rebounds, all of which came in the first half.  Amber Orrange had another amazing performance, as she finished the game with 14 points, five steals, three rebounds and three assists. “Amber took it upon herself to be the engine of the train” praised head coach, Tara VanDerveer, on Orrange’s performance.

The minutes were passed around equally for one of the first times this season, as 14 different players got into the game.  Out of those 14 players that saw time, ten of them got onto the scoring sheet.

With Friday’s game being one of the best performances of the season, there was still some criticism that came out of it.  One of which was the fact that Stanford had 17 turnovers.  “We have to play better, we have to take care of the ball better” commented VanDerveer.  Another problem that has been reoccurring all season is that Stanford has been giving up way too many offensive rebounds.  That trend would continue on Friday, as Arizona State had 12 offensive boards.   Of the 12 offensive rebounds, Arizona State was able to have eight second-chance points off of them.

Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, Arizona State more so than Stanford.  The Sun Devils shots one of 12 from three.   Stanford finished scoreless, but only had four attempts.  The three-pointer was not in the game plan mentioned VanDerveer after the game.

Stanford bounced back great, as they up their record to 23-2, 12-1.  Thus almost clinching the Pac-12 regular season title.  As long as they don’t fall off of the wagon, they will get the title.  Stanford looks to make it once step closer towards the regular season title, as they host the Wildcats of Arizona.

Stanford Scares Arizona, But Cardinal Upset Bid Falls A Basket Shy

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By Matthew Harrington

The Stanford Cardinal nearly achieved what 20 other teams could not this season, taking undefeated Arizona (21-0, 8-0 Pac-12) to the brink Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion before ultimately falling 60-57 to the top-ranked team in the nation. The Cardinal (13-7, 4-4) held a one-point lead over itsPac-12 rivals at the half and had as much as a seven-point cushion over the visitors, but only two Stanford field goals in the final 10 minutes foiled the Cardinal upset bid.

National Player of the Year candidate Nick Johnson of Arizona was held in check by the Stanford defense to 16 points. The Cardinal also stymied another Wildcat on the mid-season 25 Players to Watch list, former Archbishop Mitty High School stand-out Aaron Gordon, to a scant five points. Stanford forwards Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell had 13 points each to lead the home side, while guard Chasson Randle pitched in with 12. The Cardinal finished with a 37.5 shooting percentage to the Cats 36, but Arizona’s six three-pointers to Stanford’s three proved a difference maker. Johnny Dawkins’ squad out-rebounded the top squad in the country 38-36.

Stanford dominated the early going, limiting the Wildcats to a lone field goal in the opening seven-plus minutes en route to a 9-4 lead before the visitors went on an 11-5 run to take their first lead of the night 15-14 with 9:45 left in the half. The two teams traded blows down the home stretch of the first twenty minutes with the lead changing hands three more times before a Randle jumper with two seconds remaining flipped the lead to Stanford 31-30 for the final time in the half.

Stanford picked up where it left off on the other side of the intermission, outpacing Arizona 18-12 capped by a Dwight Powell layup nearly seven minutes in to give Stanford its biggest lead of the night 49-42. The Cardinal couldn’t finish off the Cats who closed out the game on an 18-9 surge for the conference play victory, avoiding a defeat at the hands of Stanford for the second time since 2003 when entering play as the no. 1 team in the polls.

Stanford will continue its home stand, facing off against Arizona State Saturday before traveling to Berkeley to open up the second half of the Pac-12 schedule next Wednesday. The Cardinal lost to Cal 69-62 January 2nd on the Farm to open conference play.

Ogwumike Makes History in Stanford Win

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Stanford players celebrate after a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Oregon, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Stanford players celebrate after a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Oregon, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Stanford players celebrate after a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Oregon, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Stanford players celebrate after a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Oregon, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By: Joe Lami

Friday night marked the first game of the Pac-12 season for the Stanford Cardinal, and it was one to remember for Chiney Ogwumike.  Ogwumike became the all-time Stanford and Pac-12 rebound leader, as she surpassed Kayla Pederson with career rebound 1,267.

The Senior All-American was quite humble afterwards as she said “Records are great headlines, but I’m more excited about Bonnie (Samuelson) going 6 of 9 from three, Amber with eight assists and the contribution of the Freshman.” Samuelson added that it makes things a lot easier when you have the best player in the country on your team, and Ogwumike smirked and rolled her eyes in a joking sort of way.

Even though that there was a major record that was broken on Friday, there was still a game of basketball that was played, and a great one as the Oregon Ducks came into town.  Oregon came into the contest with a record of 9-2, with losses to Sacramento State and number one Connecticut.  Oregon was riding a seven-game winning streak and was ranked number one in the country in points scored per game, averaging over 105.

Stanford had put a stop to this holding the Ducks to 66 points, in what head coach, Paul Westhead, called “a joke” in the 96-66 Stanford win.

Stanford played all-around great defense, as it was something that Tara VanDerveer praised about all of the game.  The key was holding, Chrisae Rowe, a freshman guard averaging nearly 25 points per game to only 11.  “They tagged Rowe really well, that’s one of Stanford’s strengths” said Westhead.

The Cardinal were of course led by Ogwumike who scored 33, and had 14 rebounds.  Bonnie Samuelson hit a career high 21 points, 18 of them came from beyond the arc, as she was lights out.  Production was great for the Cardinal, as all but three players that saw playing time scored.  Mikaela Ruef was strong once again, with eight points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.  Freshman, Karlie Samuelson played 13 minutes, scoring three on a three-pointer and she had one assist that came on a three made by her sister.

Stanford was lights out from beyond the arc as well, as they shot 50%, 12 of 24, “something that I’d take any night” said VanDerveer.  The first half was even more impressive, as it seemed like they couldn’t miss going 9 of 16 from downtown.  With the three starting to fall for the Cardinal, it relieved pressure off of Ogwumike and allowed her to work inside.

Oregon was held to their lowest scoring total of the season with 66.  Leading the way for them was Jillian Alleyne, the second highest scorer on the team going into the night.  Alleyne scored 26, and “took the most over her opportunities, as she was open down low, after we guarded the 3-point line” said VanDerveer.  Alleyne also finished the double-double adding 13 rebounds.  Starters, Ariel Thompson and Rowe both had 11.

The Ducks fall to 9-3, with a 0-1 record in Pac-12 play.  Oregon next travels to Berkley, to take on the number 23 ranked Bears Sunday to finish off their first weekend of Pac-12 play. The Bears won their opening game on Friday as well, which should make traveling through the Bay Area a tough trip this season.

“It was a good first game for our team to start off Pac-12 play” said VanDerveer, as the Cardinal improve their record to 12-1 and their conference record to 1-0.  The other team from Oregon is up next for Stanford, as the Oregon State Beavers take on the Cardinal on Sunday at Maples.  Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

With No Bench Support, Cardinal Falls in Pac-12 Opener to Rival Cal

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By Matthew Harrington

The Stanford Cardinal’s greatest strength proved to be its greatest weakness in a Thursday evening 69-62 loss to rivals University of California Berkeley. Stanford’s starters, who produce one of the best totals in the nation of 66.9 points per game, provided all of the scoring for the Cardinal (9-4) in the defeat to open up Pac-12 play with a loss to their cross-bay foes Cal (10-4).

The Cardinal starting five once against consisted of Chasson Randle and Anthony Brown at the guard positions and Josh Huestis, Dwight Powell and Stefan Nastic in the frontcourt, the 13th straight time coach Johnny Dawkins penciled in this starting unit. Powell, the only player in white to make more than half of the baskets he attempted, paced the Cardinal with 16 points before fouling out in the second half. Randle (15) and Brown (14) finished right behind the forward in points on a night where the bench provided no support.

Golden Bears guard Tyrone Wallace dropped a game-high 20 points on 6 of 13 from the field, including four three-pointers, while forward Richard Solomon (14) and Justin Cobb (18) also cracked double-digits for the victors. Cal made 42.1 percent of field goals to Stanford’s 41.4, with Berkeley narrowly out-rebounding the Cardinal 37-35.

The Cardinal raced out to an early eight-point, 12-4 lead on a pair of Anthony Brown free throws 3:45 in but the Golden Bears clawed back, outscoring Stanford 17-6 over the next four minutes. Cal ultimately took the lead after Richard Solomon nailed two free throws to give the visitors a 19-18 lead 7:45 into play. They would go on to outscore Stanford 18-13 for the remainder of the first half to boast a 37-31 lead at the half.

Cal continued distancing itself from the Cardinal, allowing consecutive Stanford baskets only once in the opening ten minutes of the second frame for a 51-45 lead. Stanford responded with a 10-3 run for its first lead in over 26:34 of game time when Randle nailed a jumper with just under six minutes to play. Dwight Powell chipped in a free throw with 5:17 remaining to give Stanford its biggest lead of the half 56-54.

With Stanford’s Nastic and Powell watching from the bench after each fouling out in the closing minutes, the Golden Bears outscored their hosts 13-6, including an unanswered eight points just after Stanford wrestled the Cal lead away. A Justin Cobb jumper, 2 of the guard’s 11 second-half points, iced the game 67-62 with 25 seconds left. Randle lost the handle on a dribble while taking the ball down court on the next play, turning the ball over to the Golden Bears with 22 seconds on the clock. Cobb then added a pair from the charity stripe to close out the game.

For Stanford, the loss against Cal at Maples Pavilion is its first since March of 2010. The Cardinal entered play amidst a stretch that saw it dominate Berkeley at home with 18 wins in the previous 20 contests in Palo Alto. Stanford  will have a chance to bounce back in Pac-12 when they square off against Oregon State in Corvallis on January 9th before a trip to Eugene to face no. 10 Oregon January 12.

Day 2: Getting my feet wet, and glad I’ve never had a rifle pointed at me

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By Jeremy Harness

 

LOS ANGELES – On my first full night in Southern California, I got a much more of an understanding of the history of the Rose Bowl, as far as how much it means to so many people and how much each game stands up in the history of not only college football, but in the history of sports.

 

To achieve this, after getting such a late start to the day before, I made sure to get an early jump on matters on my second day on the job.

 

After getting my credentials for the game as well as the events leading up to the “Granddaddy of them all,” the day officially started off with press conferences with the head coach with each of the participating teams in the Rose Bowl. The meat of the conferences centered around the suspension of star Michigan State linebacker Max Bullough for the Rose Bowl, with Stanford head coach David Shaw reminding us of the fact that tough decisions like this, as unpopular as it seems, that maintain the overall health and morale of the team, which is much more important than just one individual.

 

Even though he didn’t talk about it very much at all, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio also said that this was about the team – and not one single player.

 

Besides that, Dantonio also offered a few key nuggets of wisdom, and it wasn’t necessarily confined to the game of football.

 

“I don’t care what level of a player you are, you’d better overachieve because that’s the only way you’re going to be successful.”

 

It doesn’t take long to figure out that Dantonio’s words don’t just apply to football players, and they don’t apply to just athletes. Whatever you do, in every single walk of life, you have to give that little extra effort if you’re really going to be successful at whatever it is that you do.

 

After grabbing some breakfast at the hotel, it was off to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame induction ceremony, during which three individuals – former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, former Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace and legendary USC wide receiver Lynn Swann – were welcomed into the Rose Bowl’s eternal fraternity.

 

When you go to a function that features older people trading war stories, you’re going to get more than a handful of funny stories that had never been shared before. This year’s Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was no different.

 

Most people know that Swann attended USC before going on to a Hall of Fame NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They probably didn’t know that he almost lost his life before he started his college career.

 

See, he and running back Sam Cunningham – who acted as Swann’s presenter and himself went on to have a nice NFL career while being inducted into this very same Rose Bowl Hall of Fame – went to visit Cunningham’s aunt and uncle in Louisville, Ky during a long road trip.

 

According to Cunningham, the city had been ravaged by burglaries during that particular time, so when Swann went up to the front door while Cunningham stayed behind in the car, the aunt, not one to take any chances, greeted him by pointing a rifle at him. Only when Cunningham jumped out of the car did she put the gun down.

 

“I’m the reason why he’s here today,” Cunningham said.

 

After the ceremony, I had a chance to stand side-by-side with Pace, who went on to an outstanding 12-year career in the NFL, which includes a Super Bowl ring with the St. Louis Rams. Now, me being 5-foot-9 and approximately 170 pounds, I had an idea. But standing next to Pace, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs over 300, I knew that this was exactly the reason why I quit playing football after Pop Warner.

 

Carr also had a funny story of his own. He had a hotel that he was quite fond of, the Huntington Sheraton, in which he and his team stayed when Michigan competed in the big game.

 

“I loved that place,” he said. “Even when the fire alarm went off at 3 a.m.”

 

This is what makes the Rose Bowl the special game that it is. It’s not just the legendary games that it creates, but also the backstories that can be passed from generation to generation.

Shaw: Bullough suspension sets good example

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By Jeremy Harness

 

LOS ANGELES – Suspending a key player at the most crucial time of a season – the Rose Bowl, in this case – is the most heart-wrenching, nerve-racking decision that coach can possibly have after certain rules are broken.

 

On the other hand, as Stanford head coach David Shaw said Monday morning, taking that action is very necessary for the overall health of the team.

 

The topic was brought up in the aftermath of Michigan State suspending star senior middle linebacker Max Bullough for the Rose Bowl for breaking team rules. At press time, however, no other information has been released pertaining to any details of the violation that Bullough committed to warrant the suspension.

 

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio did not discuss this matter much further Monday morning, but he said that either Darien Harris or Kyler Elsworth will start in Bullough’s place while both figure to see significant time at the position.

 

When asked if their responsibilities will be the same, he said that nothing would change.

 

“It’s our system,” Dantonio said. “It’s not one individual; it’s our system.”

 

Shaw shed more light on the importance, as tough as it certainly is, to make that kind of decision when it is most necessary in order to set an example for the entire team as far as what is acceptable and what is not.

 

He recalled the beginning of last season, when he had to suspend a star linebacker and leader of his own, Shayne Skov, for the opening game of the regular season. Skov was arrested in the offseason prior for driving under the influence, and Shaw responded by suspending him for the entire offseason as well as that first game.

 

Since the incident, Skov has been, by all accounts, an unquestioned team leader and a positive example for the rest of his Cardinal teammates.

 

“Those are not really tough decisions because you set the rules before,” he said. “You set the rules early, and the guys know what they are. (When) the rules are broken, those are easy decisions.

 

“We’re in this to help young men grow, to set an example for my two young boys as they grow up. They come to every single game, and they come to practices. There are rules for these men, just like there are rules for them. You’re helping them further in life.”

 

For this reason, Shaw said that he applauds Dantonio’s move to remove Bullough – the heartbeat of the Spartans’ defense – for the Rose Bowl, the first such game in which Michigan State has played in 25 years.

 

“It doesn’t happen everywhere, and there are a lot of places where you get a slap on the wrist and they bench you for a practice, and then you play in the game,” Shaw said. “But it’s a sign of who Coach Dantonio is, and there are still some really, really good disciplinary coaches in this country that believe in setting discipline for these college athletes, which is vital to your success as a team but even more vital to their success after football.

 

“I’ll tell you this: Shayne Skov appreciated it. I think it set him on the path to where he is now as a person and as a player.”