Clutch free throws by Angel lift Cardinal past ASU 79-76

Stanford guard Michael O’Connell (5) and forward Brandon Angel (right) share congratulations in the second half chase of a 15 point run to catch the Arizona State Sun Devils at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, January 22, 2022 Brandon Angel sank three free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining, helping Stanford snapped its two-game Pac-12 men’s basketball losing streak Saturday with a 79-76 win over Arizona State at Maples Pavilion.

With 1:28 remaining, the Sun Devils’ DJ Horne connected on a 23-foot 3-pointer, tying the game at 74-all. Twenty-seven seconds later, Angel hit a pair of free throws to put Stanford back in the lead at 76-74.

After the Sun Devils committed a turnover, ASU’s Jalen Graham fouled Harrison Ingram, who missed two free throws with :20.3 left. Graham later made a 9-foot jumper with :07.5 to play, tying the game at 76-all.

Six seconds later, Graham fouled Angel on a 3-point attempt, and the Cardinal sophomore from San Diego sank all three free throws.

Angel and Michael O’Connell led Stanford (11-6 overall, 4-3 Pac-12) with 16 points each. Angel made three 3s and was 7 of 7 at the foul line; O’Connell was 5 of 8 from the field, 4 of 4 on free throws and had three assists and three steals. Ingram finished with 13 points 10 rebounds and three assists.

Horne tossed in a game-high 18 points to lead the Sun Devils (6-10, 2-4), followed by Graham with 16 points and six rebounds, Marreon Jackson with 12 points and Jay Heath with 11 points.
The Cardinal shot 38 percent from the field (19 of 50), outrebounded ASU 36-30 and forced 16 turnovers. ASU made 31 of 59 shots (53 percent) and forced 18 Stanford turnovers.

Stanford travels to Los Angeles next weekend, visiting Southern California on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday, Jan. 29

No. 3 Arizona dominates cold-shooting Cardinal 85-57

Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) is fouled by Stanford forward Brandon Angel, top, at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Thu Jan 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, January 20, 2022

Arizona lived up to its billing as the No. 3 men’s basketball team in the nation on Thursday, routing Stanford 85-57 in Pac-12 play at Maples Pavilion.

Oumar Ballo, a transfer from Gonzaga, was the Wildcats’ leading scorer with 21 points, hitting 7 of 8 field goals and 7 of 9 free throws. Ballo also had six rebounds and two blocks.

Pelle Larsson and Bennedict Mathurin scored 13 points each for the Wildcats, followed by Justin Kier with 11 points, and Dalen Terry with 10 points and nine boards. Kerr Kriisa finished with seven assists, and Larsson had six assists.

Spencer Jones and Maxime Raynaud each scored nine points to lead Stanford (10-6 overall, 3-3 Pac-12), with Jaiden Delaire and Michael O’Connell next with eight points apiece. Harrison Ingram was the Cardinal’s top rebounder with seven.

The Wildcats (15-1 overall, 5-0 Pac-12) used a 16-5 run in the first 10 minutes of the first half to pull away early, as Arizona eventually built a 42-31 halftime lead.

At 13:41 of the second half, Ballo made a free throw to cap an 18-5 run by Arizona to open the second half and pull away for good.

While Arizona shot 55 percent (31 of 56), the Cardinal hit only 30 percent (21 of 70) from the field. Stanford, which was 8 of 15 on free throws, outrebounded the Wildcats 41-31. Arizona forced 17 Cardinal turnovers, and the Wildcats bench outscored Stanford’s 45-26.

The Cardinal host Arizona State on Saturday at 8 p.m. PST.

Huskies snap Cardinal’s four-game victory streak, winning 67-64

Washington guard Cole Bajema, right, looks to get an angle on defender and Stanford forward Jaiden Delaire, left, at Alaskan Airlines Arena in Seattle on Sat Jan 15, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Saturday, January 15, 2022

Stanford saw its four-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday in Seattle, as Washington edged the Cardinal 67-64 in Pac-12 men’s basketball.

The Cardinal slipped to 10-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Terrell Brown Jr. led the Huskies (8-7 overall, 3-2 Pac-12) with 25 points, followed by Jamal Bey with 17 – all in the first half. Emmitt Matthews Jr. added 11 points for Washington.

Brandon Angel tallied 13 points and Lukas Kisunas scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the Cardinal bench, as no Stanford starter scored in double-figures.

Washington led 43-25 at halftime.

The Huskies held a 59-43 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the second half before Stanford used a 10-point run, closing their deficit to six. Daejon Davis hit a 3-pointer at 7:56 that wound up being UW’s last field goal.

Washington continued to hold on, up 65-61 with one minute to play. A pairt of Kisunas free throws pulled the Cardinal to within two, but though Brown missed a free throw with 15 seconds left, the Huskies held on for the win.

Stanford’s road trip continues on Thursday in Tucson against No. 6-Arizona.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stanford on roll sixth win in last seven games; Defeats WSU 62-57 Thursday night in Pullman

Stanford forward Brandon Angel, right, takes a shot over Washington State forward Andrej Jakimovski. Angel scored 16 points against Jakimovski and the Cougars at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman on Thu Jan 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Daniel:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal (10-4) are on a roll they have now won six out of their last seven games picking up the sixth win against the Washington State Cougars (9-7) in Pullman 62-57.

#2 The Stanford one two punch at work again with the Spencer Jones at the top of the leaderboard with 16 points followed by Jaiden Delaire with 14 points.

#3 Stanford is cruising with four straight wins and even with the previously not playing a game since Dec 23 and getting their first game back on Jan 11th they look as if they haven’t missed a step.

#4 Stanford top rebounder James Keefe with six grabs was key in getting the ball back to his teammates.

#5 The Cardinal head to Seattle for Sat Dec 15th theatre against the Washington Huskies for a 3:00 pm PST tip. The Huskies have been playing .500 ball in their last six games winning three out of their last six games including a win against the Cal Bears on Wednesday night 64-55. How do you see this match up between the Cardinal and Huskies on Saturday?

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

Cardinal use big second-half run to upend WSU 62-57; Weird beginning Covid testing delay before tip off

Stanford head coach Jerod Haase gets word of game delay until negative tests for Covid 19 by Stanford Cardinal and Washington State Cougar staff, coaches, and players clear the way for the start of the game at Pullman on Thu Jan 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, January 13, 2022

Spencer Jones, Brandon Angel and Jaiden Delaire combined for 46 points on Thursday, helping Stanford win its fourth straight game in a 62-57 Pac-12 men’s basketball decision over Washington State in Pullman, Wash.

Jones and Angel scored 16 points apiece for Stanford (10-4 overall, 3-1 Pac-12), and Delaire was next with 14 points. James Keefe grabbed six rebounds, Jones had five, as the Cardinal and Cougars each had 34 total boards. Michael O’Connell had four assists, while Angel and Isa Silva each had three steals.

Freshman Mouhammad Gueye led the Cougars (9-7, 2-3) with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Flowers was next for WSU with 12 points, followed by Tyrell Roberts with 10. Roberts and Noah Williams each had four assists.

Team defense played a key role in the Cardinal’s win, as Stanford held the Cougars scoreless for over 12 minutes in the second half, and 15 minutes without a field goal. It wound up being a 23-0 Cardinal run, their biggest of the season.

Stanford took its first lead of the game at 44-42 during that run.

The game got off to a late start when both teams awaited COVID test results. WSU left the court early during warmups, while the Cardinal continued their shootaround for another 35 minutes before leaving the court.

Stanford’s next game in what became a busy week is Saturday against Washington at Seattle. Washington State, meanwhile, will host California.

Cardinal end long layoff with 75-69 triumph over No. 5 USC

Stanford forward James Keefe (22) defends as Southern California guard Ethan Anderson (20) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Tue 1-11-22 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Tuesday. January 11, 2022

It took 15 years, but Stanford finally defeated a Top 5 men’s basketball opponent and did so after a nearly three-week break for COVID-19 protocols.

The Cardinal overtook Southern California 75-69 Tuesday at Maples Pavilion behind the 21-point efforts by Harrison Ingram and Spencer Jones.

Prior to Tuesday, Stanford (9-4 overall, 2-1 Pac-12) lost 14 straight games to AP Top 5 opponents, I with its last such win coming on Jan. 28, 2007, against No. 3 UCLA.

It was the Cardinal’s first game since Dec. 23, when they defeated Liberty in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Stanford entered COVID protocol before having to cancel its championship game against Vanderbilt. The Cardinal then postponed games with California and UCLA.

Isaiah Mobley paced the Trojans (13-1, 3-7), with Boogie Ellis scoring 14 points. The loss by USC, along with the defeat of No. 1-Baylor, left no undefeated teams in Division I college basketball.
Stanford used back-to-back 3-pointers by Noah Taitz midway through the second half to surge ahead 50-49.

The Cardinal surged ahead to stay at 70-66 when James Keefe made a layup to start an 8-2 run that was completed with a pair of free throws by Ingram with 1:18 remaining.

The Trojans went cold in the final five minutes, missing three free throws and making 1 of 7 field goal attempts.

The effects of inactivity were noticeable early, when Stanford had a stretch of missing 8 of 9 shots. The Cardinal trailed by seven with 6 minutes remaining in first half before surging back to take a 33-32 lead.

Attendance was limited to family members only due to a recent spike in coronavirus cases.
The Cardinal visit Washington State on Thursday.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stanford coming back after 19 day lay off; Cardinal Wed night at WSU

Stanford Cardinal leading scorer Spencer Jones drives down the court against the Liberty Flames at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on Thu Dec 23, 2021 the last time Stanford played before the Covid 19 quarantine forced them to stop (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal (8-4) are in their longest lay off of the season due to Coronavirus protocols. The last time Stanford played in a game was at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu against the Liberty Flames on Thu Dec 23. Stanford doesn’t play again until Wed Jan 12th at Washington State.

#2 A 19 day lay off is what Stanford is looking when they play the Cougars at Pullman next on the 12th. After such a long layoff like that how does head coach Jerod Haase prepare a team that might be a little rusty.

#3 Talk about how much Stanford will be depending on some of their top scorers Spencer Jones, Brandon Angel, and Harrison Ingram.

#4 Previous to the current layoff the Cardinal had won four of their last five games and proved competitive during that stretch.

#5 Daniel their finally back next Wed Jan 12 at Washington State (8-6) to tip off against the Cougars . The Cougars prove to have no fresher legs than Stanford as the Cougars have been laid off for 20 days off. The Cougars last played on Dec 22 against the Boise State Broncos (10-4) in a losing cause the 58-52 at WSU. How do you see Stanford and WSU matching up this Wednesday night.

Join Daniel for the Stanford basketball podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford postpones game with Cal due to COVID protocol

Stanford University announces the game between the Stanford Cardinal and Cal Bears has been postponed and will be rescheduled (image Stanford Cardinal Athletics Dept)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, December 30, 2021

Stanford University Athletics announced Thursday that the Cardinal’s men’s basketball game against California, scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 2, has been postponed due to “health and safety protocols within the Stanford program.”

No other details are available.

In a statement, the Pac-12 Conference said it will work with Stanford and Cal to reschedule the game for a later date.

Stanford has not played since the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic tournament in Honolulu on Dec. 23, where the Cardinal’s championship game against Vanderbilt was cancelled two days later due to COVID-19 protocol. Since then, team activities were put on hold.

Stanford Athletics said all tickets purchased for the game at Maples Pavilion vs. Cal originally scheduled for Jan. 2 will be honored for the rescheduled date, once finalized. Ticket purchasers should contact the Stanford Athletics ticked office via email at athleticstickets@stanford.edu.

The Cardinal are 8-4 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12. Their next games are scheduled at home for Jan. 6 against No. 5 UCLA and Jan. 8 against No. 7 USC.

The Golden Bears are 8-5 overall, and 1-1 in league play. Cal will still be playing a Pac-12 game on Sunday, when they host Arizona State at 4 p.m. at Haas Pavilion.

Cardinal holds off Liberty 79-76, will face Vandy for tourney title

The Stanford Cardinal’s forward Spencer Jones (14) takes a jump shot against the Oregon Ducks in file photo. Jones and the Cardinal defeated the Liberty Flames at the Diamond Head Classic in the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu on Thu Dec 23, 2021 (Stanford Cardinal Athletics file photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, December 23, 2021

Thanks to the offensive spark provided by Spencer Jones and Brandon Angel, the Stanford Cardinal (8-4) advanced to the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic men’s basketball holiday tournament Thursday with a 79-76 victory over the Liberty Flames (8-5) at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

Jones netted a career-best 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting and five 3-pointers, while Angel bagged 17 points – 10 of them coming in the final nine minutes. Their efforts offset a tournament record-tying 41 points by the Flames’ Darius McGhee.

McGhee, the 28th leading scorer in the nation, equaled the 41 points scored by Chase Fischer of Brigham Young in the 2015-16 season. He was 13-of-28 from the field against Stanford, including seven 3-pointers.

McGhee, the 28th leading scorer in the nation, equaled the 41 points scored by Chase Fischer of Brigham Young in the 2015-16 season. He was 13-of-28 from the field against Stanford, including seven 3-pointers.

No other player for Liberty (8-4) reached double-figures.

Other contributions for the Cardinal came from Michael O’Connell (eight assists, eight points), and Harrison Ingram (13 points, seven rebounds). Jones and Angel each grabbed six rebounds.

The Cardinal (8-4) led 76-67 with 41 seconds remaining in the second half when McGhee sank eight of the final 12 points. Stanford took a three-point lead with 6.8 seconds to play on a free throw by Angel.

Following a timeout, McGhee was fouled near midcourt and proceeded to make a pair of free throws with 4.3 seconds left. Harrison Ingram sank two free throws to help Stanford regain a three-point lead. On the Flames’ next possession, they were unable to get the ball to McGhee, while Keegan McDowell committed a turnover as time expired.

The Cardinal trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half before closing its deficit with a four-minute, 18-6 run, capped by O’Connell’s half-court 3 at the buzzer, tying the game at 36-all at halftime.

Stanford outrebounded the Flames 38-22.

The Cardinal will play Vanderbilt on Saturday for the tournament championship. The Commodores (8-4) edged Brigham Young 69-67 in the other semifinal.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stanford looks to pick up second straight win against Liberty in Diamond Head Classic

The Stanford Cardinal Jaiden Delaire (11) led the Cardinal with 17 points on Wed Dec 22, 2021 against the Wyoming Cowboys in the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu (file photo Stanford Cardinal)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal’s (7-4) Jaiden Delaire 17 points and Spencer Jones 15 points were a huge help as the Cardinal just got by the Wyoming Cowboys (9-2) at Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on Wednesday afternoon 66-63.

#2 Wyoming got 25 points with 11 rebounds from Graham Ike who led in scoring teammates Hunter Maldonado had 18 points and Xavier DuSell finished third in scoring with 13 a great effort but Wyoming falls three points short and faces Northern Iowa in the consolation tournament.

#3 Wyoming had the ball with 8.1 seconds left in the game but couldn’t convert two three point attempts to try and at least tie up the ball game. Stanford comes away with a three point win and have now won six of their last nine games.

#4 Jones and Michael O’Connell were key for Cardinal scoring combining for 11 points in Stanford’s final 14 points of the game.

#5 Stanford battles the Liberty Flames (8-4) who have won seven of their last eight games. Liberty got a win today against Northern Iowa (4-6) 75-74 on Wednesday in a razor close game. Liberty had four players in double figures in the win. Daniel talk about how you see this match up in Honolulu between Stanford and Liberty with a 12 pm PST tip today.

Join Daniel for the Stanford Cardinal basketball podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com