Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: How Stanford will shake off last two loses going into March Madness

Cameron Brink (22) center Stanford Cardinal skilled at the block shot but it just wasn’t enough against the UCLA Bruins at the Pac 12 Tournament on Sun Mar 5, 2023 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael:

#1 Michael, when you look at the Stanford women’s last two loses out of their last three games to Utah and UCLA how much do you define that as ending their season in a negative way or it was just a learning experience and they’ll get em in March Madness.

#2 Do you believe that losing the last two games out of three actually makes the Cardinal sit up and pay attention of some of the things they need to work on before the big dance.

#3 In the Pac 12 Tournament this will be the first time in years that the Cardinal will not go in as a contender a finalist as it were. Does that play on the Cardinal psyche going into the rest of March.

#4 After two loses like that do you see Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer making adjustments, some changes before they get into their next game?

#5 Talk about a few of the key players that had made a big difference going into the big dance this month and how they’ll be an impact Hannah Jump, Haley Jones and Cameron Brink?

Join Michael for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts all throughout March Madness at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal just couldn’t come up with ball in second half against UCLA

Stanford guard Haley Jones, center, moves the ball around UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez (23) during the first half at the womens Pac 12 Tournament at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Mar 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael:

#1 The 19th ranked UCLA Bruins pulled off an upset defeating the Stanford Cardinal on Friday night at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas 69-65 getting eliminated in from the tournament.

#3 The Bruins made a comeback on the Cardinal in second half play scoring 18 points in the third quarter and 29 in the fourth quarter to over come a 35-22 first half deficit.

#4 Kiki Rice led the way for the Bruins with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, and made 12 of 13 free throws. Emily Bessoir was next with 14 points and six rebounds, Charisma Osborne had 12 points.

#5 The Cardinal had faced a number of upsets against USC, Washington, Utah, and UCLA in Pac 12 conference play. How surprising were these loses to coach Tara VanDerveer and the UCLA loss in particular?

Join Michael Roberson for Stanford Cardinal basketball podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 19 Bruins stun No. 6 Stanford 69-65 in Pac-12 women’s semis

UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) drives to the basket under pressure from Stanford guard Haley Jones (30) during the first half  at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Mar 3, 2023 at the Pac 12 Tournament (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, March 2, 2023

In a Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament that has already seen its share of upsets, UCLA pulled off the latest one on Friday. The 19th-ranked Bruins used a furious second half to overtake No. 6 Stanford 69-65 in the semifinal round at Las Vegas.

It was only the second time in program history that Stanford lost a semifinal game in the Pac-12 tournament. UCLA becomes the first 5-seed to reach the title game.

Kiki Rice led the Bruins (25-8) with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in addition to hitting 12 of 13 free throws. Emily Bessoir was next with 14 points and six rebounds, Charisma Osborne had 12 points followed by Gina Conti with 11 points, including 3 of 6 3-pointers.

Cameron Brink was the top scorer for Stanford (28-5) with 19 points to go with 11 rebounds and two blocks. Haley Jones was next with 15 points, 10 boards, three assists and two blocks. Hannah Jump and Francesca Belibi each contributed three assists.

Stanford led 17-8 after the first quarter and built a 35-22 halftime advantage. The Bruins erased a 16-point deficit in the second half, outscoring the Cardinal 29-15 in the fourth quarter.

UCLA used a 20-9 run to surge ahead 60-59 after Jones was called for a shoving foul which led to a Rice jumper with 2:07 remaining, Stanford had a chance to tie or take the lead after Rice missed the second of two free throws with 21 seconds to play and the Bruins leading by two. But Conti got the rebound, was fouled and hit two free throws to give UCLA a four-point lead.

The Bruins move on to the championship game on Sunday, facing Washington State, which has defeated No. 3 Utah and No, 20 Colorado in the tourney. Stanford now waits to see where they will be seeded in the NCAA tournament.

Pac 12 Tournament podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stanford women take it to Ducks in 76-65 thriller

Stanford Cardinal center Cameron Brink (22) show her wide arm span as teammate guard Hannah Jump (33) and Oregon Ducks guard Chance Gray (2) look on at the Pac 12 Tournament in Las Vegas on Thu Mar 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal women (28-4) picked up game one of the Pac 12 Tournament with a 76-65 win over the Oregon Ducks (17-14) on Thursday the Cardinal are coming into March rolling which is really no surprise to anyone.

#2 Cameron Brink once again led Stanford with 22 points she never got intimidated on any of the Ducks double teaming and was a key part of the reason why the Cardinal got the 11 point win.

#3 This past Tuesday Brink was named the Pac 12 defensive player of the year at this rate with her shot blocking could end up getting her the NCAA defensive player of the year.

#4 Taking a look at the prospects of Stanford’s chances of taking this game you could make that prediction as the Cardinal defense allowed the Ducks only nine points in the first quarter and and 15 in the second quarter. The Ducks could never really catch up with the Cardinal after the first half.

#5 The Cardinal are battling with the UCLA Bruins in game 2 of the Pac 12 Tournament the Bruins were defeated by the Cardinal in their last meeting 71-66 at Maples Pavilion on Mon Feb 20th. Will the Bruins be looking for blood in tonight’s game against the Cardinal?

Join Daniel Dullum for the Pac 12 Tournament podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 3 Stanford women hold off No. 17 UCLA 71-66

Stanford forward Cameron Brink (22) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Emily Bessoir (11) during the first half at Maple Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Feb 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Monday, February 20, 2023

Junior Cameron Brink scored 25 points to go with a perfect night at the free throw line, as the No. 3 Cardinal held off No. 17 UCLA 71-66 Monday in Pac-12 women’s basketball at Maples Pavilion.

Brink sank all 15 of her foul shots; the last one put the Cardinal (26-3 overall, 14-2 Pac-12) ahead to stay with 1:53 to play. Haley Jones, one of the “Funky Four” Stanford seniors, scored 18 points and had three steals. Jones’ layup with 1:22 to play gave the Cardinal a three-point lead.

Jones made a go-ahead jumper at 2:45 of the second half before Lina Sontag answered with a 3-pointer for the Bruins, putting UCLA ahead 65-64. The Bruins’ lead was erased for good when Brink hit her 14th and 15th free throws of the game.

Stanford led by 16 with 6:03 left in the second quarter and held a 39-24 halftime lead.

Freshman Londynn Jones led the Bruins (21-7 overall, 10-6 Pac-12) with 14 points, followed by Charisma Osborne and Kiki Rice with 11 points each. Lina Sontag was next with 10 points.

While Stanford won its fourth straight game, the loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Bruins, who outrebounded the Cardinal 36-33. Brink and Jones each had six rebounds for Stanford, while Osborne pulled down a game-high seven boards for UCLA, along with six assists and six steals.

Brink blocked two shots, giving her 102 for the season. She set the school record for blocks last week in Stanford’s win over Southern California.

Stanford wraps up its regular season with a road trip to Colorado on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal take on UCLA tonight; Stanford looking to sweep the homestand

Stanford guard Indya Nivar, front left, blocks a shot by Southern California guard Kayla Williams, front right, during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Fri Feb 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford podcast with Michael:

#1 Stanford Cardinal (26-3) No.3 are coming off that big win against the USC Trojans (19-8) 50-47 a close game against an unranked school.

#2 Once again Stanford got offensive help from Cameron Brink who led with 12 points.

#3 Michael, talk about guard Kiki Irafen and her contribution to this offense she got nine points on Friday night at Stanford.

#4 Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer says that confidence down the stretch in a game against USC and it was close with Stanford winning by three points.

#5 The Cardinal match up tonight against UCLA No.16 (21-6 at Maples Pavilion. how do you see this match up tonight?

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

UCLA Overwhelms Cal 78-43: Bears’ losing skid hits 11

By Morris Phillips

UCLA coach Mick Cronin made his point at halftime of the Bruins’ game versus Stanford on Thursday: respect the opponent and be ready from the opening tap.

It was a message Cronin didn’t have to repeat prior to or during the Bruins meeting with Cal on Saturday.

Instead, the hyper alert Bruins displayed their readiness by holding the visiting Bears to 15 points before halftime. That’s the fewest a Cronin-coached UCLA team has allowed in any half of a game.

Message delivered by the Bruins and received by the downtrodden visiting Bears.

“They’re great defensively,” coach Mark Fox admitted. “You have to give them credit.”

Cal trailed by 23 points at the break, and their 22 percent shooting for the game gave them no chance for a recovery. The Bears have dropped 11 consecutive games since beating Stanford on January 6.

Were there any surprises in Saturday’s matchup between the nation’s number two ranked defense and the painfully-slow, 296th ranked offense? Well, maybe how few minutes were afforded hyped-up UCLA walk-on Russell Stong, who didn’t make his entrance until fewer than two minutes remained.

UCLA (23-4, 14-2) led by Jamie Jaquez Jr. with 20 points and Amari Bailey with 16. The Bruins continued their cruise to their anticipated showdown with Arizona in two weeks by winning their 23 consecutive game at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bears, led by Kuany Kuany’s 14 points, did themselves no favors by starting the game with a 12-0 deficit after trailing 13-0 at USC on Thursday.

The Bears (3-24, 2-14) return to Berkeley next week for their final, two home games against Washington and Washington State.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum: Cardinal try to come away from road trip with a win at USC Saturday

UCLA Bruins guard Jaylen Clark (0) spends a little hang time on the rim after throwing down against the Stanford Cardinal at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Thu Feb 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

#1 Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored a game-high 26 points for the UCLA Bruins (23-4) Thursday, as the No. 4 Bruins overcame a halftime deficit and defeated the Stanford Cardinal (11-16) 73-64 in Pac-12 men’s basketball at Pauley Pavilion.

#2 Earlier this season, the Bruins defeated Stanford 80-66. It was UCLA’s fifth straight win.

#3 Jaquez also grabbed nine rebounds and had three assists. Jaylen Clark was next for the Bruins with 16 points, three steals and six boards. 

#4 The Bruins surged ahead with an 16-4 run to open the second half, but Stanford responded with a 14-2 run to regain the lead at 50-45.

#5 Stanford prepares for USC (19-8) on Saturday night another tough customer coming off the tough loss to UCLA how much of a push will the Cardinal need to get past USC tomorrow night?

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

No. 4 Bruins hold off stubborn Stanford 73-64

Stanford forward Harrison Ingram dunks next to UCLA guard Jaylen Clark, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 73-64. (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, February 12, 2023

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored a game-high 26 points for UCLA Thursday, as the No. 4 Bruins overcame a halftime deficit and defeated Stanford 73-64 in Pac-12 men’s basketball at Pauley Pavilion.

Earlier this season, the Bruins defeated Stanford 80-66. It was UCLA’s fifth straight win.

Jaquez also grabbed nine rebounds and had three assists. Jaylen Clark was next for the Bruins with 16 points, three steals and six boards. Adem Bona and David Singleton each added eight points for UCLA (22-4 overall, 13-2 Pac-12).

Michael Jones led the Cardinal (11-15 overall, 5-10 Pac-12) with 15 points, followed by Harrison Ingram with 13 points and Maxime Raynaud with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Michael O’Connell had five assists, four rebounds and two steals, and Ingram finished with six rebounds and five assists.

Spencer Jones, the Cardinal’s top scorer at 13.7 points per game, was held to six.

Stanford hit six of their first seven shots to start the game. UCLA took its first lead at 16-15 at 11:35 of the first half, but the Cardinal responded with a 9-0 run and led 31-27 at halftime.

The Bruins surged ahead with an 16-4 run to open the second half, but Stanford responded with a 14-2 run to regain the lead at 50-45. A dunk by Clark put UCLA ahead to stay at 58-57, but after a three-minute scoring drought, ingram hit a jumper to make it a one-point game with 4:59 remaining,

Will McClendon hit a 3-pointer with 3:39 remaining, extending the Bruins’ lead to 63-59. A parade to the free throw line, sinking eight foul shots, allowed the Bruins to build their permanent lead.

Stanford travels to Southern California on Saturday.

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