Cardinal upend Utah 73-62 in opening round of Pac-12 tournament

Stanford guard Michael O’Connell (5) shoots against Utah during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 men’s tournament Wednesday, March 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Stanford built an early lead and maintained it until the final horn on Wednesday, as the 10th-seeded Cardinal upended 7th-seed Utah 73-62 in the opening round of the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Cardinal (14-18) had four players in double-figures, led by Brandon Angel with 16 points, followed by Harrison Ingram with 15, and 12 points each by Spencer Jones and Maxime Raynaud. Jones and Michael O’Connell each had four assists; Angel and Raynaud pulled down 12 and nine rebounds, respectively.

Branden Carlson scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Utes (17-15). Gabe Madsen was next with 13 points, followed by Lazar Stefanovic with 10. Carlson grabbed 10 rebounds and Rollie Worster had eight boards as Utah outrebounded the Cardinal 40-38.

Stanford, however, had a 38-24 advantage in points in the paint while handing the Utes their fifth straight defeat.

The Cardinal led 34-27 at halftime. Utah pulled to within 58-48 on a Stefanovic 3-pointer with six minutes left in the second half. Jones responded with a 3 for the Cardinal. A basket by Carlson closed Utah’s deficit to 70-60 at 1:20, but Angel sank a pair of free throws and Ingram hit one of two at the line.

Stanford faces No. 8 Arizona in Thursday’s quarterfinal round. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal set for Pac 12 Tournament coming off tough loss to Utah

Stanford forward Cameron Brink (22) blocks the shot of Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens (5) in the first half in Salt Lake City on Sat Feb 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Utah earned a share of the Pac-12 women’s basketball regular season championship on Saturday, as the No. 8 Utes upended No. 3 Stanford 84-78.

#2 The Utes Gianna Kneepkens scored a season-high 28 points to lead the Utes (25-3 overall, 15-3 Pac-12) to their first regular season conference title, only two seasons removed from winning five total games. 

#3 Hannah Jump scored 24 points for Stanford (27-4 overall, 15-3 Pac-12), followed by Cameron Brink with 14 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, and Haley Jones with nine points and eight rebounds.

#4 Utah forced three straight turnovers in the final minute to lock down the win. The Utes scored 26 points off of 21 Stanford turnovers. The Cardinal held a 37-23 rebounding edge.

#5 Stanford and Utah each have a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament this week in Las Vegas as things get underway in the Tournament on Thu Mar 2.

Join Michael for podcast coverage of the Stanford Cardinal in the MBB and WBB on Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 8 Utes upend No. 3 Stanford 84-78, claim share of Pac-12 women’s crown

All the Stanford Cardinal bench can do is just watch as Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens (5) reacts to making a 3-point shot against Stanford in the first half Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Saturday, February 25, 2023

Utah earned a share of the Pac-12 women’s basketball regular season championship on Saturday, as the No. 8 Utes upended No. 3 Stanford 84-78 before 9,611 at Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

Gianna Kneepkens scored a season-high 28 points to lead the Utes (25-3 overall, 15-3 Pac-12) to their first regular season conference title, only two seasons removed from winning five total games. Alissa Pili was next for Utah with 14 points, and Kennedy McQueen had 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and six steals.

Hannah Jump scored 24 points for Stanford (27-4 overall, 15-3 Pac-12), followed by Cameron Brink with 14 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, and Haley Jones with nine points and eight rebounds.

Utah led 40-34 at halftime and made 5 of 7 shots to open the third quarter, building a 52-40 lead on back-to-back field goals by Kneepkens and Issy Palmer. The Utes led the entire second half, although Stanford pulled to within 73-72 after Brink and Jones each scored two baskets. Utah responded with a 3-pointer by Kneepkens to keep the Cardinal from getting any closer.

Utah forced three straight turnovers in the final minute to lock down the win. The Utes scored 26 points off of 21 Stanford turnovers. The Cardinal held a 37-23 rebounding edge.

Stanford and Utah each have a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament this week in Las Vegas.

Cardinal men win fifth straight, topple Utes 78-72

Stanford forward Harrison Ingram, left, and Utah guard Lazar Stefanovic, right, battle for the ball during the second half in Salt Lake City on Thu Feb 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, February 2, 2023

Stanford received 22 points from Spencer Jones, Michael Jones scored 15 points off the bench, and the Cardinal extended their men’s basketball winning streak to five with a 78-72 victory over Utah Thursday in Salt Lake City.

Brandon Angel and Michael O’Connell scored 11 points apiece for the Cardinal (10-12 overall, 4-7 Pac-12). O’Connell’s 11 points were a season-best to go along with seven rebounds. Harrison Ingram contributed six assists and made a pair of free throws in the closing minutes to help secure the win. Maxime Raynaud grabbed eight rebounds.

The Cardinal have won four straight conference decisions, with a non-conference win over Chicago State in the middle of their current streak. Stanford made 10 of 18 3-pointers, their best conference shooting effort from behind the arc this season.

Stanford never trailed in the game. They outrebounded the Utes 36-33 and held a 24-20 scoring advantage in the lane.

Utah (15-9 overall, 8-5 Pac-12) tied the game on Marco Anthony’s layup with 6:39 left in the first half. The Cardinal responded with a 22-7 run to build a 46-31 halftime lead.

The Utes battled back, cutting their deficit to 57-54 with 11:55 to play in the second half, but never got closer.

Lazar Stefanovic led Utah with 26 points while hitting 6 of 14 3-pointers. Branden Carlson was next for the Utes with 17 points and seven boards, followed by Rollie Worster with 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds..

Stanford’s road trip through the Rockies continues on Sunday, when they play Colorado.

Stanford Cardinal men basketball podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal open two game road trip in Utah on Thursday night

Harrison Ingram who finished second in scoring for the Stanford Cardinal on Sat Jan 28 at Maple Pavilion in Palo Alto against the Cal Bears will battle the Utah Utes in Utah with his Stanford teammates on Thu Feb 2, 2023 (AP file photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal men basketball podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Maxime Raynaud who led with 15 points and has been a key factor for the Stanford Cardinal (9-12) with his contributions. Raynaud also a big reason why the Cardinal are on a four game win streak over the Cal Bears (3-18).

#2 Harrison Ingram finished in second with 15 points and Isa Silva hit a three pointer with just a few seconds left and the Cardinal went into the dressing room at the half with a substantial lead 75-46.

#3 The Cardinal ran off a 19-7 run against the Bears, Ingram hit a three point shot that gave Stanford a 55-31 lead with 11:01 remaining in the game.

#4 Cal had defensive troubles and just couldn’t shut down the Cardinal offense it was a different offense that Cal faced when they defeated the Cardinal the last time these times met.

#5 The Cardinal face the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City the Utes have won three of their last four games and lost their last game 68-56. Michael how do you see this match up Thu Feb 2 for a 5:00 pm.

Join Michael for the Stanford Cardinal podcast each Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No. 4 Cardinal women bounce back with 74-62 win over No. 8 Utah

Stanford forward Cameron Brink, left, and Utah forward Alissa Pili compete for possession of the ball during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Fri Jan 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Friday, January 20, 2023

Stanford bounced back from its first Pac-12 women’s basketball loss of the season, as the No. 4 Cardinal defeated No. 8 Utah 74-62 Friday at Maples Pavilion.

Though the Cardinal (18-2 overall, 6-1 Pac-12) lost starting point guard Talana Lepolo to an ankle injury early in the first half, Indya Nivar filled in and effectively ran the Stanford offense, scoring four points and getting three assists.

Cameron Brink led the Cardinal with 25 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Haley Jones also scored 25 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking two shots.

Hannah Jump, who hit her first five shots, added 13 points for Stanford, which lost to USC last Sunday, snapping a 12-game winning streak

The Utes (15-2 overall, 4-2 Pac-12) were led by Alissa Pili and Gianna Kneepkens with 25 and 19 points, respectively. Utah, which had been averaging 86.8 points per game, has never defeated a top-five opponent.

Utah had leads of 10-2 and 12-5 early before the Cardinal came back with a 7-0, 1:15 run. Stanford held the Utes to 10 points in the second quarter and 12 in the fourth.

Stanford is 11-1 at home this season.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum: Cardinal dropping to No.4 is not that big of deal after being No.2

Stanford guard Talana Lepolo, right, drives toward the basket as Southern California guard Kayla Williams defends during the first half at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Sun Jan 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel in the loss to the USC Trojans (13-4) 55-46 last Sunday in the Southland it was the Stanford Cardinal (17-2) first loss after wining 12 straight games their last loss coming in overtime to South Carolina back on Nov 20th at Maples Pavilion.

#2 The loss drops Stanford who had been in the No.2 seeded spot for weeks to No.4 the consequence of that loss was that USC was an unranked school coming into that game.

#3 Daniel, defense on behalf of the Trojans in the first quarter of last Sunday’s game made all the difference and the Trojans had a game plan on double teaming and shutting down the Cardinal’s Cameron Brink who did lead Stanford in scoring with 11 points. The Cardinal would only get 4 points in the first quarter.

#4 Daniel, was the loss to USC just taking the Trojans for granted after the Cardinal had that huge win to UCLA on the Friday before or the Trojans just had a game plan and executed.

#5 You can best bet that the Cardinal will review what went wrong against USC regroup and be prepared for their next opponent at Maples Pavilion tonight the No.8 ranked Utah Utes (15-1). The Utes last Friday were supposed to host the ASU Sun Devils but that game was forfeited due to medical issues with the Sun Devils and they couldn’t travel. The Utes in their next game took on Arizona Wildcats and defeated them 80-79 last Sunday. Daniel how do you see this match up for tonight between the Utes and Cardinal?

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

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Big Game Friday as Cal hosts Stanford at Haas Pavilion

The Stanford Cardinal forward Spencer Jones (14) who led all scorers on Sat Dec 31, 2023 against the Utah Utes takes a shot against the Utes center Branden Carlson (35) (photo by Stanford Cardinal MBB)

On Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 It wasn’t a rocking New Years eve for the Stanford Cardinal (5-9) last Saturday as the visiting Utah Utes (11-4) defeated the Stanford Cardinal 71-66 at Maples Pavilion.

#2 Michael, the Cardinal who were down by as much as double digits closed in the Utes lead within two but couldn’t seal the deal.

#3 Despite the Cardinal making a charge and closing the game to just two points that speaks to the Utes defense and they were able to bring up the score to five points over the Cardinal to pull away from the Stanford surge.

#4 All things considered the Cardinal Spencer Jones led with 16, Isa Silva 11, and Max Murrell 10, these three players played key roles in the Cardinal keeping up with the Utes in that second half.

#5 Michael it’s off for the Big Game at Cal Berkeley you’ll be on hand covering the Cardinal and our very own Morris Phillips will be doing coverage for our page on the Cal Bears (2-13). The Cardinal go into Berkeley having lost three of their last five games and Cal has won two of their last three games. Michael tell us how you see the outcome of this game on Fri Jan 6th.

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

Stanford De-Barked by Utah Inside Maples Pavilion on the Last Day of 2022, 71-66

Utah guard Rollie Worster (25) shoots against Stanford forward Brandon Angel (23) during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Dec 31, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (5-9, 0-4 Pac-12) remain winless in conference play after being chopped down by the undefeated (division) Utah Runnin’ Utes (11-4, 4-0 Pac-12), on a rainy New Year’s Eve on the Farm, 71-66.

Stanford trailed most of the initial 20 minutes of play, and fell behind by ten points early in the half. Utah had a 10-0 run to sustain their advantage on the road. The Cardinal managed to make a 7-0 charge, and had a deficit of that same amount of points (7) at intermission, 30-23.

Sophomore forward Harrison Ingram led the Cardinal with seven points and five rebounds, while senior center Branden Carlson topped the Utes with 11 points.

In the second stanza, Utah pushed the lead back up to double-digits within the first three minutes after the break in action.

Although the Utes pushed their advantage to as high as 16 points, the Cardinal kept chipping away and cut the margin to single digits several times, getting as close as two points away from their guest from the Beehive state with just over two minutes left in regulation.

However, Utah was able to hit crucial free throws down the stretch, while Stanford did not, resulting in a five point loss, 71-66.

The Cardinal was led by senior forward Spencer Jones’s 16 points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Isa Silva added 11 points, junior forward Max Murrell chipped in ten points. Ingram only added two second half points to his halftime total, tallying nine points, seven rebounds and five assists, but 0-3 from the free throw line in crunch time.

The Runnin’ Utes had four players in double-digits: Sophomore guard Lazar Stefanovic (20), Carlson (18), junior guard Gabe Madsen (10 points & 7 rebounds) and senior guard Marco Anthony (10).

Stanford will next be in action Friday, January 6, 2023, across the Bay in Berkeley, for part one of the Battle of the Bay versus Cal. Utah will be back in Salt Lake City to host Oregon State, January 5, 2023.

Stanford Cardinal football podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stanford looks to snap 3 game skid at Cal in Big Game Saturday

Utah running back Micah Bernard (2) carries the ball as Stanford defensive end David Bailey (23) makes a tackle during the first half action in Salt Lake City on Sat Nov 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Cardinal podcast with Daniel:

On the Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Cameron Rising threw three touchdown passes, Taylon Thomas ran for 180 yards and two scores, and No. 13 Utah dominated Stanford (3-7) in a 42-7 Pac-12 football win for the Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

#2 After Stanford (3-7 overall, 1-7 Pac-12) took a 7-0 first quarter lead on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Tanner McKee, it was all Utah (8-2 overall, 6-1 Pac-12), which used a big third quarter to pull away for good.

#3 Utah scored three times within seven minutes in the third quarter to put the game away. Rising connected with Thomas Yassmin for a 14-yard touchdown at 9:21, and threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Micah Bernard at 5:58. Rising has 18 touchdown passes this season.

#4 McKee, who was sacked seven times, threw 23 passes, completing 11 for 155 yards. Mitch Leigber was the Cardinal’s top rusher, with 40 yards on 12 carries. Elijah Higgins caught seven passes for 105 yards.

#5 The Cardinal head to UC Berkeley for the Big Game this Saturday the Bears have lost six straight games. The Cardinal have lost three straight games as both teams are looking to snap their losing streaks.

Join Daniel for the Cardinal podcast Friday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com