November 5th 2024.
The college basketball scene in the Bay Area has undergone some significant changes since the end of last season. Notably, Tara VanDerveer, the highly successful coach of the Stanford women’s team, has retired after a stellar career. In addition, Jerod Haase, the coach of Stanford’s men’s team for the past eight seasons, has been fired. The Bay Area has also lost some key players, such as Aidan Mahaney, who transferred to UConn, and Kiki Iriafen, who departed for USC. And to top it all off, both Cal and Stanford have now joined the ACC, meaning they will face off against powerhouse teams like Duke and Kentucky.
So, how did the Bay Area’s college basketball teams fare on the first day of the new season? Let’s take a look.
Stanford kicked off their season with a dominant 107-43 win against La Moyne, a team from the Northeast Conference. Kate Paye, who has the daunting task of replacing VanDerveer, didn’t have much to worry about as her team cruised to victory. Redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel, who didn’t see much playing time in her first two seasons, had a career-high 24 points, along with five rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Elena Bosgana also had a career-high with 19 points in just 15 minutes of play, and sophomore forward Nunu Agara matched her career-high of 18 points. The full story can be found in Christian Babcock’s article.
Stanford’s men’s team also had a successful start to their season, with new head coach Kyle Smith leading them to a decisive 85-62 victory over Denver. Guard Oziyah Sellers, a transfer from USC who grew up in the Bay Area, had a standout performance with career-highs in points and rebounds, as well as two steals and a block. This was also the team’s 14th consecutive win in a season opener.
Cal, who now has former WCC Freshman of the Year Zeryhia Aokuso on their roster, easily defeated Saint Mary’s by a score of 90-58. Sophomore guard Lulu Twidale, who was an honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman team last year, matched her career-high of 24 points, sinking five three-pointers. Senior forward Marta Suárez had 17 points and eight rebounds, while graduate guard Ioanna Krimili, last year’s leading scorer, contributed 14 points in the blowout victory.
In a closer game, Cal defeated Cal State Bakersfield by 86-73. Although they ultimately came out with a win, the Bears were challenged by their opponents, who showed determination and energy throughout the game. Graduate guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. led the team with 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Andrej Stojakovic, son of former NBA player Peja Stojakovic, had 16 points and six rebounds in his debut for the team.
San Jose State, however, suffered a surprising 59-55 loss to Western Illinois in their season opener. Despite having 19 more free throw attempts than their opponents, the Spartans struggled offensively, shooting just 35% from the field and 19% from three-point range. The absence of their top three scorers from last season – Myron Amey Jr., Alvaro Cardenas, and Tibet Gorener – was felt as they fell short in the game.
San Francisco also faced a tough loss, falling to Colorado State by a score of 52-47. Although they entered the fourth quarter with a six-point lead, the Dons were outscored 21-10 in the final quarter. Both teams struggled with their shooting, making less than 30% of their field goal attempts. Senior guard Freja Werth, last year’s WCC Newcomer of the Year, led the Dons with 13 points and nine rebounds.
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