Stanford men deliver a win over Denver in coach’s debut

COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

New Stanford head coach Kate Paye, right, gets a hug from former longtime coach Tara VanDerveer before their game Monday night against Le Moyne at Maples Pavilion. The game was still in progress when this edition went to press. For details and more on the Cardinal, go to mercurynews.com/sports. JANE TYSKA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Kate Paye isn’t the only new basketball coach down on The Farm. Kyle Smith began his tenure as Stanford’s new head coach with a decisive 23-point win over Denver, the program’s 14th consecutive win in a season opener.

Leading the way in an 85-62 victory over Denver for the Cardinal was guard Oziyah Sellers, a transfer from USC who was born in Fremont and raised in Hayward.

Seller, the program’s first undergraduate transfer since 2009, totaled single-game career-highs in points (24) and rebounds (7) while recording two steals and a block.

Senior forward Maxime Raynaud, the reigning Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year, totaled a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double while also dishing out a career-high six assists.

Graduate guard Jaylen Blakes, a transfer from Duke, totaled 12 points and matched his career-highs in assists (six), steals (three) and blocks (two) while junior guard Benny Gealer poured in 12 points on a career-high four three-pointers.

Bal leads Santa Clara past Saint Louis >> Adama-Alpha Bal scored 24 points to help Santa Clara defeat Saint Louis 85-78 in a season opener at the Field of 68 Showcase in Sioux Falls. S.D.

Bal shot 7 of 13 from the field, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 7 for 8 from the line for the Broncos. Camaron Tongue scored 18 points while shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 5 for 5 from the line and added seven rebounds. Christoph Tilly shot 6 for 7 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 17 points.

The Billikens were led in scoring by Isaiah Swope, who finished with 24 points and five assists.

Santa Clara took the lead for good with 41 seconds remaining in the first half. Bal led Santa Clara with 17 points in the first half to help put them ahead 48-41 at the break. Tilly scored a team-high 13 points after the break.

UCF gets court-storming win over Texas A&M >> Darius Johnson scored 24 points and assisted on a go-ahead slam dunk with less than a minute remaining to lead UCF to a 64-61 win over No. 13 Texas A&M in Orlando, Fla.

Johnson had five assists, including the pass to Benny Williams that helped put the Knights ahead 62-61 with 45.5 seconds left. The Aggies didn’t score in the final 2:13.

Women

Iriafen helps No. 3 USC hold on for win >> Former Stanford star Kiki Iriafen made a pair of free throws with seconds remaining to lift No. 3 Southern California over Mississippi 68-66 in a season-opening doubleheader in France.

The score was tied 66-66 with 10 seconds left when Iriafen — an Associated Press preseason All-America selection — hit her two free throws in her first USC game.

Iriafen finished with 22 points while teammate JuJu Watkins led the way for USC with 27 points.

K.K. Deans scored 19 points for No. 20 Ole Miss. Madison Scott added 14.