By Morris Phillips

photo credit: AP photos Davidson Jack Gibbs (12) and Davidson head coach Bob McKillop during game vs. NC Sun Dec 6, 2015

Cal Bear enthusiast, here’s what’s important to know:

The non-conference schedule is concluded after the Bears took apart Davidson College on Monday, 86-60, rebounding from their narrow loss at Virginia with 12 made 3-pointers, along with an outstanding defensive effort against the nation’s third leading scorer, Jack Gibbs. Without a resume-building victory to date, the Bears start the make-or-break, Pac-12 portion of their schedule on Friday versus Colorado.

Stephen Curry, the former Davidson star, did not find a sliver of college eligibility in his gym bag, allowing him to suit up for the Wildcats on Monday. Instead, he was at the Oracle in Oakland, doing what he always does these days: destroying NBA competition.

Cal may have played its best offensive game of the year against Davidson, shooting 52 percent from the field, 54 percent on threes. The ball moved, players made the right basketball plays as Coach Cuonzo Martin always preaches, and Ivan Rabb was sufficiently included in the process, getting up 10 shots in his 12-point, 11-rebound night.

“We really stepped it up on the defensive end and tonight was a great offensive game for us as well,” Tyrone Wallace said. “Guys were coming off the bench and knocking down shots, and everybody was really able to contribute. We had a lot of assists today, and I think we are really confident going into conference play, but we still have to continue to get better and we’ll be fine.”

Nothing signals a big night for Cal better than perimeter shooting, and Jordan Mathews took care of that all by himself, hitting five of his six threes in the first half as Cal led 20-4 eight minutes in, and by 25 points after Mathews canned his fifth three-pointer with 3:38 remaining before halftime. The perimeter shooting opened up driving lanes, and created space for Cal’s big guys to go to work. Mathews had help from distance as well, as Jabari Bird came off the bench to hit a pair of threes.

Mathews and Bird combined for 25 of Cal’s 47 points at halftime.

Gibbs, the 6’0” guard, who operates more of an overall scorer than Curry-like shooter in Davidson’s offense, was bottled up by Cal’s defense, with Wallace as the primary defender. Gibbs didn’t get his initial basket until 14 minutes had elapsed and Davidson was already down 15. Iconic Davidson coach Bob McKillop credited Cal’s attentive defense.

“I think that Jack’s decision making early put him in a hole,” McKillop said. “And his decision-making was all the result of the great defense by California. I don’t know if California has played this efficiently defensively that I’ve seen. We’re usually a pretty good offensive team and Jack’s usually a good catalyst for that, and I credit California with an outstanding and superb defense. And of course we’ve seen them against Richmond, against Virginia. But their defense was extraordinary today.”

Gibbs, averaging nearly 27 points a game, was held seven on Monday.

The Bears were led by Mathews with 22 points, and Jaylen Brown with 17 points and seven rebounds. Brown made it two outstanding games in a row with his 7 for 8 shooting, showing that the fabulous freshman is starting to get it together offensively, which will make Cal exponentially dangerous.

Cal’s two big men, Kameron Rooks and Kingsley Okoroh, combined for only 21 minutes of playing time, likely due to the smallish, perimeter-oriented nature of Davidson’s attack. But look for Coach Martin to continue to have one of his big guys on the floor throughout for Pac-12 play as a way to free up Rabb on both ends of the floor.