By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Three outings into their 2017-18 season, the Cal Bears have been incrementally better each time out. On Thursday, the Bears rode a big, second half to a victory over Wofford, the pre-season favorite to win the Southern Conference, 79-65.

Darius McNeill and Marcus Lee led the Bears with 17 points apiece, as Cal overcame a one-point halftime deficit to win by 14. The Bears shot 55 percent for the game and 16 of 20 from the free throw line to overcome 19 turnovers in the win. But according to Coach Wyking Jones the difference was Cal’s play at the defensive end, and getting a handle on Terriers’ leading scorer Fletcher Magee.

“Really good second half,” Jones said. “We went into the locker room as a staff and made a couple of adjustments to the press. Obviously, we didn’t let Fletcher touch the ball as much in the second half. He really shot the ball well in the first half. We focused on not even letting him [Fletcher] catch. That was the game plan.”

Magee scored 24 of his game-high 32 points in the first half to give Wofford a 37-36 lead. But Magee attempted only six shots–making two–in the second half as the Bears pulled away. Cal paraded to the free throw line after halftime, making 13 of 16 to supplement 52 percent shooting from the field.

McNeill exploded for 15 points in the opening half after he scored just three against UC Riverside and five against Cal Poly. The 6’3″ guard started in the Bears’ backcourt along with Don Coleman and Justice Sueing on the wing. McNeill, who replaced fellow freshman Deschon Winston in the starting lineup after the opener, rewarded Coach Jones with his patience and aggressiveness.

“Today, Coach just kept telling me to play my game, and play through the system and be really aggressive, really let the game come to me,” McNeill said. “I took that advice and good things happened today.”

The Wofford game was a part of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational that continues in Maui on Monday. The Bears were already guaranteed a quarterfinal matchup against No. 5 Wichita State giving the Terriers motivation to play spoiler in their visit to Haas Pavilion.