California guard Deschon Winston (25) grabs a rebound while surrounded by Cal State Fullerton players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Confounding pursuit, this Division I basketball. Coach Wyking Jones believes his Cal team got better Saturday afternoon, while admitting he may have gotten worse.

“I think I need to find a really good cardiologist. These guys aged me today.”

The Bears returned to the hardwood after a week off for final exams only to find the Fullerton Titans proctoring their own test at Haas Pavilion. Adding to the drama, the Titans fell flat early, allowing Cal a 12-0 lead, which the Bears stretched to 15 points briefly before halftime.

Then things got interesting.

Of the four Big West teams to visit Berkeley this season, Fullerton figured to provide the biggest test with their attacking guards, Khalil Ahmad and Kyle Allman combining to average 32 points a game.  But while Ahmad and Allman got theirs, combining for seven of the Titans’ eight threes before halftime, the Bears maintained a comfortable 46-37 lead at the break.

But once Jamal Smith, whose father is the associate head coach at Fullerton and his sister, Kianna is a freshman on Cal’s women’s basketball team, joined Ahmad and Allman as a three-headed monster, the Cal lead was reduced to one with 10:52 remaining as Smith contributed nine points to the early, second half run.

Jones, who beat the odds to earn the Cal head coaching job at age 45, and to do so as a rare, first-time head coach at a Power 5 Conference school, it was at this juncture where his faux health issues arose. With a roster populated by seven freshman, and a pair of transfers, the mood swings of his club can be severe.  This was clearly one of them with the Bears missing shots, as the Titans heated up, even with Cal defending at a fairly high level. Only this time, unlike their meltdown against Wichita State,  or their near meltdown at San Diego State last weekend, the Bears persevered, as the Titans forced overtime, then collapsed in the extra minutes, allowing Cal to escape with a 95-89 win.

“We entered overtime a little deflated by the way it went into overtime — (Fullerton) getting a layup — but they didn’t give up and we continued to fight,” Jones said. “We really saw some resiliency, and saw some growth. After an overtime win, it helps the guys believe a little more that we can find a way to win, even when things aren’t going well.”

Darius McNeill, given the reigns at point guard by Jones, led the Bears with 30 points on 11 of 17 shooting.  Don Coleman, the Bears’ leading scorer, missed 18 of 23 shots from the field, but made things work anyway by converting 13 of 16 from the foul line and making three from deep. Marcus Lee supported his teammates with 19 points, 12 rebounds while providing some resistance to the Titans’ fearless drives to the hoop.

Cal hasn’t entered Pac-12 conference play with a losing record since 2004.  At 5-6, they’ll need wins at Seattle on Tuesday, and at home against Portland State on Thursday to extend that streak.