Washington Huskies center Braxton Meah (34) forward Keion Brooks Jr (1), and guard Koren Johnson (0) battle against the Cal Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) and Fardaws Aimaq (far right back) at Alaskan Airlines Arena in Seattle on Sat Feb 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024

Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington

California Golden Bears 82 (11-15 Overall; 7-8 Pac-12)

Washington Huskies 80 (14-12 Overall; 6-9 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears came into Seattle, and beat the Washington Huskies, 82-80, thanks to a late steal and three.

Cal came in having lost their last two. They had lost a devastating nailbiter to the Oregon Ducks in Berkeley last Saturday, and then were rather easily defeated by the Washington State Cougars in Pullman on Thursday. Now, they were in Seattle to play a Washington Huskies team, who beat the Bears in a close one at Haas Pavilion on Jan. 18.

The Huskies won the opening tip, but there wouldn’t be any scoring for a minute and a half. That was when Fardaws Aimaq got Cal on the board with a hookshot. Aimaq and Jaylon Tyson combined to score the Bears’ first 13 points

The game was neck and neck in the early going with Cal up 13-11. Koren Johnson and Keion Brooks Jr. then combined to score seven unanswered points for the Huskies to put them up 18-13.

The Huskies held the lead until Jalen Cone laid one in with 7:20 remaining to tie it at 23-23. Tyson laid one in to give Cal a 25-23 lead, and the Bears took the momentum, as they opened a 40-33 lead with two minutes to go.

The Huskies bounced back, and they clawed their way back in to go into the half down four at 42-38.

Brooks hit a jump shot for the Huskies to make it 42-40 to start the second half, and Cone hit a three to make it 45-40, as the two teams see-sawed their way through the early minutes. Paul Mulcahy hit a three to give the Huskies a 47-46 lead, and then Tyson alley-ooped to Keonte Kennedy, who slammed it down to put the Bears back ahead, 48-47.

Koren Johnson hit a layup to make it 49-48 Washington, and the Huskies mostly took control from there. Cal did comeback to tie it on a free throw by Aimaq to make it 53-53, but the Huskies just as quickly retook the lead, and opened up a 61-55 lead with 10:44 to go.

However, the Bears were not going to let the Huskies pull away with it. Aimaq and Tyson hit layups to make it 61-59, and the Bears were now just down by two. The Bears hung in there, as they twice tied the game, but they were unable to get a lead.

Mulcahy was fouled and hit one of two from the line to put Washington up 75-70 with 4:23 to go. Grant Newell then hit a pair of layups to make it 75-74, and the Bears were headed for another thrilling finish in this painful season.

The Huskies kept their small lead, but Jalen Celestine sank a three with 1:40 remaining to tie it at 79-79. Sahvir Wheeler was then fouled, and he hit one of two from the line to put the Huskies back up, 80-79 with 1:16 to go.

The 80-79 Huskies’ lead held up going into the final seconds. With 15 seconds remaining, Jalen Cone stole the ball from Wheeler, and then called time. The Bears inbounded the ball, and got it to Jalen Celestine, who sank a three-ball with five seconds left to give the Bears an 82-80 lead.

Wheeler then tried to lay one in, but he missed, and the Bears came out with another painful win, as they somehow managed to win this one, 82-80.

In the midst of tonight’s epic win was Jaylon Tyson’s 28-point performance. It comes as no surprise that Tyson’s performance was not the main highlight, as tonight’s win was a team effort, just as most of the wins have been for the Bears this season.

The Bears improve to 7-8 in Pac-12 play, and 11-15 overall. Now, they will return home for their final home stand of the year. First, the Oregon State Beavers will come in for a 7 p.m. tip at Haas Pavilion on Thursday night, followed by the Oregon Ducks, who will be in for a 4 p.m. next Saturday.