Cal Bears as hard as they tried didn’t have enough offense against the Utah Utes at the Jon M Huntsman Arena in Salt Lake City on Sat Mar 2, 2024 (Cal Bears photo)

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Jon M. Huntsman Center, Boulder, Colorado

California Golden Bears 59 (13-17 Overall; 9-10 Pac-12)

Utah Utes 88 (18-11 Overall; 9-9 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears suffered a rare lopsided loss, as they were crushed, 88-59, by the Utah Utes in the penultimate game of the Regular Season.

Cal lost the opener of their season-ending road trip to the Colorado Buffaloes on Wednesday night to guarantee their seventh-straight losing season. However, their hopes for a winning record in Pac-12 play remained alive, as they came into Salt Lake City to take on the Utes.

The Utes struck first, but the Bears kept closely behind in the game’s early minutes. However, Utah seized control of the game early.

Jalen Cone, who led the Bears in scoring tonight with 19 points, hit a three-ball to close Utah’s lead to 23-18 with 9:48 to go in the first half. Just as they had done all season, the Bears fought and kept in the game, but the Utes’ offense proved to be too much, as Utah went into the half up 42-32.

The Bears were once again double double digits going into the second half, which so many times this season meant that they were going to come back.

Jaylon Tyson laid one in to start the second half, followed by a jumper from Branden Carlson of the Utes. Fardaws Aimaq then made a three to make it 44-37, and the Bears were indeed thinking that they were primed for another comeback.

Deivon Smith responded with a layup and a three to extend Utah’s lead to 49-37. The teams traded baskets, and the Utes led, 53-41 with less than 14 minutes to go. Carlson then hit a three to make it 56-41 with 13:06 to go, and from there, the Utes put the game away.

The Bears simply ran out of energy, and the Utes went on to win by a final of 88-59. What also didn’t help, was that Jaylon Tyson, who has carried the Bears for much of the season, was 2-for-11 in field goals, while scoring just seven points.

The Bears fall to 13-17, and 9-10 in conference play, guaranteeing that they won’t have a winning season in Pac-12 play either, which has further dashed Cal’s already-faint March Madness hopes.

Perhaps after a drama-filled bounceback season in which the Bears have had so many big come-from-behind wins, the energy and magic have simply run out.

The Bears will close out the Regular Season Thursday night, when they will head to Palo Alto to take on their archrivals, the Stanford Cardinal.