Author: moepea

I like lilacs, mist and cold air.

Bears Hibernation Continues: Cal runs into a mountain in 61-46 loss at Utah

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By Morris Phillips

Sitting on 19 losses and inevitably headed toward an undesired historical 20th loss, the Cal Bears started Sunday needing to fess up to one fair conclusion.

They’re currently not talented enough to compete in the Pac-12… with or without injuries, with or without USC and UCLA or any number of other considerations.

It’s not a good look, and a trip to Utah’s Huntsman Center certainly didn’t change that. The Bears fared no better in a dreary 61-46 loss to the Utes that leaves them as the only program to suffer three consecutive 20-loss seasons in Pac-12 history.

Cal trailed at halftime and then went the first six-plus minutes of the second half without a made basket. That allowed the hosts to extend their lead to as many as 20 points and cruise in beating the Bears for a fifth, consecutive time dating back to 2021.

“We had a very poor start to the second half for sure,” coach Mark Fox said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays. Offensively, we just don’t have enough playmaking on the floor.”

Without leading scorer Devin Askew and experienced scorer DeJuan Clayton, who was absent due to an undisclosed illness, the Bears scored fewer than 50 points for the fourth straight game. The Bears played at their familiar, plodding pace but again had issues with turnovers, committing ten. Fox admitted the pace was what he wanted, but the lack of shotmaking sabotaged their effort.

“Until we can get somebody back we’re going to have to try to be elite defensively,” Fox said.

Lars Thiemann led Cal with 12 points, and Kuany Kuany added 11. Starting point guard Joel Brown failed to be a bigger factor, playing just 24 minutes with two shot attempts and one assist.

Utah guard Lazar Stefanovic led the Utes with 15 points, six assists and three of his teammates also finished with double-digit scoring. Utah wasn’t much better shooting the ball than Cal at 37 percent from the floor, but they got nine made threes from four of their starting quintet.

Cal (3-20, 2-10) fell to 0-8 in true road games and are fortunate to have their next two games at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley with Arizona up first on Thursday evening.

Woes Continue: Cal wears down in 59-46 loss to Colorado at Boulder

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By Morris Phillips

The lead up to Thursday’s game wasn’t positive: the Cal community lost heralded coach Lou Campanelli, the architect of their mid-80’s resurgence, who directed the Bears to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years.

Then, leading scorer Devin Askew, who ironically has yet to participate in a win at Cal, was declared out for the remainder of the season with a nagging, sports hernia injury.

On Thursday evening, the Colorado Buffaloes’ defense proved burdensome as well.

The Bears suffered three lengthy, second-half scoring droughts and bowed meekly to CU, 59-46. The loss was Cal’s sixth in a row following an encouraging, early January win over Stanford.

Colorado’s win is their sixth consecutive over Cal at the CU Events Center, and it interrupted a rough stretch for the hosts in which they dropped five of their previous six games.

The Bears reached halftime both leading (27-24) and struggling, as they went the final 2:38 before the break scoreless. That trend would continue as the Bears scored just 19 points the rest of the way.

“It’s a testament to their grit and their toughness and not letting that frustration on offense bleed over into defense,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “I’ve gotten on our guys about that at times this year when that’s happened, and tonight, it didn’t happen.”

The Bears shot just 37 percent from the floor and compiled a telling, nine assists. Leading scorer Kuany Kuany tallied 10 points but missed eight of his 10 shot attempts.

“We have to play with a tougher mentality on the road,” coach Mark Fox said. “We played about 25 good minutes, and then they made a run, and we collapsed for five or six minutes.”

Tristan da Silva led the hosts with 20 points and KJ Simpson added 10. Colorado gained revenge for their 80-76 loss at Berkeley on New Year’s Eve.

Cal’s road swing continues Saturday in Salt Lake City, where they will face Utah on Saturday.

Stanford more than prepared for Cal in 75-46 win at Maples Pavilion

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By Morris Phillips

STANFORD, CA–The hot-shooting Bears that throttled Stanford on January 6 didn’t necessarily impress their coach, Mark Fox. That same group arrived at Stanford on Saturday night without the shooting acumen, and they didn’t impress Fox either.

“I thought our defensive frustrations carried over to the offensive end and give them credit,” Fox said. “They made a bunch of baskets, we couldn’t string together any stops, and you can’t win that way on the road.”

Host Stanford raced to an 11-point halftime lead and led by as many as 37 in an easy 75-46 win over visiting Cal. Offensively, the Bears miserly 30 percent shooting didn’t put them in position to compete.

The Cardinal dominated the glass with a 47-30 edge in rebounds and used their physicality to deny the Bears. The win was Stanford’s fourth straight in what otherwise has been a frustrating season for them.

Maxime Raynaud led the Cardinal with 15 points, and Harrison Ingram added 14. Four other Stanford players scored at least eight points in a balanced effort offensively.

The Bears fell into last place in the Pac-12 with the loss and have lost all five contests since beating Stanford at the beginning of this month.

Cal travels to Colorado on Thursday tomeet the Buffs in hopes of ending their most recent losing streak.

Cal embarrassed at Haas by Oregon State in 68-48 loss

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Porous defense, non-existent shooting, and inattention to detail… the Cal Bears were guilty across the board on Sunday afternoon.

Coach Mark Fox admitted his team missed the directive regarding an early shot at the end of the first half. That allowed Oregon State to cap a 13-0 run ending the first half with Jordan Pope’s jumper as time expired. And the defense as a whole?

“We have just failed to build a defense,” Fox admitted. “We are really struggling with our ability to keep the ball out of the lane.”

And the offense? Well, at one juncture of the second half, the Bears had more turnovers (11) than made baskets (6). In an unsightly first 20 minutes, the Bears started 3 of 17 and finished 4 of 23 after a scoreless stretch across their final, six possessions.

Add it all up, and Cal may have squandered its best remaining opportunity for a win this season. The visiting Beavers ended a six-game losing streak–and an 18-game road skid–with the easy, 68-48 win in Berkeley.

Early on, the gracious visitors did all they could to keep the Bears attached. With shooting as errant as the hosts, OSU trailed 15-14 with 4:30 remaining in the half. But that all changed in their closing run that picked up steam after the break. After Pope’s layup, Oregon State led 58-30 with 6:25 remaining.

Pope led three OSU starters in double-figures with 19 points. The Beavers’ shooting picked up dramatically with them finishing at 54 percent shooting from the floor, including 13 made threes.

The Bears wilted with 37 percent shooting and just three makes from distance.

Devin Askew returned to the Cal lineup after missing six games with a foot injury. But the team’s leading scorer might have been too aggressive with his shooting given his rust. He finished 2 of 12 from the floor for eight points. Kuany Kuany led Cal with 15.

The Bears next appear at Stanford on Saturday in a matchup of last place teams.

Not At Home Tonight: Cal’s offense disappears in 87-58 loss to visiting Oregon

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Haas Pavilion is the home of the Golden Bears. It just didn’t seem so on Wednesday.

Not even close.

Instead, the visiting Ducks appeared right at home, shooting 60 percent in a lopsided 87-58 win over Cal that was initiated by the visitors’ attentive defense and punctuated by their mistake-free offensive attack. Amazingly, the Ducks piled up impressive shooting stats in all three areas while committing just five turnovers.

Meanwhile, the Bears couldn’t get untracked. They made just seven baskets in the first half, and trailed 34-21 at the break. Ten minutes in the second half, the Bears fell behind 60-34 allowing Oregon to cruise.

“I thought the guys really took the wind out of their sails just not giving up easy baskets,” coach Dana Altman said. “21 points at half, I love that. I thought defensively we had a lot better energy and a lot better movement than what we’ve had.”

Cal (3-16, 2-5) had won three of four at home, but they couldn’t recapture the magic. DeJuan Clayton, credited for inspiring the Bears’ improved play, didn’t score in this one until 25 minutes elapsed. Clayton finished with three points, and the team’s leading scorer, ND Okafor scored 10 points.

The Bears resume play on Sunday at noon against Oregon State in a battle of teams looking to avoid the Pac-12 basement.

Bears Can’t Reach The Finish Line in aggravating 81-78 overtime loss to Washington

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By Morris Phillips

The Cal Bears led Washington the entire second half, only to lose in overtime 81-78.

How’s that? Missed free throws and a tepid finish.

Eighteen games into a trying season, the Bears have changed the discourse from losing to winning. But this one–with Cal in control for the majority of the afternoon–will sting.

“We had every opportunity to win the game in regulation and just didn’t finish the plays, didn’t make free throws,” coach Mark Fox said. “When you have those opportunities, you have to seize them.”

The Bears missed three free throws in the final minutes, which allowed the hosts to calmly, and almost too patiently, work themselves into a tie ballgame when Keion Brooks scored in the lane with 12 seconds remaining.

Prior to Brooks’ equalizer, Kuany Kuany missed the front end of a one-and-one, surprising given his 84 percent shooting from the foul stripe.

In overtime, the Huskies seized control, missing just one shot and leading the entire five minutes. Cal had an opportunity to tie the game at the buzzer, but Kuany’s 3-pointer was blocked.

Cal led by as many as 11 points–with 10 minutes remaining, a showing spearheaded by Grant Newell’s breakout with 21 points, ten rebounds. Lars Thiemann added 13, and Joel Brown had 12 points, five assists.

Brooks led UW with 26 points, and Noah Williams added 22. The hosts held advantages in shooting percentage and blocked shots (7) to secure what was a statistically-even ballgame.

Cal returns to Haas Pavilion to face Oregon on Wednesday at 7:00pm.

Shooters Roll: Cal hits school-record 16 threes in 92-70 wipeout of Stanford

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–The Golden Bears weren’t just seeking a signature win over their most significant opponent. They were looking to write the resulting headlines as well. Breaking out a new star and setting a new shooting standard accomplished both.

Cal’s 92-70 win over Stanford featured DeJuan Clayton’s 26 points, and the team’s school record 16 made 3-pointers, but it marked the coming together of a team that got no positive reinforcement over the season’s first eight weeks as the losses and humiliation piled up.

But with wins in three of their last four outings–after 12 consecutive losses–the Bears are showing themselves to be engaged despite the rough start with Clayton as their focal point.

“We found a rhythm, and it’s amazing the difference DeJuan makes in our team,” coach Mark Fox said. “You’ve seen it the last couple of games. If we had him the first 13 games, who knows what we could have been. He was terrific in his ability to score the ball, but he also had six assists, no turnovers. He makes everyone better.”

Clayton was a perfect 4 for 4 from distance, leading Cal to a 45-37 lead at halftime. The Bears overcame a hot start from Stanford, which made its first six shots from the floor to lead 12-10. But the Bears kept coming with eight made threes and 64 percent shooting before the break.

“We’re not the 0-12 team you guys saw,” said Sam Alajiki. “We didn’t have DeJuan. We didn’t get to play together a lot. We are a completely different team now. Everyone can feel it.”

Alijiki contributed 19 points, Kuany Kuany added 18, and Joel Brown, one game removed from his career-best 21 points, piled up the assists with seven. With so many positive contributions, the Bears managed without injured Devin Askew, and with Lars Thiemann taking just three shots.

Stanford kept pace until the Bears seized control after the game was tied at 32. The Bears scored 13 of the final 18 points before the break and didn’t relent in the second half, leading by as many as 23 with 4:59 remaining.

Stanford received 14 points from Michael Jones, 13 from Spencer Jones, and 12 each from Maxime Raynaud and Isa Silva. The Cardinal have opened Pac-12 play with five losses, with this one easily the most lopsided.

“The 3-point shooting built confidence for the rest of their team,” said coach Jerod Haase, who has seen his team win just five times in 15 outings.

The Bears next travel to Washington to face the Cougars and Huskies with the trip to Pullman first on Wednesday.

Bears Turn To Offense: Cal runs past Colorado 80-76 for first Pac-12 win

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–An unexpected and strange afternoon of basketball was best summed up by longtime Colorado Buffaloes radio announcer Mark Johnson:

“Joel Brown has looked like Michael Jordan,” Johnson snickerishly opined.

Brown’s upwardly, fully mobile impersonation of the greatest wasn’t visible to most, or many in a sparsely populated Haas Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, but it was effective. The senior guard lead Cal with 21 points in an eye-opening 80-76 win for the Golden Bears, their first Pac-12 win after three losses.

For Cal (2-13, 1-3), it was the needed progression from national laughingstock to something far more competitive with two wins in their last three outings. For Colorado and Coach Tad Boyle, it was something to abhor, as his frustration with his team’s effort highlighted his post-game remarks.

“Our guards can’t get through ball screens,” Boyle said. “We had nobody on our team who could even think about guarding Joel Brown. He took us off the bounce whenever he wanted.”

Brown, a senior with 105 games under his belt, had never scored 20 points in a game collegiately. Has he improved immensely from his freshman season? No doubt he has. But Boyle, the architect of the Buffaloes scouting report that materialized 48 hours after Cal scored a season-low 43 points against Utah with Brown limited to four points, two turnovers, and one assist wasn’t in the mood.

“We’re not good enough shot makers. We’re not good enough free throw shooters to rely on that night in and night out. So we’d better be able to rely on our defense and rebounding, which I talk about all the time, but this team hasn’t accepted that and put it in their DNA,” Boyle explained. “That’s on me. I’m not sure I’ve been part of a more disappointing loss from a defense and rebounding standpoint.”

Cal shot 58 percent from the floor, their best shooting effort in a conference game since February 2015. The outpouring of offense shocked the smallish crowd–and the Buffs–from the start. Cal took the lead 26 seconds in and used a 12-0 run to build a noticeable lead that they sustained until halftime, leading 39-27. Colorado did its part not only with spotty defense but 1 for 12 shooting from distance as well.

Brown attacked the basket throughout and emboldened his teammates with his success. All five Cal starters scored in double digits, which completely transformed their season-long dynamic with Devin Askew missing for a second straight game and the newly-healthy but rusty DeJuan Clayton starting in Askew’s place.

The Bears held a trio of second-half, 21-point leads, the last with 4:06 remaining after Kuany Kuany’s 3-pointer. But the Buffs and leading scorer KJ Simpson went bonkers in the final 2:51, scoring 20 points to get within 79-76 with six seconds left. But Brown was subsequently fouled, and his made free throw provided the final margin.

Brown abstained from any mention of his personal accomplishments in his post-game remarks, deferring to his teammates and the confidence the win instilled in the group. But Fox did headline Brown in his comments.

“It’s good to see him play as well as he did because he was terrific today,” Fox said of Brown.

The Bears opened 2022 with a conference win over Arizona State on January 2. After that, they nose dived to a 5-15 Pac-12 record and started this season with three more losses. But at 4-18 for the calendar year, the Bears have a recent win and hope for the New Year.

“I think this group being rewarded today hopefully will just magnify their desire to come to the gym everyday,” Fox said. “But that desire hasn’t really ever wavered.”

The Bears get a shot at Stanford at Haas Pavilion on Friday at 6pm in their next game which feels much more competitive than anyone could have imagined at the season’s outset.

Utah stifles Cal, hold Bears to season-low points in 58-43 win

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–The Cal Bears losing streak has been laid to rest. But another menace has surfaced: Pac-12 defenses.

Utah came to Haas Pavilion on Thursday with two missions: get a win in the wake of a pair of frustrating losses and a commitment to lean heavily on their defense in the process.

Missions accomplished.

“The bright side is we held them to 43 points,” Utah coach Craig Smith said of the Utes 58-43 win over Cal. “That is hard to do. I don’t care who you play when you play. To do that, that is hard. Defense travels, so super excited about that.”

Utah held the Bears to 34 percent shooting from the floor and that combined with a holiday-dented crowd of fewer than 2,000 made for a quiet night in Berkeley.

The Bears welcomed super senior transfer DeJuan Clayton to their rotation but got little in return. Clayton showed his rust and the significance of having just two practices in missing eight of his ten shots. With Clayton, Cal’s plodding attack changed little as they struggled to create separation from Utah’s attentive defenders. That standstill was best reflected in Cal’s underwhelming total of four assists on the evening.

“We didn’t help each other offensively,” coach Mark Fox said. “Defensively, we did okay.”

“We got some pretty good looks, especially in the paint,” said Kuany Kuany, who led Cal with 12 points. “We didn’t convert, and we can do better.”

The Bears trailed 27-18 at the break then found some disruptive defense of their own to climb within 33-31 with 13:40 remaining. But the Utes steadied and cruised from that point, leading by as many as 16 with 1:37 to go.

“That first media timeout wasn’t pretty in our huddle, but to the credit of our guys, they showed self-awareness,” Smith said. “Nobody was pointing fingers. They manned up to it and figured it out.”

Cal’s leading scorers, Devin Askew and Lars Thiemann, suffered the worst. Askew returned from missing Cal’s first win over Texas-Arlington and wasn’t right, taking just three shots and scoring seven points. Thiemann was hounded by the Utes’ big front line, missing six of his eight shots before fouling out late.

The Bears fell to 0-3 in Pac-12 play and will now look to getting their initial conference win against Colorado on Saturday.

“If we can get healthy and whole, I think we can make some headway,” Fox said, “but we’re going to have to grow up.”

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A Win For Cal: Bears blow past UT-Arlington for their first win of the season

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–The Bears have a win, but they still have a conference schedule to attack as well, so the end of the longest losing skid was partnered with the briefest of celebrations.

“It’s been a tough start, obviously, and they deserve to get a reward,” Fox said.

The Bears’ 73-51 win over Texas-Arlington on Wednesday afternoon brought to an end a saga that defined the team for the first half of their schedule and needed to end before the wins get even more elusive during Pac-12 play.

Simply, the Bears don’t want the streak to define them, so they enter Christmas break with the purpose of being prepared for Utah a week from Thursday.

A one-win team can’t exhale with so much of their season still to play.

Missing Devin Askew because of an ankle injury didn’t prevent Cal’s fast start in which they led by nine at halftime, and pushed their advantage to 22 with 11 minutes remaining.

Joel Brown reprised his role as the team’s aggressive scorer by attacking the basket with tremendous results. Brown introduced himself in Cal’s most recent loss at Santa Clara, and he picked it up on Wednesday.

Brown and Lars Thiemann led the Bears with 17 points each, and Kuany Kuany added 16.

UT-Arlington allowed 57 percent shooting to Cal, the highest number the Mavericks allowed this season. Shemar Wilson led the visitors with 14 points, 11 rebounds.

“This is about as disappointed as I’ve been after a game all season,” UTA coach Greg Young said. “We have to get more mature. We didn’t handle success well after the win at San Francisco, and we didn’t play hard enough tonight.”