Author: moepea

I like lilacs, mist and cold air.

0-5 For The First Time: Bears suffer unprecedented 59-55 loss to Texas State

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–This is the low point for California basketball. They can only go up from here.

Or can they?

The Bears suffered a fifth straight loss to start the season at Haas Pavilion on Monday against a smaller opponent from a lesser conference. It’s a reoccurring theme for sure, one the Bears can’t seem to escape.

This is the first time in the history of the program–115 years and counting–that the Bears have been 0-5.

Texas State blew in to Berkeley on Monday, frustrated the they couldn’t close the deal at UT-San Antonio on Thursday, when they were logically unable to make their meager 56 points stand up on the road.

The answer? Stop through Berkeley on the way to Hawaii for Thanksgiving and do a just a little more than they did at UTSA.

Guess what? That strategy worked.

Cal committed 16 turnovers and the Bobcats from the Southland Conference took a 23-22 lead four minutes before halftime and never relinquished it in their 59-55 win.

Again, the hosts didn’t execute anything with force, and went the final five minutes before halftime with scoring. Coach Mark Fox cited his limited options at both guard spots and last minute role changes that left his team less than prepared.

“We’re so disjointed with the lineups we’ve been forced to play,” Fox said.

Once again, only two, traditional guards played for Cal as Devin Askew led the Bears with 17 points, but missed 10 of his 15 shots, and Joel Brown went scoreless off the bench with five turnovers.

Overall, the hosts weren’t a mess statistically, but their deliberate pace produced 55 points, which is more often than not just enough to get you beat at the Division I level. After leading for much of the first half the Bears trailed by as many as 11 points after the break.

Senior guard, and two-time, All-Conference selection Mason Harrell led Texas State with 21 points and all the heady plays down the stretch as Cal got within two points of the lead with 26 seconds remaining.

Brandon Davis added 14 for the Bobcats.

“It’s how you respond, I’m so proud of all those guys in the locker room. They truly responded.” associate head coach Benny Seltzer said.

The win was the first for Texas State over a Power 5 school since 1998, and their first ever over a Pac-12 opponent. Earlier this season, the Bobcats also won at Rhode Island.

The Bears travel to Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday where they will face TCU on Friday, and either Iowa or Clemson on Saturday.

Sellout Shootout: Kings rally late for sixth, straight win, 137-129 over the Pistons

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The biggest week of Kings’ basketball in over a decade almost transpired without an essential conclusion: a win over the shorthanded, hapless Pistons.

Losers of all nine of their road contests, and minus three starters, Detroit didn’t get the memo or read the Kings’ storybook. Instead they came out firing, led almost the entire way, and were tenuously in control with 4:16 remaining, up 124-119.

That’s when the 17,866 in attendance turned the volume up, while Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox took control on the hardwood. Fox started the final push with a dunk in transition off Huerter’s steal, then the second of Huerter’s two 3-pointers gave the Kings a 131-127 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Fox dismissed the Pistons on a jumper with 56 seconds to go, and two made free throws with 22 seconds left that sealed it. In all, Sacramento’s starting backcourt combined for 14 of the team’s final 18 points, and Fox led the Kings with 33 points, seven assists.

“He’s playing at an All-Star level. He’s doing it on the offensive end, the defensive end,” said Harrison Barnes of Fox. “It’s a credit to him and the amount of work he put in this summer.”

Huerter added 24 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 13 rebounds as all five Kings’ starters scored at least 13 points.

The Pistons got 24 points from rookie Jaden Ivey, who was a headliner in a matchup with fellow, top 5 draft pick Keegan Murray. The Kings’ rookie started on Sunday after missing the previous game against the Spurs and finished with 13 on 4 of 10 shooting.

Marvin Bagley also got a few hits on Twitter, as a reminder that this was his first game back in Sacramento following the trade deadline deal that shipped him to Detroit. The 6’11” Bagley didn’t figure to hold up as the only true frontcourt presence for the visitors in the absence of Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, but he did. Bagley played 21 minutes and scored 11 of his 15 points after halftime. The former No. 2 overall pick for Sacramento was playing just his fifth game after missing the first 13 games of the season with a knee sprain.

The Kings six-game win streak is their first since January 2005, and the perfect complement to Tuesday’s electrifying, 153-121 win over Brooklyn on national TV that created all the buzz. Thursday’s win over the Spurs kept the party going, and Sunday’s crowd, the biggest in the history of the Golden 1 Center confirmed the fan base has taken notice.

The Kings are three games over .500 for the first time since February 13, 2019 when they were 30-27 in support of the underappreciated coaching of Dave Joerger.

With all the excitement surrounding his team, coach Mike Brown stood alone in his subdued reaction. The Pistons 61 percent shooting before halftime, and their 102 points after three quarters left a sour taste.

“We were not good at all defensively tonight,” Brown said. “We got lucky.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO TD?: Terence Davis, the first player in NBA history to notch at least 30 points, seven rebounds, seven 3-pointers and three steals on 70-percent shooting from the field in a single game barely played on Sunday.

Davis wasn’t hurt, just not needed in the minds of the Kings’ coaching staff. Davis’ record night was Tuesday against the Nets. Then on Thursday he scored five points in 15 minutes against the Spurs. And on Sunday, with Murray back in the starting lineup, Davis sat the entire first half, and played just three minutes in the third quarter. He finished with three points.

Do the Kings have quality depth? Apparently so.

Big Game Bounce: Sirmon’s scoop and score propels Cal past Stanford, 27-20

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Midway through the fourth quarter of the 125th Big Game, Jackson Sirmon was just another guy on either team eager to change the narrative of a dismal season, willing to do anything possible to avoid another loss.

One play later, Sirmon was a hero, forever immortalized in the rich history of the series between Stanford and Cal.

When the football inexplicably starts exchanging hands at Memorial Stadium, grab it. Just like “The Play” 40 years ago, the intertwined memories last forever.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Sirmon said. “All I did that play is I didn’t mess it up. The ball came right to me and I ran with it.”

Sirmon’s scoop and score–after Stanford backup quarterback Ashton Daniels then Cal’s Jeremiah Earby both fumbled on the play–gave Cal its first lead of the evening, 20-17. Prior to Sirmon’s miracle play, the Bears’ defense was confounded, trailing 17-12 and likely facing some tough questions regarding Stanford’s fast start that saw them lead 10-3 after the game’s initial possessions in the first quarter.

Both Bay Area rivals came into Saturday’s showdown saddled with a second straight losing season dragged down by a bunch of injuries, and the inability to muster much offense at all.

Stanford hadn’t scored more than 16 points in any of its previous, five games, and Cal hadn’t won a game since September 24. In front of sellout crowd, and on the 40th anniversary of Cal’s miracle, 25-20 win in 1982, something had to give.

Cal trailed 17-6 to start the fourth quarter, and they didn’t exactly jump into the driver’s seat when Jack Plummer connected with Monroe Young for Cal’s first touchdown (on their 10th offensive possession) with 11:18 remaining in the game. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, and the Bears–trailing by five–were needing the unlikely combination of a second, go-ahead touchdown along with shutting down the Cardinal for the remainder of the game.

But Stanford resorted to trickery, bringing in Daniels for a designed run that saw him stripped of the football by Daniel Scott when he approached the line and tried to bounce outside.

Earby recovered Daniels fumble, but was stripped by Daniels when the pair crossed paths. That’s when Sirmon rushed up, grabbed the ball seamlessly on a bounce and raced in from 38 yards out.

“As a defensive player, you don’t get a lot of opportunities to score touchdowns and you have to enjoy them when you get them,” Sirmon said. “It was very neat especially considering the timing of it all.”

Five plays later, and after a pair of incompletions intensified the pressure on starting quarterback Tanner McKee, he was picked off by Scott, who returned the ball 18 yards, setting up Cal, first and goal at the nine.

The third, consecutive running play for freshman Jaydn Ott finished in the end zone, and Cal was in command, up 27-17 with 58 seconds remaining.

“We know how important this game is to us as a team, our administration and our support staff,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “Our fans and students were just incredible tonight. What an awesome environment.”

The game featured several, strategical twists as both teams desperate to change their fortunes, saw their coaching staffs pull out all the stops. The Bears, with an undisclosed, chain of command calling their plays after offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was dismissed earlier in the week, completely abandoned their run game in the first half.

Not surprising given the Bears’ desultory offensive line play, but eye-catching because Stanford came in allowing nearly six yards per rushing attempt, ranking them dead last among 131 FBS teams.

The result? Cal unleashed a short passing game that utilized Ott as a pass catcher with success, but several drops, and a critical end zone interception thrown by Plummer saw Cal go into the half trailing 10-6. The Bears failed to convert any of their first, five third down conversion attempts, and they suffered Plummer’s pick immediately after they finally converted on a fourth down attempt.

Stanford started Mitch Leigber at running back, a converted safety with no one to back him up because of a rash of injuries decimated the Cardinal’s depth chart. Leigber was terrific with 83 yards rushing on 22 carries, but when he needed a blow, coach David Shaw elected to lift McKee and bring on Daniels as a quarterback whose sole intent was to run the ball. But on Daniels seventh rush attempt the game switched as he was stripped and fumbled.

Cal (4-7, 2-6) finishes its season on Friday afternoon with a home game against UCLA.

DWIGHT GARNER PASSES, MOEN STATUE REVEALED: A 1,500 pound Statue of Cal hero Kevin Moen was debuted in a ceremony outside the stadium on Friday with the likeness of the rugby, football star holding the football high above his head as he did after crossing the goal line, concluding “The Play” in 1982.

At the ceremony, it was announced that Dwight Garner, an Oakland native and a freshman in ’82, passed away this week after battling prostate cancer in Florida. Garner, 58, handled the third lateral on “The Play” and was nearly tackled before shuttling the ball, and prolonging the play. It was his portion of the sequence that embittered Stanford players who felt Garner’s knee was down before he released the ball.

Southern Discomfort: Bears start slow, never settle in, and fall at home to Southern U. 74-66

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–A slow start and tentative play doomed the Cal Bears again in a 74-66 home loss to Southern.

The Bears trailed 9-1 and 31-15 as the Jaquars, from the SWAC conference, came out hot, then gained confidence on a night they would shoot a blistering 52 percent from three. A dejected coach Mark Fox started with perimeter defense when trying to dissect how his team fell to 0-4.

“I can’t put a defense together that gives us a chance to win,” Fox admitted. “Twelve 3-point makes, and we repeatedly failed to guard the 3-point line.”

The visitors, coached by former Kentucky Sean Woods, weren’t necessarily brimming with confidence after starting their season with double-digit losses at UNLV, Arizona and St. Mary’s, but they did gain some traction with their competitive, first half against the Gaels on Wednesday. Their emphasis on exploiting their quickness advantage at the guard spots was spot on as their screens designed to free up shooters gave Cal fits.

“No doubt,” Woods declared when told Fox said SU’s fleet guards were problems. “We can shoot, dribble and pass and we did it tonight.”

Brion Whitley led Southern with 18 points, and P.J. Byrd and Dre’Shawn Allen each scored 13. The trio was a combined 12 for 12 from the foul stripe as Cal was made to pay when they resorted to reaching when trying to defend.

The Bears never led, but they did shoot better in the second half after trailing 38-26 at the break. After making just seven field goals in the first 20 minutes, Cal improved to 50 percent shooting the rest of the way, including 7 of 16 from three. But throughout they never appeared confident, and Southern’s defense retreated to the painted area, daring Cal to make some outside shots.

Lars Thiemann, who finished with 15 points, saw his impact lessened when Southern packed it in. Cal was left to hoist perimeter shots, some which fell, but the process kept them from gaining any rhythm offensively. Devin Askew led the Bears with 21 points, but the transfer guard had a rough evening with seven missed shots and seven turnovers.

“I’m asking Devin Askew to do everything,” Fox said. “He’s having to do too much. We’re asking him to do more than is probably fair.”

Fox wanting to put emphasis on his belief that his team’s winless start falls squarely on his shoulders, declined to make any of his players available to the media after the game.

Cal last started a season with four, consecutive losses in 1998. The Bears are 35-64 in their first 99 games under Fox, who could suffer an, unprecedented fourth, consecutive losing season with stops at Nevada and Georgia prior to coming to Cal in his 17 seasons as a head coach.

Could help be arriving soon? That’s to be determined as Cal is still without transfer DeJuan Clayton, who Fox says has yet to practice due to a lower body injury. Guard Jarred Hyder is also out, and leading, returning scorer Jalen Celestine isn’t expected to see action for another three to four weeks after off-season surgery.

“It’s going to be a work in progress until we get another shooter on the floor,” Fox said.

The Bears host Texas State on Monday before traveling to Florida for two games over the Thanksgiving break.

Still Searching For A Win: Bears Fall to 0-3 with 64-62 loss at UC San Diego

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By Morris Phillips

The Golden Bears now have surprising losses to Division I newcomer UC San Diego in consecutive seasons.

And not only that: only four UCSD players returned from the 80-67 win in the season opener for both teams in Berkeley a year ago, so essentially Cal has fallen to two, different groups of Tritons.

The one constant? 6’3″ junior guard Bryce Pope.

Pope spearheaded the host’s first half surge that saw UCSD lead by as many as 18 points, then hold on for a 64-62 win. Last season, Pope laced Cal with 18 points on four threes. On Tuesday in front of a raucous, sellout crowd in La Jolla, Pope led the Tritons with 19 points including five 3-pointers, and the back breaker with 12 seconds remaining.

Coach Mark Fox didn’t like what he saw from his Bears early, as they dug themselves into a 28-10 hole, and in his opinion, didn’t follow the game plan.

“We did nothing that we wanted to do in the first half defensively,” Fox said.

At halftime, Fox admitted that he eschewed making changes, but simply asked his guys to play with greater attention to the original plan. And they did, cutting a 37-27 halftime deficit to one point twice in the game’s last three minutes. But the Bears never grabbed a lead, and they were sent home with a defeat when Pope connected from distance, increasing UC San Diego’s lead to 64-60 with 12 seconds left.

Devin Askew, who led Cal with 13 points, cut the lead in half with a driving layup, but he couldn’t connect on a desperation runner at the buzzer from 30 feet that would have given Cal the win.

Fox, beginning his fourth season as head coach, saw his record drop to 35-61, and he certainly didn’t come to Berkeley to be a conduit energizing other UC system schools. But that’s where he stands with an 0-5 record against UCLA, 0-2 against UC San Diego and a 2019 win against UC Davis, as well as an eye-opening loss 75-65 to the Aggies in this season’s opener.

His frustration was evident in post-game remarks on the Cal radio network.

“Does the bus have to run over you before you concentrate?” Fox said. “We played with much more purpose in the second half than we did in half number one.”

The Bears missed seven of their first eight shots, and committed eight turnovers in the game’s first eight minutes. Again, they played better approaching halftime, and during frantic, second half rally, but the desired result didn’t materialize.

Starters Lars Thiemann, Kuany Kuany and Grant Newell also scored in double figures for Cal, as that trio had an exemplary 18 of 21 performance from the foul line. But the Bears didn’t fare well defensively on the perimeter and they certainly missed Jalen Celestine, Jarred Hyder and DeJuan Clayton–all out with injuries–in that regard.

The Bears return home for a Friday night meeting with the Southern Jaquars from the SWAC conference in search of their first win.

Cal limited to 156 yards in offense in dismal 38-10 loss at Oregon State

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By Morris Phillips

The last time the Cal Bears approached the Big Game on a point this low they found the silver lining.

Can a wholely satisfying win over Stanford rescue this season like it did in 2019?

The Bears hope so.

A 38-10 loss at Oregon State on Saturday was the team’s sixth in a row dating back to September 24 when the Bears improved to 3-1 by blowing out Arizona. The five losses that followed were competitive at some point during the four quarters. That wasn’t the case against the Beavers on a cold, misty night in Corvallis.

Cal trailed at the half 21-7 after their offense hit a new low with just 53 yards of total offense before the break. The visitors fell in a deeper hole when Oregon State scored on their first two possessions in the third quarter to lead 31-7.

“We haven’t played up to the standard that we’ve set as a team,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We haven’t coached well enough, we haven’t played well enough. It is totally unacceptable.”

Cal failed to score an offensive touchdown in the contest. They were limited to a 36-yard field goal by freshman Michael Luckhurst with 12:30 remaining in the game. Cal’s lone touchdown came with 2:33 remaining before halftime when cornerback Jeremiah Earby recovered Ben Gulbranson’s fumble and raced 33 yards for the score.

Gulbranson paced OSU with 15 of 23 passing for 137 yards and two touchdown passes. Cal’s Jack Plummer was limited to 60 yards passing in the first half, and finished with 147 yards through the air on 22 of 35 attempts.

Cal’s one offensive play of note was a 40-yard completion to J. Michael Sturdivant before halftime.

The losing streak ends any hopes the Bears (3-7, 1-6) will gain bowl eligibility. Instead the Bears will end the season with the 125th Big Game this Saturday followed by a Friday after Thanksgiving contest against UCLA. Both games will be at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

In 2019, Cal defeated Stanford 24-20 for the first time following nine, consecutive losses in the lengthy series between the two schools. The Bears were unlikely winners in that one after they dropped four of their previous five, but got a huge boost from the return of quarterback Chase Garbers for the 122nd Big Game.

Cal Caught in the K Zone: K-State, Keyontae knock the Bears for a loop in 63-54 loss

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BERKELEY, CA–Keyontae Johnson’s rebirth rolled through Haas Pavilion Friday afternoon, and it was nothing less than inspiring regardless of the architect’s humility.

“I just thank the team for having confidence in me to let me showcase what I’m capable of,” Johnson said after his double-double led Kansas State past Cal, 63-54. “Without them, those plays would have never happened.”

Johnson is the highly-regarded NBA prospect who saw his career at Florida end nearly two years ago when he collapsed during a game at Florida State. A medically-induced coma lasting three days spoke to the anxious moments Johnson and his family endured.

Johnson recovered, but his basketball career was put on hiatus until this week. Now at rebuilding Kansas State, Johnson is back on the court and the focal point of his new team. Nine of Johnson’s team-best 16 points came in the first half as the Wildcats gave Cal fits, while building a 36-21 lead at the break.

The Bears committed 15 turnovers, made just seven baskets on four assists in a nightmare-like, first 20 minutes. The hosts recovery was dramatic as they drew within 47-46 on Sam Alajiki’s lay-in with 5:37 remaining. But K-State’s Jay Nowell scored the next six points and the Wildcats survived to move to 2-0 on the season.

“We dug too big of a hole in the first half,” coach Mark Fox said. “We’re playing a lot of young guys and they made some errors – and they’re going to make some errors – but I was proud of how we competed. I’m disappointed that we didn’t find that competitive nature earlier.”

Squandering a 42-22 lead they held with 15:31 remaining caused the visitors some anxious moments. But the defensive effort they displayed in the first half returned down the stretch.

“We (tried) to get as many stops as possible within five minutes,” Nowell said of the final minutes. “We just came together and talked it out and figured out the way that we needed to do to win.”

The Bears fell to 0-2 with the loss and diversifying their offense likely will be their focus heading into Tuesday’s trip to UC San Diego for their meeting with the Tritons of the Big West Conference. Cal has averaged just 59 points in their first two contests.

The Bears are currently without the trio of Jalen Celestine, Jarred Hyder and DeJuan Clayton due to injuries and none appear ready to return as soon as next week.

“We found a little grit to us in the second half, and that’s important for us because until we get healthy we’re going to have to win some gritty games,” Fox said.

33-1: Cal’s first-ever loss to UC Davis, 75-65, comes in the season opener

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–When the moment of decision presented itself Monday night, the UC Davis Aggies seized it.

And with that the unprecedented happenings within the Cal basketball program multiplied.

Cal’s 75-65 loss to UC Davis in the season opener for both teams was their first in the 34-game series that dates back to 1917.

The Bears lost their season opener at home for the second, consecutive year on the heels of their 80-67 loss to UC San Diego last year.

And most significantly, the Bears, picked to finish 11th in the Pac-12 coach’s pre-season poll might not exceed expectations and suffer an unprecedented, sixth consecutive losing season, and their fourth under coach Mark Fox.

After trailing the Aggies for 26 minutes, including halftime, the Bears gained a 54-53 lead with 11:32 remaining with Devin Askew and center Lars Thiemann leading the way. Kuany Kuany’s 3-pointer and Grant Newell’s layin following a Thiemann offensive rebound gave Cal its biggest advantage at 60-54.

Then as quickly as Cal was engaged and whole, they splintered.

The Aggies put together a 17-1 run over the next seven minutes that muted the host’s crowd and decided the contest. Robbie Beasley Jr., Ty Johnson and leading, returning scorer Elijah Pepper combined for 15 of the 17 points, and UC Davis was in command leading 71-61 with 2:53 remaining.

“When we came back and took the lead, we just had a couple awful possessions that led to baskets for them, and we never recovered,” Fox said.

“We got sped up and didn’t take the right shots,” Thiemann said.

While playing at a quicker pace, and attacking the basket aggressively, the Aggies had success from the opening tip, building a 27-21 lead while shooting 68 percent from the field through the first 10 minutes. Cal steadied at that point as Thiemann and Askew kept them within reach, down 41-35 at the break.

Both of Cal’s leaders would go on to record career bests with Askew scoring 19, and Thiemann 17. The Cal center also contributed eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Christian Anigwe, younger brother of record-breaking Kristine Anigwe from the Cal’s women’s program, led UC Davis with 21 points.

All of the Pac-12 teams hosted non-conference opponents on opening night, and only Cal and USC suffered losses. The Trojans fell 74-61 to Florida Gulf Coast. With the loss, Mark Fox has a 35-59 record at Cal in his three plus seasons at the helm.

The Bears host Kansas State on Friday at 4pm.

“Play Better Football”: Frustrated Cal can’t keep up with No. 9 USC in 41-35 loss

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By Morris Phillips

Justin Wilcox has had enough of close games, narrow losses and explaining the shortcomings to the media after games.

From the California coach’s perspective, his guys are capable. Add to that, the USC coaching staff admitted the Trojans play left them vulnerable to a loss Saturday night, and they were fortunate to escape with a 41-35 win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

That left Wilcox to issue terse, brief responses and basically ignore a critical sequence before halftime in which Jeremiah Hunter was blatantly held while running a deep pattern. That caused Jake Plummer to overthrow his pass to Hunter that was picked off by USC’s Caleb Bullock. Three plays later the Trojans were in the end zone, and in possession of their first, two-score lead of the night, 20-7 heading into halftime.

“I can’t really talk about the officials,” Wilcox said. “We needed something more at the end of the first half.

“We need to play better football so we can win some of these games.”

The Bears were playing better football, forcing the high-octane USC offense to punt four times before halftime. Down just 13-7 approaching the half, Cal found itself in a winnable game without–to that juncture–having exploited the Trojans’ less than stellar defense.

Bullock’s critical interception, accelerated the pace, and allowed quarterback Caleb Williams to find his stride. Williams’ 39-yard pass play to Tahj Washington set the Trojans up at Cal’s 7-yard line, and they punched it in on the next play when Williams hooked up with Michael Jackson III on a diving catch in the end zone.

Cal’s three-and-out to start the second half simply increased the pressure on the defense that had held up so well early. Four plays later, the Cal defense broke when Jackson caught a short pass, slipped linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo and was off to the races. Jackson’s 59-yard scoring play put USC up 27-7.

The 20-point margin forced Cal to take chances in the pass game, and that approach worked with the Trojans’ defense finally showing its warts. After a scoreless, second quarter that essentially decided the outcome, Jack Plummer made the game competitive with a passing performance that would see him throw for 406 yards and three scores.

The Bears got within 34-21 with 12:56 remaining when Plummer connected with Mavin Anderson on a 47-yard pass play. Four minutes later, Hunter’s three-yard touchdown catch had Cal down 34-27.

Jackson was the catalyst again on USC’s ensuing drive. His 29-yard catch, and 19-yard run put the hosts in Cal territory. Four plays later Williams found Lake McRee for a two-yard touchdown pass that put the game out of reach at 41-27 with 5:34 remaining.

After a slow start, Williams finished with 26 completions for 360 yards and four touchdowns. For the No. 9 Trojans, who harbor championship aspirations, Williams was the good news.

Really disappointing,” USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said. “It’s a 60-minute football game. That’s not new. The nice thing is we sit here today as frustrated as we are and it’s after a win.”

“If you’re winning, you’re doing more good than bad, right?” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “We just got to continue to do more good. And we gotta continue to eliminate some of the bad football that has held us back from playing our best.”

The Bears have suffered one score losses to Notre Dame, Colorado, Washington and USC. Their last win: September 24 over Arizona. Five, consecutive losses frame Wilcox’s frustration.

“Execute at a higher level move the ball and put it in the end zone, get people off the field. Yeah, we know USC is a great team, phenomenal talent, top speed. But the evidence.. you got to show them on the tape,” Wilcox said.

The Bears (3-6, 1-5) travel to Corvallis Saturday to face Oregon State (6-3, 3-3) who undoubtedly will fall from the national rankings after their narrow 24-21 loss to the Huskies on Friday.

Exhibition Education: Cal a work in progress in 62-55 win over Chico State

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Cal basketball is under way, and no one knows what to expect.

The process of discovery kicked off Wednesday night as Cal squeezed past Division II Chico State 62-55 in their exhibition opener with the Bears featuring more new players than old.

The newness was apparent in Cal’s disjointed effort. Missed free throws and 16 offensive rebounds kept Chico State attached, and they were within four points of the hosts, down 59-55 with less than a minute to play.

“I was disappointed in our defensive rebounding,” coach Mark Fox said. “We didn’t do a good job on the glass.”

The Bears didn’t shoot it well either, finishing with 38 percent proficiency from the field while misfiring on 16 of their 18 3-point attempts. Fox felt his club’s shot selection wasn’t prudent with numerous shots early in possessions, the product of an impatient team anxious to please in its opening game.

But the Bears did get it done defensively, holding Chico to 28 percent shooting for the game, while denying their intended plan of getting hot from distance. The Wildcats were stymied early as Cal limited them to one made three on 10 attempts before halftime.

Newcomers ND Okafor and Devin Askew led the Bears with 11 points, and returning center Lars Thiemann added 10. But there was struggle in their numbers as Askew, who played previously at Kentucky then Texas, missed 10 of his team-high 14 shots from the floor. Thiemann was 4 of 9 from the foul line, part of the Bears’ disappointing 18 of 31 effort from the stripe.

The efficiency of Cal’s offense is their biggest question mark in the absence of their three leading scorers from last season, Grant Anticevich, Jordan Shepherd and Andre Kelly, who transfered to UC Santa Barbara after four seasons in Berkeley.

The Pac-12 coaches picked Cal to finish 11th in the conference standings, leaving the Bears a daunting task as they look to avoid an unprecedented, sixth consecutive losing season.

The Bears official opener comes on Monday as the UC Davis Aggies visit Haas Pavilion.