Category: Cal Bears

Cal Bears game wrap: Cal defeats Stanford 73-71 in another seesaw thriller at the ‘House of Pain’

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Cal Bears guard Jalen Celestine (32) and Grant Newell forward (14) are stoked against the Stanford Cardinal at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Fri Jan 26, 2024 (photo by Cal Bears MBB)

Friday, Jan. 26, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Stanford Cardinal 71 (10-9 Overall; 5-4 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 73 (8-12 Overall; 4-5 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears once again took another seesaw thriller down to the wire, as they defeated their hated rivals, the Stanford Cardinal, 73-71 at a packed and gold-out Haas Pavilion, which is now referred to by Bears Head Coach Mark Madsen as the ‘House of Pain.’

The Bears were back at it after nearly a week off, following their incredible win over the Washington State Cougars Saturday. Tonight, they welcomed Stanford in, as the Bears and their fans would be in for yet another wild night of basketball.

Stanford won the opening tip, and Spencer Jones drew a foul from Jaylon Tyson, which sent Spencer to the line, where he made one of two. Kanaan Carlyle made a jumper to make it 3-0 Stanford.

Cal got on the board when the roles between Tyson and Jones were reversed. Jones fouled Tyson, and Tyson hit one of two from the line. Keonte Kennedy then hit a three-ball to give the Bears their first lead of the night.

The Cardinal responded with a 9-0 run. Spencer Jones scored seven of the nine points in that drive, and Michael Jones hit a jumper for the other two, as Stanford jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Tyson, Gus Larson and Grant Newell all hit layups to make it a 16-13 game. 

The Cardinal would start to pull away a bit, but the Bears kept it close. Jalen Cone hit a pair of free throws to put the Bears within two at 25-23 with exactly seven minutes remaining in the first half. Michael Jones then hit a pair of three-balls, and the Cardinal jumped back out to a 31-23 lead. 

The Cardinal led 33-25, but the Bears came back to tie it with a 9-1 run. Jaylon Tyson laid one in; Fardaws Aimaq hit a pair of shots; and Keonte Kennedy hit a three. It was 34-34 with 1:45 remaining.

The Cardinal regained a little bit of momentum to close out the first half. Jared Bynum hit a three to put Stanford back ahead, 37-34, and Jalen Cone hit two from the line after drawing a foul. Kanaan Carlyle hit a jump shot, and hit one from the line after being fouled on the play.

After neither team scored in the final 44 seconds, Stanford went into the half up 40-36.

The second half got underway with no scoring for the first minute and 27 seconds. Brandon Angel hit a three for Stanford, who took control of the game. Maxime Raynaud laid one in, and Spencer Jones hit a three to open up a 48-38 lead for Stanford.

It was 50-40, and what do you know, the Bears scored ten unanswered points in an all-around team effort to tie it again. Newell, Kennedy, Tyson and Cone all scored, and it was 50-50 with 12:43 remaining. 

Stanford took charge once again. Andrej Stojakovic—the son of former NBA forward, Peja Stojakovic—got the drive started with a pair of layups. Jared Bynum hit a three, and the Cardinal were back out to a 57-50 lead.

It was 60-53 Cardinal with 9:19 to go, and the Bears of course had another comeback left in them. Jalen Celestine laid one in; drew the foul; and hit his shot from the line to make it 60-56. Celestine made another layup, and Jalen Cone hit two from the line to tie it at 60-60.

Fardaws Aimaq then hit a pair of jumpers to give the Bears a 64-60 lead, their first lead since the early minutes of the first half.

6:14 remained, and we would be in for yet another epic finish at the House of Pain. Maxime Raynaud and Spencer Jones both drew fouls, and both hit each of their two shots from the line to tie it at 64-64. Brandon Angel was then fouled, and he hit both of his shots at the line to put Stanford back ahead, 66-64.

4:30 remained, and there was no scoring for another 55 seconds until Grant Newell laid one in to tie it at 66-66. Carlyle hit a jumper to put Stanford back ahead, but Aimaq was fouled and hit both free throws to make it 68-68.

Celestine hit a jumper to put the Bears back ahead at 70-68 with 2:16 to go. Raynaud was fouled, and hit one of two from the line; and Brandon Angel was fouled, and made both shots from the line to give the Cardinal a 71-70 lead with 1:10 to go.

As the game entered its final minute, Celestine was fouled, and hit his two from the line to put the Bears back ahead, 72-71. Carlyle missed a layup for Stanford, and Cone missed a three for Cal.

It was still 72-71 Bears with just 10 seconds left, and that’s when Raynaud turned the ball over. The Cardinal had no choice, but to foul Celestine, who hit one of two from the line to make it 73-71. 

Stanford got the ball up court in the final seconds, but after a missed layup by Carlyle, and a missed jumper by Raynaud, the Bears had won another thriller.

Blown leads, epic comebacks and wild out-of-control seesaw games have been the theme for Cal all season long, and tonight was no different. Stanford appeared to take control of the game on several occasions, but each time, the Bears came back. and were able to eventually hold on at the end.

The Bears improve to 8-12 on the season, and 4-5 in Pac-12 play. They will now head to the great state of Arizona for a quick two-game road trip. It will start Thursday night at 5:30 p.m., against the ninth-ranked Arizona Wildcats at the McKale Center in Tucson. The Bears will follow that up with a noon affair against the Arizona State Sun Devils next Saturday in Tempe.

Bears blow another big lead, but bounce back to beat Cougars in overtime thriller 81-75

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Jaylon Tyson (20) guard for the Cal Bears was key against the Washington State Cougars on Sat Jan 20, 2024 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley in the Bears overtime win (file photo by Cal Bears)

Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Washington State Cougars 75 (13-6 Overall; 4-4 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 81 (7-12 Overall; 3-5 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–After blowing an 11-point lead, and trailing by seven with two minutes and three seconds to go in the second half, the Bears bounced back, and they beat the Washington State Cougars in a thriller in overtime, 81-75

The Bears were looking to bounce back after a pair of devastating losses. They blew a massive lead against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene on Jan. 13, and then they lost a wild seesaw battle to the Washington Huskies on a buzzer beater Thursday night.

Today, the Bears were up against another strong Pac-12 force in the Washington State Cougars, winners of three in a row coming in. The second of the three wins was a 73-70 win over the eighth-ranked Arizona Wildcats, and the Bears were once again going to have their hands full.

The Cougars won the tip, and got on the board right away on a jump shot by Isaac Jones. There then wouldn’t be any scoring for a minute and a half. The Bears missed three shots; the Cougars missed one shot, and had a turnover. Fardaws Aimaq then got Cal on the board with a jumper.

The Cougars had some early momentum, particularly with the three-ball, as Adrej Jakimovski responded to Aimaq’s jumper with a three. Keonte Kennedy hit a jumper, but Jaylen Wells hit a three to give the Cougars an 8-4 lead. Following a free throw by Aimaq and a layup by Jaylon Tyson, Jakimovski hit another three to make it 11-7.

Jalen Cone hit a three, and then Rice Myles hit two from the line after being fouled. Aimaq laid one in; Myles hit one of two from the line; and Grant Newell hit a three to give Cal their first lead of the day.

The Bears caught fire, as Newell’s three was the beginning of a 13-2 run that fueled the Bears to open up a 27-16 lead with 8:26 to go in the first half. Tyson, Aimaq, Gus Larson, Jalen Celestine and Cone all scored during the run.

Myles hit a jumper to make it 27-18 with 7:41 remaining, and then there wasn’t any scoring for nearly three minutes. The teams traded points in the final few minutes of the first half. Jaylon Tyson and Jaylen Wells traded layups; Jakimovski hit a jumper to make it 29-24; and Cone and Jakimovski traded threes to make it 32-37 with 2:51 to go.

The Cougars were able to claw back into the game, as a jumper by Rueben Chinyelu made it a three-point game at 32-29. However, the Bears went into half up 36-29 after dunks by Tyson and Aimaq.

The Bears were able to maintain a semi-steady lead as the second half got underway, and a dunk by Aimaq made it a nine-point lead at 42-33.

Then, the Cougars came storming back, and in what has been an unfortunate recurring theme for the Bears this season, they blew another big lead. Rice Myles was fouled, and hit one of two from the line, which started a 9-0 run by the Cougars to tie the game.

Jakimovski was also fouled, and hit one of two from the line. Rice and Jakimovski both made layups, then Rice hit a jumper, and tied the game from the line after he was fouled.

Just like that, the Bears had blown yet another lead, and the Cougars were not done. Myles hit a three with exactly 10 minutes remaining in the second half to give Washington State a 49-46 lead, and they kept going. Oscar Cluff hit a pair at the line, and then he made a layup and a free throw after he was fouled on the play to open up a 54-48 lead for Washington State.

Jaylon Wells hit a three with 4:20 left to give the Cougars their biggest lead at 59-52, and the game appeared to be over. However, the Bears, who had blown many big leads this season, had also come back from a fair share of deficits this season, and they had another comeback in them.

The teams traded points for the next two minutes, and a jumper by Myles Rice had the Cougars up 65-58 with just 2:03 to go. Aimaq laid one in, and hit a free throw after he fouled on the play; Rice missed a three; and Jaylon Tyson hit a three to suddenly make it a one-point game.

Tyson laid one in, and Jalen Cone hit two from the line after being intentionally fouled to give the Bears a 68-65 lead, but Myles hit a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime notched at 68-68.

Overtime began, and after three missed shots by the Bears, Jalen Celestine hit a three to put Cal back ahead. Tyson was fouled, and hit one of two from the line; and Keonte Kennedy slammed one down to open Cal’s lead to 74-68.

Fittingly, the Cougars were not going to make it easy. Andrej Jakimovski hit a three, and Isaac Jones dunked on to make it a one-point game with 2:13 to go.

However, the Bears did not give in this time. Tyson hit a jumper with 1:51 to go, and then no points were scored for a minute and one second. That was Tyson was fouled, and sent to the line, where he made both shots, as the Bears let it 78-73 with 50 seconds to go.

Jakimovski went for a layup, but was rejected by Tyson. After the Cougars rebounded, the Bears called a 30-second timeout. Rice Myles missed a jump shot, and the ball was rebounded by Keonte Kennedy. Kennedy passed to Cone, who was intentionally fouled, and Cone made both shots to put the game away at 80-73.

Jakimovski missed a three with 12 seconds to go, but the Cougars still intentionally fouled Jalen Celestine, who made one of two from the line to make it 81-73. Jakimovski laid one in to trim the deficit to six with two seconds remaining. The Cougars appeared ready to commit another foul, but they realized that there was no use in doing so, and the Bears had somehow miraculously won it, 81-75.

Blowing big leads has indeed been an unfortunate and recurring theme for the Bears in a season that has also featured some incredible wins, and that has been a clear night-and-day difference from last season. The Bears haven’t had the best season, but to bounce back from a 3-29 season to what the Bears have done thus far this season has been no small achievement.

The Bears will now welcome their hated rivals, the Stanford Cardinal, into Haas Pavilion for a 7 p.m. tip Friday night.

Cal Bears podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Cal grabs 7th win in House of Pain in overtime 81-75

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The Cal Bears bench erupts in overtime against the Washington State Cougars at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Jan 20, 2024 (Cal Bears photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Stephen:

#1 Stephen, The Cal Bears (7-12) in the first half had the lead for most of the game and got scoring help from guard Jalen Cone who they relied on for three of his key five three point jump shots.

#2 The Washington State Cougars (13-6) tried to close the gap with just over three minutes left in the first half and got some high scoring from Andrej Jakimvovski who scored 12 points to lead the Cougars at half time. Cal came away with a seven point lead at the half.

#3 The Cougars who did trail at halftime it was surprising at some levels as the Cougars came into the game with a 13-5 record to Cal’s 6-12 record. Cal has outplayed a number of colleges who had better records.

#4 Bears who had at one time had an 11 point lead saw all that go away after the Cougars ended up tying the game 44-44 at 11:11 in the second half action.

#5 The Cougars who pulled away and had their biggest lead at seven. But with just seconds left in the game Cal caught up trailing by one point. With 21.5 seconds left Cal got a key basket by Jaylon Tyson to put Cal up 66-65. Cone sank two free throws to put Cal up 68-65 with 4.2 seconds left.

#6 The Cougars got a tying basket at the buzzer from Myles Rice making it 68-68 and forcing overtime at Haas Pavilion. One the overtime tip was made the Bears got key baskets from Jalen Celestine and a slam dunk Keonte Kennedy to retake the lead 74-68 with 3:28 in overtime. Cal win it 81-75.

#5 Cal concludes this three game homestand against the Stanford Cardinal on Fri Jan 26th with a 7:00pm PT tip off. The Cardinal come into Haas Pavilion having won four of their last six games. Stephen Cal has lost two close contests how do you see this one next week Friday night here at Haas which Bears head coach Mark Madsen calls a House of Pain.

Stephen Ruderman covers the Cal Bears at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bears lose wild seesaw game to Huskies on buzzer beater 77-75

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Washington Huskies guard Sahvir Wheeler (right) looks to pass the ball while being guarded by the Cal Bears guard Keonte Kennedy (3) at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Thu Jan 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Washington Huskies 77 (11-7 Overall; 3-4 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 75 (6-12 Overall; 2-5 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

Following a wild seesaw game, the Bears took a late lead, but blew it in the final minutes, as they lost, 77-75, on a last-second buzzer beater by Moses Wood.

The Bears had the win of the season in their last home game at Haas Pavilion on Jan. 10 against the Colorado Buffaloes. Then, they went on the road, and blew a massive lead to the Oregon Ducks Saturday night in Eugene. They were hoping to recreate the magic of their last home game, as they returned home to take on the Washington Huskies.

The Bears won the opening tip, and got on the board right away on a jump shot by Fardaws Aimaq. That was followed up by a layup by Keion Brooks Jr. to tie the game, and a shot from the line to give Washington the lead. 

A three-ball by Jalen Cone, and a layup by Jaylon Tyson gave Cal a 7-3 lead, but the Huskies tied it with jumpers from Paul Mulcahy and Sahvir Wheeler. The Bears took three more leads before the Huskies put together a bit of a run to take an 18-14 lead with 11:33 to go in the first period.

The Bears then struck with a 12-2 run to take a 26-20 lead. It was an overall team effort, as Gus Larson, Rodney Brown Jr., Jalen Celestine, Jaylon Tyson and Keonte Kennedy all contributed to the run.

The Bears led 30-25 with 5:26 to go before the half, but the Huskies scored six unanswered points to take the lead back, 31-30. That began a 15-5 run by Washington going into the half, as they took their biggest lead of the night at 40-35.

When the second period began, the Huskies continued their momentum. Keion Brooks Jr., and Fardaws Aimaq each missed threes, and then Sahvir Wheeler hit a three to extend Washington’s lead to 43-35. Jaylon Tyson laid one in, but Brooks hit a jumper, and Wilhelm Breidenbach hit a three to open up the Huskies’ lead to 48-37.

The Bears, who have been through a number of seesaw battles already this season, were poised to make this game another wild one. Jalen Cone made a pair of threes and a free throw, and Aimaq slammed two down and laid one in, as the two of them alone combined for a 13-4 run by Cal to put the Bears right back in it within two at 52-50.

The Huskies then scored nine unanswered points. Brooks and Braxton Meah both made layups, and Moses Wood made all three from the line after being fouled from beyond the arc, as the Huskies now led it 59-50 with 12:12 to go.

The Bears once again stormed back. Grant Newell hit a jumper; Cone hit a three; and Kennedy hit a jumper to make it 62-57. Newell laid one in, and Aimaq hit a free throw and a jump shot to tie the game at 62-62 with 6:52 to go.

Kennedy then hit a three to put Cal back ahead, and that was followed by a three ball by Anthony Holland to tie it. 

Aimaq took control from there, as he hit a layup, a free throw and a jumper. Jalen Cone hit one from beyond the Arc, and the Bears led it 73-67 with just 2:05 to go. The Bears look poised to pull out another big win in what was yet another wild game. Wheeler hit a jumper with 1:54 to go, and neither team was able to hit a bucket over the next minute and 22 seconds.

The Bears led 73-69 with just 32 seconds to play, but this wild game was nowhere near over. Moses Wood was fouled going for three, and hit two of his shots from the line to make it 73-71. Koren Johnson then elected to foul Cone, who hit both shots to give Cal their two points back, and make it 75-71 with 31 seconds to go.

The Huskies gave the ball to Holland, who hit one from downtown to make it a one-point game. Aimaq was fouled, and missed both from the line. Koren Johnson took the rebound, and passed the ball to Brooks, who tried to lay one in, but was rejected by Aimaq. 

Four seconds remained. Wheeler threw the ball inbounds to Brooks, who passed to Moses Wood. Wood took the ball, and fired from beyond the arc just in front of the courtside seats with 1.7 seconds to go. Grant Newell tripped Wood, as he tried to block the ball, but with the ball in the air, it was up to the physics of Woods’ shot, which went in just 0.3 seconds before the Buzzer.

Wheeler had won it for the Huskies, and was stormed by his teammates in what was an incredible win for Washington. For the Bears, it was their second-straight devastating loss, and another devastating loss in a rebuilding season full of them. 

Cal has definitely had a far better season than their brutal 3-29 campaign a year ago, but like any rebuilding team in any sport at any level, the Bears have had their growing pains. The Bears have played in a number of seesaw games this season, and have blown a fair amount of leads, but they have also bounced back from some of those devastating losses to win some incredible games.

The Bears will have another chance to do so Saturday, as they will welcome in the Washington State Cougars for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday at Haas Pavilion.

Cal Bears post game report: Bears blow 18-point lead, lose to Ducks 80-73

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The Oregon Ducks guard Jamie Cousinard (5) drives for the hoop against the Cal Bears forward Faraws Amiaq (00) in the first half at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene OR on Sat Jan 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024

Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon

California Golden Bears 73 (6-11 Overall; 2-4 Pac-12)

Oregon Ducks 80 (13-3 Overall; 5-0 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

In a role reversal of their epic comeback win Wednesday, but what has occurred so many times this season, the Bears blew an 18-point lead, as they ultimately fell to the Oregon Ducks, 80-73.

The Bears were coming off the win of the season after coming back from down 20 points to defeat the Colorado Buffaloes on Wednesday night in Berkeley. However, they were in Eugene, Oregon to play one of the best teams in the Pac-12 in the Ducks. The Ducks were coming in off to a 12-3 start, and winners of their previous five games.

Oregon won the opening tip, and got on the board after Mahamadou Diawara drew a foul and made the second of two from the line. Cal and Oregon both failed to score on their next drives, and then Fardaws Aimaq hit a three-ball to put the Bears up 3-1.

The scoring was back and forth over the first seven and a half minutes, but when Jalen Celestine hit a three with 12:27 remaining to put the Bears up 17-14, Cal went on a tear. Jalen Cone and Devin Curtis hit jump shots, and Cone hit the third of three from the line to put the Bears up 22-14.

The Bears kept their drive going, as Aimaq, Cone and Jaylon Tyson led the way, and a jumper from the paint by Tyson opened Cal’s lead to 41-23 with 3:59 to go in the first period.

However, the Ducks came roaring back. Jadrian Tracey laid one in to get things started. Jermaine Couisnard hit a three, and Keeshawn Barthelemy hit a jumper to make it 41-30.

Keonte Kennedy laid one in to make it 43-30, but the Ducks kept going. Tracey and Couisnard hit threes to close it to 43-36, and Couisnard hit another three to make it 43-39 going into the half.

The Ducks closed out the first period with a 16-2 run, and they weren’t finished. There was no scoring for the first minute and 18 seconds of the second period until Tracey slammed one down. Tyson responded by laying one in.

Jackson Shelstad hit a jumper to make it 45-43, and then he hit a three to put the Ducks back ahead. The Bears retook a 49-46 lead after Tyson hit two from the line, and Rodney Brown Jr. laid one in, but the Ducks scored five unanswered points to jump back ahead, 51-49.

Grant Newell hit a jumper for Cal to tie it, and then Kario Oquendo hit a three to put Oregon back ahead, 54-51. Jalen Cone was fouled, and hit two from the line to make it 54-53.

Then, the Ducks started to pull away. Oquendo dunked one in, and Tracey made a pair of layups plus a free throw to open the Ducks’ lead to 61-53 with 10:10 remaining.

The Bears still had some fight left in them. Tyson hit a three, and Kennedy laid one in to cut the deficit to 63-60. Jackson Shelstad hit two from the lane for the Ducks, and Kennedy hit a hook shot and a free throw to make it 65-63.

The Bears continued to tread water, as they trailed 70-67 with 4:41 to go, but the Ducks started to pull away again, and this time for good. Keeshawn Barthelemy laid one in; N’faly Dante hit a free throw; Brennan Rigsby hit a jumper; and Dante hit another free throw to open the lead up to 76-67 with 2:38 to go.

Time was running out for the Bears, who were never able to get back to within any less than six points, and the Ducks held on to win it, 80-73.

It was another loss for the Bears after blowing a massive lead, as they fell to 6-11 on the season, and 2-4 in Pac-12 play. The good news for the Bears is that with their next three games at Haas Pavilion and a plethora of off-days, they will be home for almost three weeks.

The Bears will look to bounce back, as the Washington Huskies will come into Berkeley for a 6 p.m. start Thursday night.

Tyson scores 30 to lead Cal to miraculous comeback win over Colorado 82-78

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Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Colorado Buffaloes 78 (11-5 Overall; 2-3 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 82 (6-10 Overall; 2-3 Pac-12)

Cal Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) celebrates guard Rodney Brown Jr (1) standing to their right is the Colorado Buffaloes guard KJ Simpson during second half action at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Jan 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Stephen Ruderman

Magic struck tonight at Haas Pavilion, as Jaylon Tyson scored 30 points to lead the Bears to a miraculous 82-78 comeback win over the Colorado Buffaloes after the Buffaloes led the Bears by 20 points in the first period.

Following a well-fought win over the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles Saturday night, the Bears returned home to host the Colorado Buffaloes, who came into tonight’s game at 11-4, but losers of their previous two games. It would be a tough match for the Bears, who are slowly proving that this season is very different from last.

The Buffaloes indeed proved to be a tough match for the Bears, as Colorado stormed out of the gate to a 10-0 lead in the game’s first two minutes and 41 seconds. Eddie Lampkin led the way with six of the 10 points, as Tristan Da Silva and J’vonne Hadley scored the other two.

Jaylon Tyson finally got the Bears on the board after hitting a pair from the line, but the Buffaloes did not let up. Colorado opened their lead up to 22-7 with 10:13 remaining in the first period, and they just kept going in what was an overall team effort, as a three by Da Silva made it 40-20 with 2:09 remaining.

Grant Newell and Rodney Brown Jr. closed out the first period for the Bears with threes, and Cal went into the half down 40-26.

J’vonne Hadley hit a layup for Colorado to begin the second period, and despite the Bears’ finish to the first period, the Buffaloes continued their onslaught after the half. Tristan Da Silva hit a three-ball to cap off a 10-5 run for Colorado, which opened their lead back up to 50-31, just two minutes and 42 seconds in. 

However, things started to slowly change. Fardaws Aimaq laid one in, and Tyson hit one from beyond the arc to make it 50-36. Hadley laid one in for Colorado to make it 52-36, but despite a quiet several minutes, the Bears’ kept slowly chipping away at Colorado’s lead.

Jalen Cone hit a three-ball, followed by a jumper by Tyson, and a three from Grant Newell. Rodney Brown Jr. then hit a three of his own, and suddenly out of nowhere, the Bears had somehow made it just a five-point game, as they trailed 52-47 with 11:24 to go.

Cody Williams hit a jump shot for Colorado to make it 54-47, but the Bears just kept coming. Tyson hit a three, followed by a jumper by KJ Simpson of the Buffaloes. Tyson then made a layup, followed by one from the line after he was fouled, and Tyson made another layup to make it 56-55. 

The Buffaloes then had a reprieve. Simpson hit a layup; Eddie Lampkin hit two from the line; and Da Silva hit a jumper to open Colorado’s lead back to 62-56 with 7:09 remaining.

As for the Bears, it was no problem. Keonte Kennedy hit a three-ball; Aimaq laid one in; and Jaylon Tyson slammed one down. Someway, somehow, the Bears had come all the way back from down 20 points to take their first lead of the night, as they led it 63-62 with 5:38 to go.

As the second period began to wind down, the two teams prepared for a bitter fight all the way to the end. Lampkin laid one in to put Colorado back ahead, and Tyson made a pair of free throws to put Cal back ahead. The teams kept the seesaw battle going. Da Silva hit a three to put Colorado back ahead; and Jalen Cone responded with a three to put Cal back ahead.

After the teams switched leads two more times, Lampkin was fouled, and made one of two from the line to tie the game at 70-70 with 2:59 remaining. 

Jalen Cone went for three, and missed, but Tyson got the rebound, and passed it back to Cone, who was good from downtown this time around to give the Bears a 73-70 lead with 2:33 to go. 

There would be no scoring for over a minute, but Jalen Celestine drew the foul, and hit both free throws to put a cushion on Cal’s lead at 75-70. 

The Buffaloes were not going to lose this game without a fight. Colorado responded with a 6-2 run, as Cody Williams hit a layup; drew a foul; and hit his free throw. Tyson slammed one down, but Da Silva, who ended up scoring 20 points on the night, hit one from beyond the arc to make it a one-point game at 77-76 with just 30 seconds to go.

The Bears handed the ball to their man, Tyson, and he drew the foul. Tyson hit both from the line, and then Cody Williams responded with a jumper to make it 79-78. The Bears then gave the ball to Jalen Cone, who drew the foul, and made just one of two from the line.

Down 80-78, the Buffaloes went to Da Silva, who tried to hit a three with four seconds to go, but it missed, and the ball was rebounded by Cone, who drew the foul. Cone hit both shots, and the Bears had completed the miracle, as they had come all the way back from down 20 points to win it, 82-78.

It was an unbelievable night, and yet another indication that the 2023-2024 California Golden Bears are much different from last season’s team that only won three games. In fact, they have already doubled their win total, as they improve to 6-10 on the season. They have also doubled their Pac-12 win total from a year ago, as they are now 2-3 in conference play.

The Bears won their first game at UCLA in nearly 14 years, and then they followed that up with a miraculous come-from-behind win against a Colorado Buffaloes team that had been off to a strong start.

Now, the Bears will head back on the road, this time to Eugene Oregon to play a very powerful Oregon Ducks team in their arena at 5 pm on Saturday. The Bears will once again have their work cut out for them, as the Ducks are 4-0 in conference play, and 12-3 overall. Whether the Bears will have yet another miracle in them remains to be seen.

Cal snaps plethora of losing streaks in 66-57 win at UCLA; Tyson leads the way with 22 pts for Bears

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The Cal Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) drives on the UCLA Bruins forward Kenneth Nwuba defending in first half action at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Sat Jan 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024

Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California

California Golden Bears 66 (5-10 Overall; 1-3 Pac-12)

UCLA Bruins 57 (6-9 Overall; 1-3 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The California Golden Bears came into UCLA to finish their all-Los Angeles road trip with a 66-57 win over the UCLA Bruins to get their first conference and road win of the season behind 22 points by Jaylon Tyson, and the 10th double-double of the season for Fardaws Aimaq.

The Bears had dropped their last 19 games against Pac-12 teams, as well as their first three games against Pac-12 opponents this season. Now, they were heading into Pauley Pavilion, where they hadn’t won since 2010.

Cal won the opening tip, and it was apparent from the getgo that tonight was going to be different. After nearly two minutes of no scoring, Fardaws Aimaq laid one in as he was fouled, and hit the free throw to give the Bears an early 3-0 lead. Jaylon Tyson and Jalen Cone both hit threes to open Cal’s lead to 9-0.

Aday Mara finally got the Bruins on the board with a jumper five minutes and 14 seconds into the game. However, Aimaq hit a three to make it 12-2, and the two teams traded points throughout the remainder of the first period, as the Bears’ lead never fell below six points through the remainder of the period.

Cal went into the half up 32-23, and they kept things going into the second period. Dyson dunked one to start the scoring, and extend the Bears’ lead to 34-23. From there, UCLA dented Cal’s lead a bit, as an 8-4 drive by the Bruins cut the lead to 38-31.

However, the Bears bounced right back, and they responded with seven unanswered points. Jalen Celestine hit a three-ball, and Tyson hit a pair of free throws, as well as a layup to extend the Bears’ lead to 45-31.

The game continued to flow at a steady pace, as the second period progressed. Cal’s lead would not fall below seven, as the game entered its final four minutes.

From there, the Bruins started to make a bit of noise. A three-ball by Sebastian Mack, only the second three of the night by the Bruins, made it 59-51. Jalen Cone hit a jumper to make it 61-51, but the Bruins responded with a pair of free throws by Mack, and a layup by Adem Bona, which cut the Bears’ lead to 61-55, their shortest since the 11:58 mark in the first period.

The Bruins would not make it easy for the Bears, who were trying to break a whole assortment of losing streaks, but when Jalen Cone hit a three with 1:17 remaining to extend the Bears’ lead back to nine at 64-55, it seemed as if the game had just been put away.

Jalen Celestine hit a pair from the line, and Will Mcclendon hit a jumper in what was mostly an uneventful last minute, and the Bears held on to win it, 66-57.

The Bears get their first Pac-12 win of the season, and improve to 5-10 overall. This is Cal’s first conference win since they beat the Stanford Cardinal a year ago tonight on Jan. 6, 2023. This is also the Bears’ first road win since Feb. 12, 2022, when they beat the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, as they have finally snapped a 16-game game road losing streak.

The Bears will hope to keep up their momentum, as they will return to Haas Pavilion to host the Colorado Buffaloes at 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

Tyson’s 23 points not enough; Cal drops first three Pac-12 matches

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The Cal Bears guard Rodney Brown Jr (1) tries to defend against the USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) in the first half Galen Center in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024

Galen Center, Los Angeles, California

California Golden Bears 74 (4-10 Overall; 0-3 Pac-12)

USC Trojans 82 (7-7 Overall; 1-2 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears began their all-Los Angeles road trip with an 82-74 loss to the USC Trojans, despite a 23-point performance from Jaylon Tyson as they have now dropped their first three Pac-12 games.

The Bears were trying to start fresh after a devastating loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils on Sunday, and they would try to do so against a USC team, who had dropped five of their previous six games coming into tonight.

Cal won the opening tip, and Keyonte Kennedy hit a jumper to put them on the board early. Joshua Morgan then made a jumper for USC, followed by a layup by Isiah Collier to make it 4-2 Trojans. 

USC maintained a small lead throughout the next several minutes, but a jumper by Jaylon Tyson tied it at 8-8, and a layup by Tyson gave the Bears a 10-8 lead. Collier hit a jumper for USC to tie it, and then Jalen Cone hit a three-ball to make it 13-10 Cal.

USC then scored seven unanswered points to take a 17-13 lead, but Cal quickly responded, as Rodney Brown Jr. hit a free throw, and Tyson tied it with a three. DJ Rodman hit a three for the Trojans to give them a 20-17 lead, but Fardaws Aimaq then laid one in, and Tyson hit a jumper to put the Bears back ahead at 21-20 with 7:42 left in the first period.

Bronny James hit a jumper to give USC the lead again, and Jalen Celestine hit a three to give the lead back to the Bears at 24-22. Rodman then hit a three to put USC back ahead, and start a 15-5 run, which would take the Trojans into the half with a 37-29 lead.

USC then hit the ground running in the second period, as Rodman hit a three to start things off. Cone hit a jumper for the Bears, but Kobe Johnson hit a three for the Trojans, and Collier laid one in to open USC’s lead to 45-31.

The Trojans led 61-44 with 12:27 remaining, as they had pretty much put the game away. USC would keep that rather-large lead for the next several minutes, and they were up 73-61 with 5:45 remaining. 

However, the Bears made some noise. Kennedy hit a jumper, and Cone hit a three, as it was now 73-66 with 4:53 remaining. Boogie Ellis then hit a three for USC with 2:37 remaining to make it 76-66, but Celestine hit a jumper, as well as the free throw after he was fouled, and Tyson dunked on. Suddenly it was 76-71 with just two minutes remaining.

Despite the Bears’ valiant efforts, they still ultimately fell short, as the Trojans held on to win it, 82-74.

The Bears fall to 4-10, and are now 0-3 to start Pac-12 play. They will head over to UCLA to play the Bruins Saturday night at 7:00.

Bears collapse; Frankie Collins leads Arizona State to comeback win

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The Arizona State Sun Devils forward Kamari Lands (0) takes the ball up the floor and is guarded by the Cal Bears guard Devin Askew (55) and Gus Larson forward (31) in the first half at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sun Dec 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sunday, Dec 31, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Arizona State Sun Devils 71 (8-5 Overall; 2-0 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 69 (4-9 Overall; 0-2 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

Frankie Collins led the Arizona Sun Devils to another late comeback win over the Bears in, as Cal blew a 16-point lead, and then collapsed in the final nine minutes to fall, 71-69.

The Bears were looking to bounce back following a shellacking at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats in their Pac-12 opener on Friday night. Tonight, they welcomed in the Arizona State Sun Devils, who were coming off a late comeback win at Stanford Friday night.

The two teams traded missed shots before Jamiya Neal got the Sun Devils on the board with a jumper a minute and 18 seconds into the game. The Bears then jumped ahead on a three by Jaylon Tyson, followed by a jumper by Keonte Kennedy, and a layup by Fardaws Aimaq.

Tyson, who led the charge for Cal in the early going, hit a jumper and laid one in to give the Bears a 11-7 lead, followed by a jumper by Adam Miller for Arizona State to make it 11-9. Jalen Cone hit a three-ball to make it 14-9, and then the Sun Devils responded with a jumper by Shawn Phillips Jr., as well as a free throw made by Neal to make it 14-12 with 9:47 remaining.

The Bears then scored 10 unanswered points, Aimaq made one of two free throws; and Tyson hit a jumper, got fouled and hit the free throw. Tyson then dunked one in; Cone and Kennedy hit a free throw; and Aimaq laid one in to make it 24-14 with 6:53 to go.

The Sun Devils cut into Cal’s lead a bit to close it to 29-23 with 2:41 remaining, but the Bears were able to close out the first period on a high note. Aimaq dunked on Devin Askew hit a pair of free throws and Kennedy hit a jumper, as the Bears went into the half up 35-25.

Like the first period, neither team scored in the first minute of the second period; and just like the first period, the Sun Devils scored first, this time on a jumper by Frankie Collins.

Cal then scored eight unanswered points. Tyson and AImaq both hit threes, and Kennedy hit a jumper to open Cal’s lead to 43-27, their largest of the night. The score remained steady over the next several minutes, as the Bears led 54-39 with 9:40 to go, and 56-42 with 8:59 left to go.

However, the tides quickly turned. Kamari Lands hit a three for Arizona State; and Collins hit a jumper, which was capped off with a free throw after he was fouled on the play. That cut the score to 56-48. Collins then stole the ball, and passed it to Lands, who hit a three, as suddenly, it was just a five point-game at 56-51.

Tyson hit a pair of free throws, but Lands hit another three-ball to make it 58-54. The teams traded buckets, and after Jose Perez hit a jumper followed by a free throw for the Sun Devils, it was 62-61. Adam Miller was fouled, and hit one of two free throws to tie it at 62-62.

It was another blown lead for the Bears, who have blown some rather large leads early this season. It was also a familiar spot for the Sun Devils, who came back to beat Stanford late on Friday, and they were at it again tonight.

Frankie Collins hit a jumper to put the Sun Devils back ahead at 64-62. Aimaq hit a jumper, as well as a free throw after he was fouled to put the Bears ahead at 65-64. Collins hit a jumper, and Tyson hit a pair of free throws to make it 67-66.

Alfonzo Gaffney dunked one in to make it 68-67 with 43 seconds left, and Collins hit a jumper to make it 70-67 with just seven seconds left.

With the Bears in a position where they could tie it with a three, Jose Perez intentionally fouled Jalen Cone, who would only get two free throws, both of which he hit to make it 70-69. Collins then made a free throw, and all Tyson could do was try and hit a miracle three, which fell short. The Sun Devils won it 71-69.

Collins, who is from nearby Sacramento, and who had friends and family in attendance, stole the show, as he scored 25 points.

Tyson led the scoring for the Bears with 20 points, followed by Aimaq with 17.

The Bears fall to 4-9, and are off to an 0-2 start in conference play. They will now head to Los Angeles for a two-game road trip, as they will take on the USC Trojans on Wednesday night at 7:00, followed by the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.

Cal Shellacked by Arizona in first game of conference play 100-81

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Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (2) takes a shot against the Cal Bears Jalen Cone (left) in first half action at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Fri Dec 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

Friday, Dec. 29, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Arizona Wildcats 100 (10-2)

California Golden Bears 81 (4-8)

By Stephen Ruderman

The California Golden Bears were absolutely routed by the Fourth-Ranked Arizona Wildcats, 100-81, in their first game of Pac-12 play this season.

The Bears, who went an abysmal 3-29 last season, were off to a 4-7 start in non-conference play this season. Their first Pac-12 opponent would be one of the best teams in the country, the number-four Arizona Wildcats. To simplify it, it was over from the get-go.

There was no scoring for the first minute of the game, but afterwards, the Wildcats just unloaded, as they jumped out to a 24-5 lead just eight minutes and 12 seconds in, and eventually a 35-10 lead with 8:50 to go. The Wildcats’ defense also shined, as missed shots and a pair of turnovers burned the Bears in the early going.

The Wildcats kept the ramage up throughout the remainder of the first period. The Bears were simply just omermatched, and Arizona ended up going into the half with a 54-26 lead.

However, the Bears did put up a bit of a fight in the second period, as they started things off with a 17-9 run in just the first three minutes and 36 seconds. The Bears then kept a steady pace with the Wildcats the rest of the way.

The Bears outscored Arizona in the second period, 55-46, and for a team rebounding from an abysmal season last year to have a decent second period against a powerhouse like the Wildcats can be considered a small victory.

Jaylon Tyson led the scoring for the Bears with 22 points. Jale Celestine scored 14 points, and Fardaws Aimaq scored 10. However, the team also missed a lot of shots, as Tyson was 8-for-16.

For the Wildcats, Caleb Love scored 22 points; was 7-for-10 in field goals; and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Motieju Krivas scored 18 points, and Oumar Ballo scored 17, as both were 6-for-7 in field goals.

The Bears will take on the Arizona State Sun Devils at Haas Pavilion on New Years Eve Sunday evening. Tipoff will be at 5 p.m.