Category: Cal Bears

Bears stave off disaster with another painful win over Trojans in overtime 83-77

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Cal Bears forward Grant Newell (14) and guard Jalen Cone (15) jump for joy as the Bears defeated the USC Trojans in OT for Cal’s tenth win of the season at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Feb 7, 2024 (Cal Bears photo)

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

USC Trojans 77 (9-14 Overall; 3-9 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 83 (10-13 Overall; 6-6 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears dodged a bullet, and beat the USC Trojans in overtime, 83-77, to cap off yet another painful win in what was their first win against USC in over seven years.

The Bears returned home following a convincing win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe on Saturday to host a USC Trojans team, who had beaten the Bears in each of their previous 11 matchups.

There would be no scoring in the first minute of the game, but Cal struck first with a dunk and jumper from Fardaws Aimaq. Arrinten Page laid one in to put USC on the board, and Joshua Morgan hit a jumper to tie it, 4-4.

Aimaq hit a jumper to put the Bears back ahead at 6-4, as he scored each of the Bears’ first six points tonight, and the two teams remained neck and neck for the next several minutes.

The Bears led 22-21 when Grant Newell was fouled with 8:34 remaining in the first half, and Newell made both shots from the line. From there, Jalen Cone took off, as he hit back-to-back-to-back threes to open up a 33-25 lead for the Bears.

Cone went for fourth-straight three, and was fouled, but he then hit all three shots from the line to make it 36-25 with 5:39 to go.

The Trojans then made a charge, and scored six unanswered points to cut Cal’s lead to 36-31. However, Aimaq made a pair of dunks, and Newell made a jumper, as the Bears went into the half with a 6-0 run to open their lead back to 11 at 42-31.

The Bears carried their momentum into the second half, as Jalen Celestine hit a three ball, and Jaylon Tyson laid one in, as the Bears’ run extended to 11-0 to make it 47-31. Boogie Ellis was fouled and made one of two from the line, and DJ Rodman, the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, laid one in to give USC a reprieve.

The Trojans then started to slowly chip away at the Bears’ lead. Tyson made a jumper and a layup, but a three-ball by Kobe Johnson cut the lead to 51-39 with 15:32 remaining.

From there, there would not be any scoring for nearly three minutes until Rodman hit a three to make it 51-42. Isaiah Collier made a layup; was fouled; and then hit his shot from the line to cut the Bears’ lead to just six at 51-45.

The Bears were now in danger of blowing another big lead. However, they responded swiftly with a 7-2 run, which featured a three by Tyson; a jumper by Celestine; and a layup by Keonte Kennedy, as the Bears opened their lead back up to 58-47 with 9:05 to go.

Collier then went on a show, and scored seven unanswered points to make it 58-54. Tyson laid one in, and hit one from the line after being fouled on the play, but the Trojans were relentless, as Morgan slammed one down, and Collier hit a layup and a pair of free throws to make it just a one-point game at 61-60.

Once again, there the Bears were on the verge of blowing yet another big lead in a season that has seen them do so so many times. However, Tyson and Cone each hit threes to make it 67-62 with 1:58 remaining, and things were looking good for the Bears.

However, these were the 2023-2024 California Golden Bears, and there was going to be more pain for the Bears and their fans in this one. Ellis and Rodman each made layups to make it 67-66. Tyson and Aimaq each missed layups, and Collier was fouled and made one of two at the line to tie it, 67-67 with 27 seconds to go.

After an intentional foul, Jaylon Tyson missed a three at the buzzer, and we were headed to overtime.

So there you had it, another blown lead for the Bears in this wild roller coaster ride of a season. However, through all the pain, there has been tremendous excitement and glory, and we were about to see whether the Bears had anymore in them.

Aimaq was fouled and made one of two from the line to start overtime, but Ellis laid one in to give the Trojans the lead, 69-68. It was USC’s first lead since Bronny James, the son of NBA star Lebron James, who was in attendance at Haas Pavilion tonight, hit a three to put them up 14-13 in the early part of the first half.

Tyson slammed one down to put the Bears back ahead, but Collier drew a foul and hit two from the line to do the same for USC. Tyson was fouled and hit two from the line, and then Collier was fouled, but only hit one from the line, as the game was tied, 72-72.

Jalen Celestine lit up the sellout crowd at Haas Pavilion with a three to put Cal up 75-72, but of course the Trojans were not going to make this easy. Following a layup by Kobe Johnson, Cone hit a three to make it 78-74, but go figure, Rodman hit a three to make it 78-77 with 36 seconds remaining.

Kennedy then drew a foul, and he hit both from the line to make it 80-77. Aimaq blocked a layup by Collier; then Celestine took the rebound, and was fouled. Celestine made one of two from the line to make it 81-77.

After Rodman missed a three, USC had no choice but to foul Celestine, who took the rebound, but Celestine made both from the line, and Bears held on to win it, 83-77.

Just another painful win for the Bears, who have had so many of them in a comeback season following their second-worst in team history. But hey, if you’re going to have even a close-to-.500 season following a 3-29 season, there is going to be a lot of pain. That’s just how it goes.

With this win, the Bears have won four of their last five. They improve to .500 in conference play at 66, and improve to 10-13 overall. This is also Cal’s first win against USC since Jan. 8, 2017, which was during the Bears’ last winning season.

As for the individual players, Jaylon Tyson had an incredible night, as he scored 27 points. Jalen Cone was also pretty solid with a 20-point performance. Isaiah Collier scored 20, and DJ Rodman scored 17 for USC. Bronny James did hit that three early in the first half, but he only scored five on the night in front of his old man.

Now the Bears will welcome the UCLA Bruins into the House of Pain for a 2:30 p.m. tipoff on Saturday.

Aimaq scores 20 as Bears trounce Sun Devils 81-66

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Cal Bears Keonte Kennedy takes the ball to the hoop against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Sat Feb 3, 2024 (Cal Bears basketball photo)

Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024

Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Arizona

California Golden Bears 81 (9-13 Overall; 5-6 Pac-12)

Arizona Wildcats 66 (11-11 Overall; 5-6 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

After being clobbered by the Arizona Wildcats, the Bears traveled up Interstate-10 to Tempe, where they took out their frustrations on the Arizona State Sun Devils and shellacked them, 81-66.

Cal won the opening tip, and it was all Bears from the very getgo. Jalen Celestine hit a three, and that started an 8-0 opening drive for the Bears, which was capped off by a layup by Fadaws Aimaq, as well as a three-ball by Keonte Kennedy.

Adam Miller was fouled, and got the Sun Devils on the board with a pair of shots from the line, which started a 7-2 drive, which put the Sun Devils back in it at 10-7.

Aimaq followed that up with a layup that started a 14-3 run. This run, like many that the Bears have made this season, was a team effort. Kennedy, Celestine, Grant Newell and Jalen Cone all scored, as every single shot during the drive was made by a different player.

The score stabilized throughout the remainder of the first half, and Aimaq led the way with 10 points, as the Bears went into the half up 38-26.

Aimaq and the Bears started out strong in the second half as well. He hit a jump shot 30 seconds in; made two from the line; and slammed one down, as the Bears opened their lead to 44-26.

The Sun Devils then went on an 11-3 drive that chipped away at Cal’s lead, and got Arizona State back in it at 47-38.

The Bears have come back from their fair share of large deficits, but they have also blown their fair share of big leads this season. However, today was not going to be one of those games, and the Bears went on an 11-4 run to open their lead back up to 58-42.

From there, Cal put the game away, as a three by Kennedy put the Bears up by 20 at 68-48 with 6:58 to go. The Sun Devils made a bit of noise at the end, but it was far too late, as the Bears won it, 81-66.

The Bears improve to 5-6 in Pac-12 play, and 9-13 overall. They will now return back home to Berkeley for a two-game homestand at Haas Pavilion, which will start with an 8 p.m. tip against the USC Trojans on Thursday night.

Wildcats too much for Bears, as Arizona clobbers Cal 91-65

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Cal Bears Fardaws Aimaq (right) tries to contain the Arizona Wildcats Oumar Ballo (left) in the first half at the McKale Memorial Center in Tucson on Thu Feb 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024

McKale Memorial Center, Tucson, Arizona

California Golden Bears 65 (8-13 Overall; 4-6 Pac-12)

Arizona Wildcats 91 (16-5 Overall; 7-3 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

Coming into Tuscson to play the 11th-ranked Arizona Wildcats proved to be too much for the Bears, as they were clobbered by Arizona, 91-65 .

Following a pair of thrilling late wins, the Bears were headed to Arizona to play the number-11 Wildcats

Arizona won the opening tip, and Caleb Love hit a jumper right away. Oumar Ballo followed that up with a second-chance layup to give the Wildcats an early 4-0 lead. Fardaws Aimaq hit a three-ball to put Cal on the board, but that proved to be their only real action of the night.

From there, the Wildcats just took off. Ballo led the way, as Arizona jumped out to a 16-6 lead just four minutes and 11 seconds into the game.

The Bears made a slight bit of noise. Jalen Celestine hit a three, and Rodney Brown Jr. laid one in to cut the deficit to 17-11, but the Wildcats pounded the Bears into submission from there.

The Wildcats went on a 12-0 run to open it to 29-11, and they kept going, as they went into the half up 48-28.

The Bears did chip away at Arizona’s lead a bit in the early minutes of the second half. Celestine made a three to make it 54-39 with 15:56 to go. Cal has come back from some significant deficits throughout this season, and they certainly believed they could tonight.

However, the Wildcats were simply too good. Ballo made a hookshot and a second-chance layup immediately after Celestine’s three, and Arizona put the game away for good, as they ended up winning it by 26 points at 91-65.

Almost everything has been a team effort for the Bears this season. There have not been too many games where one player dominated the scoring. This has been the case in wins and losses.

Tonight was no different with Cal’s stagnant offense. Jalen Celestine led the scoring with just 13 points, and was 5-for-10 in field goals. Brown scored 12, and Aimaq and Jaylon Tyson each scored 10.

Ballo had the big night for Arizona, scoring 22 points, and going a perfect 8-for-8 in field goals. Keshad Johnson had a solid night with 15 points, and KJ Lewis scored 14.

The Bears fall to 4-7 in Pac-12 play, and fall to 8-13 overall, as they will now head northwest up Interstate-10 to Tempe, where they will take on the Arizona State Sun Devils for a noon tipoff on Saturday.

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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.