Category: Cal Bears

Cal Bears game wrap: Bears fail to get third straight win in second half melt down to Cougars 66-51 at Wazzu

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Cal Bears head coach Mark Fox said that the team just didn’t hold it together in the second half and let the game get away against the Washington Cougars on Wed Jan 11, 2023 at Pullman WA (AP News photo)

By Michael Duca and Morris Phillips

The hot hand of the Washington State Cougars (8-10) DJ Rodman who was responsible for hitting four three pointers Wednesday night in Pullman. Rodman who finished up with 14 points to help defeat the Cal Bears (3-14). Mouhamed Gueye like Rodman scored 14 as both finished tied for the leading scoring category for the Cougars.

The Cougars Justin Powell finished third in scoring with 12 points and rounded out the WSU players who finished in double figures. The Bears made seven of their last field goal attempts in first half action. The Bears Grant Newell and DeJuan Clayton both help cut Washington State lead down to a point at the half 31-30.

The Cougars in the second half broke out with a 15-2 run with Kymany Houinsou making a lay up against the Bears 15 seconds into the second half. Rodman made the Cal defense melt like butter hitting three three pointers in two minutes and 12 seconds and you could see that was taking a toll on the Bears for any chance to get back in this game.

The shots were not falling for Cal going 2-12 to start the second half and the Bears never got within single digits to catching the Cougars for the rest of the way. Marcel Roberson was the only Bear to finish in double figures and wound up with a career high 11 points.

Cal’s shooting was way down finishing with 28.6% 8 for 28 and went 0-11 on three pointers. The Cougars simply took Cal out of their game when the opened the second half with a 12-0 run. After Roberson in scoring all single digit finalists Obinna Anyanwu, Kuany Kuany, and Grant Newell all with seven points, Clayton and Lars Thiemann finishing up with six points each.

The Bears go onto Seattle to face the Washington Huskies who are in a three game losing streak for a 3:00pm tip off on Sat Jan 14th at Alaskan Airlines Arena on the University of Washington campus.

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

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By Morris Phillips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca: Cal hoping to pick up third win Friday against Cardinal at Haas Pavilion

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Joel Brown (1) of the Cal Bears drives against the Colorado Buffaloes guard Jullian Hammond (1) at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Dec 31, 2022 (photo by Cal Bears)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 The Cal Bears (2-13) picked up only their second win but what was promising about it they did it against the Colorado Buffaloes (9-6) edging them out 80-76. It was Cal’s second win in three games.

#2 How encouraging is it for Cal head coach Mark Fox that after some 12 straight loses Cal looks like they’re playing more competitive and they’ve been able to keep up with there opponents.

#3 Michael, talk about the leading scorers for Cal Joel Brown 21 pts, Grant Newell 13 pts, and Lars Thiemann 12 of the two wins Brown, Newell and Thiemann were big contributors.

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

#5 Cal hosts the Stanford Cardinal Friday night at Haas Pavilion for the local school’s version of the Big Game. Stanford has won two of their last three games do you see this one too close to call or how do you see this one?

Join Michael for the Cal Bears podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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

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By Morris Phillips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stanford De-Barked by Utah Inside Maples Pavilion on the Last Day of 2022, 71-66

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Utah guard Rollie Worster (25) shoots against Stanford forward Brandon Angel (23) during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Dec 31, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (5-9, 0-4 Pac-12) remain winless in conference play after being chopped down by the undefeated (division) Utah Runnin’ Utes (11-4, 4-0 Pac-12), on a rainy New Year’s Eve on the Farm, 71-66.

Stanford trailed most of the initial 20 minutes of play, and fell behind by ten points early in the half. Utah had a 10-0 run to sustain their advantage on the road. The Cardinal managed to make a 7-0 charge, and had a deficit of that same amount of points (7) at intermission, 30-23.

Sophomore forward Harrison Ingram led the Cardinal with seven points and five rebounds, while senior center Branden Carlson topped the Utes with 11 points.

In the second stanza, Utah pushed the lead back up to double-digits within the first three minutes after the break in action.

Although the Utes pushed their advantage to as high as 16 points, the Cardinal kept chipping away and cut the margin to single digits several times, getting as close as two points away from their guest from the Beehive state with just over two minutes left in regulation.

However, Utah was able to hit crucial free throws down the stretch, while Stanford did not, resulting in a five point loss, 71-66.

The Cardinal was led by senior forward Spencer Jones’s 16 points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Isa Silva added 11 points, junior forward Max Murrell chipped in ten points. Ingram only added two second half points to his halftime total, tallying nine points, seven rebounds and five assists, but 0-3 from the free throw line in crunch time.

The Runnin’ Utes had four players in double-digits: Sophomore guard Lazar Stefanovic (20), Carlson (18), junior guard Gabe Madsen (10 points & 7 rebounds) and senior guard Marco Anthony (10).

Stanford will next be in action Friday, January 6, 2023, across the Bay in Berkeley, for part one of the Battle of the Bay versus Cal. Utah will be back in Salt Lake City to host Oregon State, January 5, 2023.

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

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By Morris Phillips

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

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

Missions accomplished.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

No. 2-ranked Cardinal women defeat Cal 90-59

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Stanford guard Hannah Jump (33) passes the ball while defended by California guard Leilani McIntosh during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Fri Dec 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Friday, December 23, 2022

Haley Jones and Hannah Jump combined for 38 points for Stanford Friday, leading the No. 2-ranked Cardinal to a 90-59 women’s basketball victory over California at Maples Pavilion. It was the Pac-12 opener for both schools, and the Cardinal’s eighth straight win over Cal.

Jones scored 21 points, hitting 10-of-14 from the field, while pulling down 10 rebounds to go with four assists. Jump scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

Cameron Brink had 11 points, five boards and two blocked shots, Kiki Iriafen was next with nine points and seven rebounds, and freshman center Lauren Betts contributed nine points for Stanford (13-1 overall, 1-0 Pac-12).

Jayda Curry led the Golden Bears (9-3, 0-1) with 20 points, followed by Leilani McIntosh with 17.

The Cardinal led 47-29 at halftime, and outrebounded Cal 48-25. Stanford’s bench outscored the Bears reserves 26-12.

Stanford travels to Berkeley on Jan. 8 to face the Bears at Haas Pavilion. On New Year’s Eve, the Cardinal host Arizona State, while Cal hosts No. 18 Arizona.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Daniel Dullum: Cardinal defeat Loyola in Santa Cruz Thursday night; Stanford women host Cal Friday

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Stanford women celebrate their 13th win over the Creighton Blue Jays at Maples Pavilion on Tue Dec 20, 2022 in Palo Alto (@StanfordWBB photo)

On the Cardinal podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, Sister Jean’s essence back in the Windy City wasn’t enough to prevent the Stanford Cardinal (5-7) from downing Loyola Chicago Ramblers (6-6) inside Kaiser Permanente Arena, 75-62.

#2 Daniel, The Cardinal meant business in the first 20 minutes of play, by going on an 8-0 run and leading by 17 points at the half, 37-20.

#3 The Stanford increased the advantage to 21 points early in the second half, and cruised in Santa Cruz to the final horn for an impressive victory south of of the Farm, 75-62

#4 Daniel, Stanford women’s head coach Tara Van Derveer was hoping to give her starters a rest but the Cardinal ran into trouble in the second half and the starters had to come in off the bench.

#5 Stanford’s (13-1) Haley Jones had 16 points and eight assists in 37 minutes against Creighton (8-4), freshman Talana Lepolo got her season second best with 17 points. No.2 Stanford beat Creighton No. 21, 72-59 on Tuesday night.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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

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By Morris Phillips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

0-12: Cal still winless after an encouraging 71-62 loss at Santa Clara

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By Morris Phillips

The Bears found more contributors, but the expanded mix didn’t add up to an elusive first win.

Cal returned to the hardwood after an eight-day break for final exams but couldn’t pass their test at Santa Clara, falling 71-62 to the Broncos.

Cal (0-12) is now the only winless team in 363-member Division I, and their 15-game losing streak dates back to February.

The Bears were competitive early but went quiet offensively in the five minutes before halftime, then finished the game without leading scorer Devin Askew, who suffered an ankle injury.

“We had a little drought at the end of the half that we didn’t recover from,” coach Mark Fox said.

The Bears trailed 34-25 at the break and by as many as 13 early in the second half before rallying to gain some competitiveness with the host Broncos.

Eight Bears scored in the first half, and a season-best nine scored in the game led by Joel Brown’s 13 points. Five Cal players made a 3-pointer, but ultimately Santa Clara’s 47 percent shooting from the floor was too much to overcome.

“Our defense has to get better. We’re just giving up percentages we can’t withstand,” Fox said.

Brandin Podziemski, the sophomore transfer from Illinois, led all scorers with 20 points. Santa Clara also got 17 from rim-running big man Parker Braun on 8 of 9 shooting and 13 from Keshawn Justice.

Afterwards, SCU coach Herb Sendek lauded Podziemski for his play at both ends, including taking charges that resulted in offensive fouls on Brown and Sam Alajiki in the game’s final minute as well as picking up his defensive intensity when teammate Jaden Bediako was limited to 13 minutes due to foul trouble. Bediako’s misfortune gave opportunities to reserves Camaron Tongue and Jacob Holt, and they delivered for the hosts as well.

“It’s so great to see a total team effort because that’s the nature of our sport,” Sendek said. “That’s the beauty of what we’re blessed to have an opportunity to do.”

Can Cal break through and win one with so much scrutiny and focus on their troubled, injury-marred season? Consider this: the Bears will likely be favored to win in their final non-conference game on Wednesday at Haas Pavilion against Texas-Arlington. After that, conference play will mean far more capable opponents with NCAA and NIT aspirations.

Over the weekend, UCLA, USC, and Arizona scored huge wins against ranked Southeastern Conference opponents in Kentucky, Auburn, and Tennessee. Utah, Arizona State, Colorado, and Washington have eye-opening, non-conference wins as well, and Oregon State is vastly improved and clearly ahead of the Bears at this point as well.

Whatever Cal gets in Pac-12 play will be hard-earned.