Category: NCAA

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.

Cardinal Stun #4 Wildcats, 100-82; Freshman Carlyle tallies career high 28 points

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Stanford Cardinal guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) takes a shot over the Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (14) during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sun Dec 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — Led by Freshman sensation Kanaan Carlyle’s career best 28 points with 6 Threes and team’s record 16 made treys, the Stanford Cardinal (6-6, 1-1 Pac-12) upset the #4 Arizona Wildcats (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12) 100-82, in a matinee conference battle inside Maples Pavilion.

Carlyle and three other Cardinal players eclipsed double-figures, and the team shooting a whopping 64% beyond the arc, was a huge contributing factor to Stanford’s 18-point victory on the Farm. The Cardinal more than made amends for the dramatic 76-73 loss to Arizona State two days prior.

Head Coach Jerod Haase explained what he uttered to the team making the transition from the crushing loss, to facing conference juggernaut Arizona, with a day in between. “Just do your job.” Said Haase.

Stanford scored the first points on a Brandon Angel bucket, and then Maxime Raynaud scored another shot. Was there going to be magic in the air on the peninsula side of the Bay?

Arizona never led, but did tie the game at 12, approximately seven minutes into the contest. However., the Cardinal commenced to go on a 5-0 run after the score was even. The Wildcats’ faithful tried to make their presence felt with the overwhelming cheer in the arena.

The support may have helped, as they continued to claw into the deficit and kept it competitive. Despite several runs by the Cardinal, Arizona still managed to get within one point (22-21) late in the half, but that was short lived.

The Cardinal went on a 11-0 run after that, spearheaded by Carlyle’s 4-point play, and his flaming hot hand put the team firmly in the driving seat.

At recess, Carlyle was perfect (4-4),from ThreeLand and amassed 13 points and 3 rebounds off the bench. He was the only player on either team with double-digits. The team shot 50% from the field, and 58% from 3.

Although Stanford led by as much as 15 points the first 20 minutes, they settled for a 9-point advantage (44-35) at the half.

Arizona started the second half with an immediate layup, trying to eventually take over the lead and game. To their dismay, Stanford continued their scorching shooting display, by going 5-5 to start the second stanza of play

Despite the Top 5 team in the country’s many attempted comebacks, the Cardinal led by as much as 20 in half number two. They shot better in every category, showing no complacency with the large lead. They definitely took their coach’s sage advice.

As the warning seconds were ticking off, the aforementioned and en fuego Kanaan Carlyle launched a deep 3 that splashed the net, like the pros up North in San Francisco (Warriors). That buzzer-beater gave him a career high 28 points, 6-8 3s & 8-8 FTs.

As the home crowd exploded, the Cardinal performed a colossal upset victory, 100-82. Stanford got their first conference win, after losing the other in the last seconds.

Besides Carlyle’s extraordinary numbers, three others hit double-digits, Andrej Stojakovic (16), Spencer Jones (21) and Maxime Raynaud (12). Jared Bynum scored 9 points and dished out 11 assists.

Arizona presented two players with double-figures; Caleb Love (23) and Oumar Ballo (12).

Stanford will next be in action Wednesday, January 3, 2024 in Los Angeles, as they will play UCLA at 6 PM PDT on ESPN2. Arizona heads back home to host Colorado, Thursday January 4 at 6:30 PM PDT on ESPN.

Cardinal Scorched Late by Sun Devils, 76-73, in Pac-12 Opener

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The Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) and the Arizona Sun Devils forward Alonzo Gaffney (8) anticipate the rebound in the second half at Maple Pavilion in Palo Alto on Fri Dec 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (5-6, 0-1 Pac-12) opened Pacific – 12 play with a disappointing loss inside Maples Pavilion, after the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5, 1-0 Pac-12), made a blazing comeback inside the last minute of the game, 76-73.

Stanford’s 7-foot Frenchman, Maxime Raynaud opened the game with a basket on a dime of a pass from assist machine Jared Bynum. He scored six of the team’s first eight points, The Cardinal seemed to take control early in the contest.

The Sun Devils managed to tie the game twice (2-2 & 22-22) during the initial 20 minutes of the game; however, they could not get over the hump/stump. Stanford had an answer for both tie situations, including a 10-0 run after it was even at 22. The home team had a nine point advantage at recess, 37-28, with the knowledge that ASU was not going to give up on the cause.

Neither team had a double-digit scorer at the midway point. As a matter of fact, despite the great start by Raynaud, he only managed to score one more point by the midway whistle. He tallied seven points and six rebounds. Brandon Angel led with nine, and Kanaan Carlyle contributed seven off the bench. Junior guard Frankie Collins topped the Sun Devils.

In the second half, Arizona State tried to turn up the heat, but the tree seemed to be fire retardant for most of the greater part of the game. They managed to keep the game in reach, and forcing 13 turnovers and shooting double the amount of free throws of their opponent, was definitely a contributing factor for the dramatic outcome.

Stanford reached leads of ten in the first half and 12 in the second, but Arizona State kept up the fight. Maybe their coach’s personality was rubbing off on them. Bobby Hurley was a feisty point guard for the Duke Blue Devils in the 90’s, winning two national championships.

The Sun Devils scored 48 points in the second half, which was 20 more than the first, while Stanford had one less point. That made a huge difference and made it a close contest at the end. The last three minutes is when it became crunch time.

Just under the 3:00 mark, the Sun Devils got within one point for the first time since the first half. Alonzo Gaffney was on a roll scoring seven consecutive points in nearly 90 seconds. Coach Hurley was impressed: “I’m happy for him because I know he has it inside of him to do it. We trust him.”

Less than a minute later they tied the game again twice, at 71 and 73. After 39 minutes of the battle, Arizona took the lead on a fadeaway jumper by Frankie Collins, which turned out to be the game winner. After that Jamia Neal made a free throw and got the game-sealing block, when Michael Jones tried to tie the game and force overtime.

When all the smoke cleared, the Arizona State Sun Devils remained lit, while Cardinal had ashes surrounding them at home. ASU by three, 76-73!

The Cardinal had four players in double-digit scoring. Angel and Raynaud both 15, but Maxime added 15 rebounds to his total. Bynum and Carlyle both had 12; however, Jerod gave 6 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Arizona State also had four 10+ point scorers: Gaffney (12), Collins (12), Adam Miller (13) and Kamari Lands (13).

The Cardinal will next be in action New Year’s Eve Sunday, hosting the #4 Arizona Wildcats at 1 PM PDT, while Arizona State will go across the Bay on the same date to play Cal, at 5 PM PDT.

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.

Coastal Carolina Beats San Jose State 24-14 In The EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl

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The San Jose State Spartans edged the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex in Manoa, HI in the EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl on Sat Dec 23, 2023 (SJSU Spartans photo)

Saturday, December 23rd, 2023

By Troy Ewer

San José State (7-5, 6-2 Mountain West) is Hawai‘i Bound in the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl and will take on Coastal Carolina (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt) from the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex in Manoa, Hawai‘i as the Spartans look for their seventh straight win.

The co-regular season Mountain West Champions head to their third bowl game in four years for the first time in SJSU history and it’s the first time since 1986-87 the Spartans have been to back-to-back bowl games as they look for their seventh consecutive win for the first time since 2020.

First touchdown of the game came with three minutes left of the first quarter from a 2 yard pass from Ethan Vasko to Matt Alaimo of Coastal Carolina after a whole first quarter where no one was really moving the chains. 7-0 Coastal Carolina.

The quarter ended 7-0 Coastal Carolina with the ball and a clear advantage in the momentum. The Spartans struggled the first half trying to get in the end zone, but for a majority of the half it was a combination of factors between good defense from Coastal Carolina and SJSU not capitalizing on the fact that Coastal Carolina also wasn’t scoring that much either.

The first half ended 7-0 making it the lowest scoring half in Hawai’i Bowl history. Very quiet half with one touchdown and a bunch of punts. 

The third quarter was looking to be just as quiet as the rest of the half, but Vasko connected with Kendall Karr on a 2 yard TD pass that capped a 87 yard drive, 14-0 Coastal Carolina. The Spartans couldn’t find their way to water if they were on an island and with three minutes left in the third, they needed to find water fast, because the score may have been low, but it was a hole they needed to get out of.

On the following drive it looked like the Spartans were getting things together, but a forced fumble recovered by Coastal Carolina stopped that SJSU momentum right in their tracks. The third quarter ended 14-0 and this game felt oddly over even though there was one last quarter, but it certainly wasn’t. 

Coastal Carolina started the fourth quarter with a field goal, which made it a 17-0 score and a deeper hole for the Spartans. San Jose State finally got on the board with a Chevan Cordeiro 35 yard touchdown pass to Sam Olson. 17-7 and it was a sign that there was still life in the Spartans.

A bad pass forced Coastal Carolina to punt and SJSU now had a chance to capitalize and close the gap. Quali Conley got the second touchdown for SJSU with a 12 yard rushing TD and Coastal Carolina fans were deflated in the stands in Hawai’i. 17-14 with 8:30 left in the game.

Coastal Carolina ran the ball down the field and the minutes off the clock, but in the red zone Vasko threw an 8 yard TD pass to Sam Pinckney and that left the Spartans 2:43 to try to comeback and get a big bowl victory.

The Spartans missed a field goal and Coastal Carolina took a knee to run the clock down. Coastal Carolina wins 24-14!!! A hard fought season for San Jose State and that roster and they have high hopes for next season, but for now the Spartans will enjoy their holiday break in Hawai’i as well as their offseason. Happy Holidays everyone.

Aztecs overwhelm Cardinal 74-60

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Stanford Cardinal forward Max Murrell (10) and San Diego State Aztecs forward Miles Heide (40) grasp for the basketball at Viejas Arena in San Diego on Thu Dec 21, 2023 (photo by USA Today)

By Daniel Dullum

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Stanford hit the road for the final time before the start of conference play on Thursday, dropping a 74-60 non-league decision to San Diego State in front of 12,414 at Viejas Arena.

Lamont Butler led the Aztecs with a game-high 18 points on 7 of 13 field goal shooting, including three 3-pointers. He also had four assists and four steals.

Jaedon LeDee was next for San Diego State with 16 points, and Micah Parrish added 10 points.

Maxime Raynaud paced the Cardinal (5-5) with 15 points while grabbing a game-high seven rebounds, followed by Michael Jones and Brandon Angel with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

The Cardinal connected on only 3 of 20 from 3-point range, and 40.8 percent from the field. Stanford made 17 of 19 free throws.

Stanford led most of the first half and used six points by Raynaud to take an early 10-5 lead. From there the Aztecs took control of the contest, leading 34-32 at halftime

The Aztecs (6-3) used a 15-3 run to open the second half to pull away. Andrej Stockovic scored all six of his points in the second half to help Stanford cut its deficit to 10 on three different occasions. But San Diego State maintained its distance for the remainder of the game.

The Cardinal play their next game on Friday, Dec. 29, for its Pac-12 Conference opener against Arizona State.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Michael Roberson: Stanford battles San Diego State Tonight; Cardinal set sights for third win in a row

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Stanford Cardinal guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) won the Freshman of the week Award. Stojakovic led the Cardinal in scoring with 17 points against the Idaho Vandals Sun Dec 17, 2023 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (Stanford Cardinal photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael R:

#1 Stanford Cardinal guard Andrej Stojakovic led the Cardinal with 17 points Sunday at Stanford and won the Freshman of the week Award quite an achievement for Stojakovic.

#2 Four other Cardinal ended up in double figures. Michael Jones had 14 points with seven rebounds and Maxime Raynaud got his second double double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

#3 Kanaan Carlyle had 11 points in his first game with the Cardinal and off the bench.

#4 The Cardinal shot 56.4 their highest percentage of the season and 43.5 for three pointers. It was the third time the Cardinal past the 40 percent mark this season.

#5 It’s off to San Diego State and the Aztecs Thu Dec 21st. The Aztecs won their last game edging UC Irvine 63-62 at San Diego State. Aztecs are good and ready with a 9-2 record. Stanford is 6-4 and are looking for a road win.

Michael Roberson is a Stanford Cardinal beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose State Ends 2023 With A 81-78 Victory Against Santa Clara; Face Wyoming Jan 2nd

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Alvaro Cardenas (13) San Jose Spartans guard finished second in scoring with 14 against the Wyoming Cowboys at Provident Credit Union Event Arena in San Jose Wed Dec 20, 2023 (San Jose Spartans photo)

Wednesday, December 20th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Jose, CA – The San Jose State Spartans host the Santa Clara Broncos in a matchup between Silicon Valley schools. The Spartans are coming off their first home loss of the season, an 86-75 defeat to Montana Sunday afternoon. 

The first half for San Jose State was them clicking on all cylinders, 55% from the field. Tibet Gorener and Latrell Davis led the Sparatans with 10 points each with MJ Amey Jr. with nine. Meanwhile Santa Clara was led by Carlos Marshall Jr. who had 23 points, but that wasn’t enough to put them up at the half as the Brocos were trailing by three as the half ended with 42-39 SJSU. 

The second half started and the Spartans went right on the offensive. Santa Clara was on their heels all first half, so San Jose State needed to separate themselves from this hungry Broncos team if the Spartans were gonna walk out of the event center with a W.

The whole game it felt like Santa Clara was right there with SJSU, but that’s because they were. Four different players in double digits (Amey Jr, Davis, Gorener, and Cardenas) contributed to SJSU maintaining a lead, but the Broncos were always within a fighting distance.

The last minute they were tied at 76 a piece and after a Santa Clara three. Amey Jr. hit two free throws to take the lead and after a missed three from the Broncos, the Spartans had Adrame Diongue at the free throw line, not being that great from the line, he missed one and made one, putting SJSU up three with  12 seconds left.

Adama Bal scored a layup to put the Broncos within one and had to foul the Spartans again to regain possession, this time Alvaro Cardenas who hit both free throws to make their lead a three point lead. The final chance buzzer beater three for Santa Clara hit rim, but no success and the Spartans won 81-78.

Amey Jr. with 19 points and Cardenas with a double double are just one of the many reasons the Spartans left with the win, but they won this by playing their game both halves. 

Spartans got a feel-good win before the holiday break and got a well deserved break. Their next game will be in 2024, specifically January 2nd 2024 in Wyoming against Wyoming. The San Jose State Spartans look to start their next year with more success than they did, ending 2023 7-6.

Cal Bears basketball podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Cal eeks it out against the Trying Tritons 71-67 at Haas Pavilion

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The Cal Bears guard Devin Askew (55) gets the offense plan going against the UC San Diego Tritons guard Tyler McGhie (13) at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Tue Dec 20, 2023 (Cal Bears photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 First half Cal at one point had a 34-8 lead and you had to wonder how much will Cal crush the UCSD Tritons but it all started to collapse in the second half.

#2 In the second half the Tritons gained confidence and had a 14-0 run on the Bears and the Tritons looked as if they had broken through.

#3 The Tritons took advantage of Cal’s turnovers and couldn’t string any scoring when UCSD took a brief lead.

#4 In the last ten minutes of the game a nail biter Cal was hoping to slow down the UCSD. Cal was looking to try and slow the Tritons offense down and get back in the ball game. It was a game that went down to the last 20 seconds. Cal just got by the Tritons 71-67.

#5 Cal has the tough task to face #4 Arizona in they’re next game on Fri Dec 29th at Haas Pavilion. The Wildcats have won eight of their last nine games. Cal could have they’re hands full.

Stephen Ruderman is a Cal Bears basketball beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bears dodge massive bullet after blowing 26-point lead Tryin’ Tritons and barely hold on 71-67

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The Cal Bears guard Keonte Kennedy (3) runs down the court against the UCSD Tritons at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Dec 20, 2023 (Cal Bears basketball podcast)

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

UC San Diego Tritons 67 (6-6)

California Golden Bears 71 (4-7)

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–The California Golden Bears returned home, and nearly had their worst loss of the season, as they blew a 34-8 lead, but they barely held on after a long and laborious second period to bead the UC San Diego Tritons, 71-67.

The Bears won the opening tip, and they just dominated. Fardaws Aimaq dunked one in to get the scoring started for Cal. Jalen Cone made back-to-back threes, and Jalen Celestine laid one in to make it 10-0 Bears just a minute and 43 seconds into the game.

Cone, Keonte Kennedy and Celestine all hit threes to make it 19-2 just four minutes and 35 seconds in. Aimaq laid one in to make it 21-2. With 8:25 remaining in the first period, Cal led it 34-8.

Cal’s lead remained steady, as they led it 42-19 with 2:30 left, but the Tritons then began to chip away at Cal’s lead, and they closed out the first period with an 8-2 run to go into the half down 44-27.

Come the second period, everything changed. The Tritons scored four unanswered points to start the second period, and make it 44-31. Cal then responded, and made it 50-34, but the Tritons then went on a 14-0 run to cut the Bears’ lead to just two at 50-48.

Just as Cal was making every shot in the first half of the first period, the momentum and tone of the game had completely changed. Now it was the Tritons making every shot, and Cal missing every shot.

The Bears had a brief reprieve, as Rodney Brown Jr. laid one in, and Cone hit a three to open Cal’s lead back to 55-48. However, the Tritons just as quickly bounced right back, as Bryce Pope hit a jumper, and Tyler Mcghie hit a three to make it 55-53.

Pope then hit a three ball, and the Tritons had come all the way back from down 34-8 to take a 56-55 lead with 8:55 remaining. Pope then made a pair of free throws to extend the Tritons’ lead to 58-55.

Aimaq laid one in for Cal to cut it to 58-57, and then after several missed shots by both teams, Keonte Kennedy hit a pair of free throws to put the Bears back ahead at 59-58. Jaylon Tyson then laid one in, was fouled and then made a free throw to make it 62-58. Tyson then made another free throw roughly a minute later to make it 63-58.

The Bears were on an 8-0 run, and appeared to have the momentum back, as the game entered its final minutes. However, Mcghie hit a free throw for the Tritons, and then Francis Nwaokorie hit two more to make it 63-61 with 2:11 remaining.

Aimaq made a jumper to make it 65-61, and Emmanuel Tshimanga made a pair of free throws for San Diego to make it 65-63. Jalen Celestine then hit a three with 1:05 remaining to make it 68-63, followed by a pair of free throws by Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones to make it 68-65.

The Bears had the ball, and then Tshimanga stole the ball from Aimaq, and passed it to Tait-Jones, who laid one in to make it a one-point game at 68-67 with just 22.9 seconds remaining. Hayden Gray fouled Kennedy with 20.9 seconds left, and Kennedy hit both free throws to make it 70-67.

After Mcghie missed a three for the Tritons, Celestine was fouled, and made the final of his two free throws, and the Bears were able to barely hold on to win it, 71-67.

With this win, the Bears have officially surpassed last season’s win total just 11 games into this season, as they improve to 4-7. They will have another eight days off, and then they will welcome the Arizona Wildcats to Haas Pavilion to begin Pac-12 play on Friday, Dec. 29 at 7:30.