Tag: Cal Bears

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

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

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024

Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024

Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bears collapse; Frankie Collins leads Arizona State to comeback win

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

Sunday, Dec 31, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cal 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.

Cal drops Independence Bowl to end final season in Pac-12

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Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) is hit for a fumble by the Texas Tech Red Raiders lineman Amier Washington (96) at Independence Stadium in Shreveport LA, on Sat Dec 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023

Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana

California Golden Bears 14 (6-7)

Texas Tech Red Raiders 34 (7-6)

By Stephen Ruderman

Cal dropped the Independence Bowl to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 34-14, in what was most likely their final game as a member of the Pac-12.

This was Cal’s first bowl game since 2019, as the team went 6-6 and finished in seventh place in the Pac-12 during the regular season to earn a spot in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Texas Tech went 6-6, and finished in seventh in the Big 12 Conference, and earned their third-straight trip to a bowl game.

Michael Luckhurst made the opening kick for the Bears, but it was fumbled by Drae McCray, and recovered by Luckhurst on the Texas Tech 25-Yard Line to put the Bears in perfect position to start the game. Then, on the very first play after the opening kick, Bears’ quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, threw a complete pass to wide-receiver, Monroe Young, who ran it 25 yards for a touchdown. After the extra point, Cal led 7-0.

Texas Tech scored a touchdown on a pass from Behren Morton to Coy Eakin, and tied it on the extra point with 4:19 remaining in the first quarter. The Bears responded with a drive of their own. With exactly three minutes remaining, Mendoza threw a 51-yard pass to get to the Texas Tech three Yard Line, and then on the next play, Mendoza handed the ball off to Jaydn Ott, who ran it in to put the Bears back ahead.

Cal led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, but the Red Raiders scored 17 points in the second quarter, as Morton threw a pair of touchdown passes, and Gino Garcia kicked a field goal from 25 yards with just seven seconds remaining. That put Texas Tech up 24-14 going into the half, and they did not look back.

The Red Raiders scored a touchdown in the third quarter, and kicked a field goal in the fourth to put the game away.

With the loss, Cal finishes their final season in the Pac-12 at 6-7, and now they will shift to the Atlantic Coast Conference, as the focus will turn to the 2024 Season.

California Bears Fall to the Unbeaten Ole Miss Rebels 88-78

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Cal Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) takes a jump shot against Ole Miss Rebels at the Hall of Fame Series at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sat Dec 16, 2023 (photo by the Cal Bears)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday evening the Cal Bears (3-7) took on the unbeaten Ole Miss Rebels (10-0). At the half, the Bears trailed 46-35 but played a competitive second half losing by a single point 43-42. At half time it was the Rebels bench that had given them the lead. The Rebels got some great minutes from their starters in the second half winning the game

Saturday evening the Bears took on Ole Miss in the Hall of Fame Series in San Antonio. Cal is coming off a real disappointing loss against Butler losing in double overtime 97-90. Ole Miss had a close one in their game against UCF on the road winning 70-68. 

Cal is having a tough start to the season. They have lost two games despite being double-digit favorites. This Bears team has a strong offense but getting stops has been a problem this season. Jaylon Tyson has led the Bears with close to 20 points per game. He also leads the team in assists. 

Cal has a big man inside with 6’11” Fardaws Aimaq who scores over 17 points per game and has a team high ten rebounds. Jalen Cone is another good one for the Bears already having knocked down 33 triples this season and averaging 17 points per game. 

Facing the unbeaten Rebels will be a tough challenge for the Golden Bears. The Rebels are led by Allen Flanigan who averages 18 points and close to seven rebounds per game.

As the first half came to an end, Ole Miss held a 46-35 lead getting some nice minutes from not only their starters but also their bench. The Bears bench got limited minutes in the first half with Jalen Celestine and Gus Larson who both did not fare very well coming away with a miss and a turnover. Cal needed more offensive production in the second half as well as more stops.

The second half was much more productive for the Bears. The Rebels edged the Bears in the second half of play 43-42 winning the game by the score of 88-78. Ole Miss had taken a 24 point lead in the second half but Cal was able to cut that lead to ten points just running out of clock. The Bears had a terrific second half of basketball but they just came up short.

Every starter for the Bears finished with double digits, the high going to Jalon Tyson with 22 points. Fardaws Aimaq had 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Rebels came on like gangbusters in the first half; the high score was Jaemyn Brakefield with 27 points a career high for him. 

He hit 5 three-pointers making a huge impact in this game. The Rebels are off to their best start since the 2007-08 season. They never trailed once in this game. 

Cal now returns home to Haas Pavilion taking on UC San Diego on Wednesday afternoon. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 2:00 PM.

Who are these guys? Cal shocks Santa Clara 84-69 at Haas Pavilion

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Jaylon Tyson (20) and Jalen Cone (15) guards for the Cal Bears both finished in the top two in scoring against the Santa Clara Broncos at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Dec 2, 2023 (Cal Bears photo)

Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Santa Clara Broncos 69 (7-2)

California Golden Bears 84 (3-5)

By Stephen Ruderman

Jaylon Tyson and Jalen Cone led the way, as the Cal Bears returned home after going winless in the SoCal Showcase to defeat the Santa Clara Broncos, 84-69.

The Broncos came into tonight’s game at 7-1, so the Bears were going to have their hands full. The two teams traded baskets early on, but after a three-ball by Cone, his first of three-straight, gave Cal a 7-6 lead, the Bears would not look back.

Cal opened out to a 23-9 lead, as they mostly maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the first period. Cal went into the half up 45-31.

Cal continued to maintain that lead as the second period got underway, and got to their biggest lead of the night at 63-45, following a pair of free throws by Keonte Kenney with 11:13 to go.

However, the Broncos struck back with a 14-2 run, as they closed Cal’s lead to 65-59 with 7:37 to go. Tyson hit a three to make it 68-59, and from there the Bears got back on track, as they scored 14 unanswered points to open their lead back up to 79-59.

Tyson scored the first seven points of the drive, and he also got into a brief scuffle with Kosy Akametu of the Broncos, as both were hit with technical fouls. The fouls didn’t matter, however, as Tyson ended up getting his third double-double of the season as part of a 21-point performance.

The Broncos outscored the Bears 10-5 at the end, but it was far too late, as Cal ended up winning the game 84-69.

Tyson and Cone combined for nearly two-thirds of Cal’s scoring tonight. In addition to Tyson’s 21 points, Cone scored 26 points, as he was also 7-for-10 from beyond the arc.

With this win, Cal improves to 3-5 on the season, and they have also equaled their win total from last season just eight games into this season.

The Bears will have another week off, and they will then make the trip to Indianapolis, Indiana to take on the Butler Bulldogs for a 9:00 am tip next Saturday.

California Bears Upset UCLA With Spectacular Defense 33-7

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The Cal Bears wide receiver Marvin Anderson (left) gets around the UCLA Bruins defensive Laiatu Latu in first half action at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on Sat Nov 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The highly favored UCLA Bruins (7-5) were in for the surprise of their lives. The California Bears (6-6) came into this game as underdogs and hardly looked the part in this game. They defended the run brilliantly and displayed some pretty solid offense. The front five for Cal deserved a lot of credit for the 33-7 win. This was a true team effort.

The first quarter took an unexpected turn in the opening drive for UCLA. Bruins Quarterback Ethan Garbers was hurt and had to leave the game with apparent right arm injury. He would eventually leave the field and head for the locker room in some considerable pain.

Dante Moore would come into the game in place of the injured Garbers. He threw an interception which the Bears turned into three points for the early 3-0 lead. Kicker Mateen Bhaghani was 2 of 2 in the first quarter. At 5:25 he kicked a 43 yard field goal and he would kick a second field goal with 0:37 seconds left on the clock in the opening quarter extending their lead to 6-0.

Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw an interception at 9:53 in the second quarter. UCLA took full advantage of that pick and a few plays later took the ball down to the Cal 13 yard line. The Bruin offense was really dialed in after a bit of a slow start. The Cal defense kept the Bruins out of the end zone.

They went for a 23 yard field goal which kicker Blake Glesssner missed and the score remained 6-0 in favor of Cal. The next Bears possession saw a second Mendoza interception and the Bruins had the ball deep in Cal territory. UCLA was unable to turn the first interception into points but they did turn the second one into a touchdown taking a 7-6 lead.

Cal had the ultimate answer to the UCLA touchdown. The Bears Jaydn Ott took the kickoff for 100 yds and a touchdown; California had wasted no time taking back the lead 13-7. WIth 0.56 seconds left in the half the Cal Bears delivered a punishing hit to Bruin quarterback Dante Moore forcing a fumble that Cal recovered deep in UCLA territory.

Mendoza found Jeremiah Hunter for 14 yards and their second touchdown of the day taking a 20-7 lead into the locker room. The Bears not only had the lead in this game, they would also get the ball to start the second half. This was a great first half of football for the Bears. The Bears defense would have to continue to put pressure on the UCLA offense most importantly Moore.

In the second possession of the second half the Cal Bears intercepted the ball for the second time in this game. So far the Cal’s run defense had been impressive. The Bruins put together a great drive in the third quarter that stalled when they attempted to go on a 4th and 13.

Head Coach for UCLA Chip Kelly is not a fan of the field goal and more often than not, the Bruins are successful on fourth downs. A 4th and 13, however, is a long shot and it did put the ball back into the hands of Cal. The Bears put together a nice drive that culminated with a 32 yard field goal to start the fourth quarter giving Cal a 23-7 lead. The Bears were on the cusp of an amazing upset.

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter the Bruins fumbled and California recovered the ball. The Bears had really dictated the tone of this game and momentum was totally in their favor. Hunter celebrated his second touchdown of the game, a 13 yard pass from Mendoza extending the Cal lead to 30-7 at 13:35.

The Bears would tack on their fourth field goal of the game, a 20 yarder for the final score of 33-7. The Bears would finish off the game with a sack of Moore and this game was a wrap. This was a terrific win for Cal but also a sad ending to the storied Pac-12.

Post game notes: Saturday night the Bears traveled down south to take on the Bruins . The Bears are coming off a great win over the Stanford Cardinal winning their fourth Big Game in five years 27-15. They came into this game on a very high note. Mendoza threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns in the win on Nov 18th.

Ott had his fifth 100-yard game of the season. As good as the Bear’s offense was, the defense was equally as good in this great win on Nov 18th. Cal was on point for this game. The UCLA offense featuring Garbers did not start and UCLA went with Moore who threw for 266 yards, one touchdown, and threw two interceptions.

The UCLA season had come to an end with a resounding thud as the Cal Bears manhandled the favored Bruins. Mendoza finished with 178 passing yards. The player of the game has to be Hunter with eight receptions, 101 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Ott 21 carries for 80 yards. The Bears are bowl eligible after Saturday night’s win.