Tag: Cal Bears

Bears show fight but trounced by Cougars up North in Pullman 85-65

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The Washington State Cougars forward Isaac Jones (13) puts up a prayer with the Cal Bears forward Fardaws Aimaq (00) putting on the pressure in the second half at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman on Thu Feb 15, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024

Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, Washington

California Golden Bears 65 (10-15 Overall; 6-8 Pac-12)

Washington State Cougars 85 (19-6 Overall; 10-4 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Bears went up north to Pullman, Washington, and though they put up some fight, they were subdued, as they lost to the Washington State Cougars, 84-65, in the opener of the road trip.

Cal lost a tough one Saturday at home against the UCLA Bruins. The Bears came back from down 14 points to take the lead, but eventually fell in overtime. Tonight, they were going to have to bounce back on the road, and on the turf of the powerful Washington State Cougars.

The game started scoreless for a whole minute and 49 seconds until Jaylon Tyson made a pullup jumper. The Cougars then scored 10 unanswered points to pounce out to an early 10-2 lead.

The Bears then scored eight unanswered points. Rodney Brown Jr. hit a three; Tyson hit a driving layup; and Grant Newell sank a three-ball to tie it at 10-10 with 11:28 to go in the first half.

The game remained tight as the first half went along. Jaylen Wells hit a three to put the Cougars back ahead at 13-10. From there, the Cougars kept the small lead for the next several minutes, but the Bears were able to stay closely behind.

Fardaws Aimaq was fouled and hit two from the line to put Cal within three at 22-19 with 4:22 to go. However, Andrej Jakimovski hit a three, and Myles Rice laid one in to open Washington State’s lead to 27-19.

Jalen Celestine hit a three to make it 27-22 with 2:48 left, but the Cougars closed out the first half with seven unanswered points, and altogether a 12-3 run, to go into the half uo 34-22.

Aimaq slammed one down to start the second half, but the Cougars kept adding. Wells hit a jumper, and Rice hit a three to make it 41-26.

Being down by double digits in the early minutes of the second half was nothing new to the Bears, who have come back from many such deficits this season. There was no reason to believe they couldn’t do so tonight.

The Bears had already come back from a large deficit early in this game. When the Cougars jumped out their 10-2 lead out of the gate, the Bears immediately scored eight unanswered points to tie it up. The Bears had all the confidence in the world that they could come back again.

Keonte Kennedy hit a three, and Tyson dunked one to make it 41-31. The Bears definitely believed they could come back, but the Cougars just would not relent, as they jumped out to a 51-33 lead with 15:17 to go. Brown and Newell then hit threes to make it 53-39, but the Cougars were too powerful, and they put the game away.

The Cougars opened their lead to 20 at 66-46 with 9:51 to go, and it was apparent that the Bears were not going to come back tonight. To Cal’s credit, they didn’t fall much further behind, as they never trailed by more than 23 points.

However, once all was said and done, Washington State comfortably won, 84-65.

Tyson led the scoring with 18 points for the Bears, but there was no stopping Myles Rice, who scored 25 for the Cougars. Isaac Jones wasn’t too far behind Rice, as he scored 21.

The Bears fall to 6-8 in Pac-12 play, and 10-15 overall. Now, they will head across Washington State to Seattle, where they will take on the Washington Huskies at 5:30 p.m. Saturday night.

Bears nearly pull off another comeback but ultimately fall to Bruins 61-60

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The Cal Bears forward Fardaws Aimaq (00) gets the rebound in front of the UCLA Bruins forward Adem Bona (3) in the second half at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Feb 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

UCLA Bruins 61 (13-11 Overall; 8-5 Pac-12)

California Golden Bears 60 (10-14 Overall; 6-7 Pac-12)

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–After another thrilling win Wednesday night over the USC Trojans, the Bears’ momentum appeared to carry over into today, as they came back from down 14 points to take the lead, but ultimately fell to the UCLA Bruins, 61-60.

Following their epic win against the Trojans, the Bears were taking on the UCLA Bruins, whom the Bears beat on Jan. 6 in Los Angeles. That win snapped a plethora of losing streaks for the Bears. Most notably, it was their first win at UCLA since 2010. Today, the Bears would look to keep the mojo going.

It was a packed house for this Pac-12 matchup at Haas Pavilion. Bears fans were revved up and ready to go, and the Bruins fans who had made the trip north from Los Angeles made their presence felt as well.

The game started neck and neck in the early minutes. Cal won the opening tip, but Fardaws Aimaq missed a jumper. UCLA struck first on a layup by Lazar Stefanovic, and then Jaylon Tyson put the Bears on the board with a three.

The teams traded points and leads in the early going until Sebastian Mack put the Bruins ahead 9-7 with a three. From there, UCLA took control, and ended up opening up a 29-16 lead with 6:04 to go in the first half.

UCLA led 35-24 as the second half got underway, and they kept the momentum going. Adem Bona was fouled, and made one of two from the line; and Mack hit a jumper to give the Bruins their biggest lead of the day at 38-24.

It was 40-26 UCLA with 16:37 to go, and the Bruins appeared to be in complete control of the game. However, the Bears were once again down by double digits, and that meant only one thing: that it was time for another comeback.

Indeed, the Bears started to claw back, as they slowly chipped away at UCLA’s lead. Jalen Cone hit a three with 13:21 left to make it a six-point game at 41-35, which completely fired up the crowd at Haas.

The Bruins opened their lead back up to 47-37, but the Bears and the fans did not relent. Jaylon Tyson slammed one down to make it 50-43 with 7:36 to go, further firing up this crowd, and then a three from Fardaws Aimaq made it a four-point game.

Jalen Celestine then hit a three to put the Bears within one at 50-49 with 5:55 remaining, and the crowd was on fire. There would be no scoring for nearly three minutes, with both teams missing shots and turning over the ball.

With each missed shot and turnover came the loud and deafening cheers from both teams’ fans. Then with 3:01 remaining, Tyson hit a jump shot to put Cal back ahead, as the Bears had once again come back from a large deficit to take a late lead.

However, the Bruins were not going to go down quietly. Lazar Stefanovic hit a three to put UCLA back ahead, 53-51. Then Aimaq was fouled, and he hit both from the line to tie it up at 53-53.

Both teams’ fans were on fire, as the game entered the final minutes, and tension mounted as every single second that passed. With 1:01 left, Aimaq laid one in to put the Bears back ahead, but Adem Bona laid one in, and hit his shot from the line after he was fouled on the play to put UCLA ahead.

Aimaq laid one in with 36 seconds to go, and Dylan Andrews responded by hitting a jumper to make it 58-57 UCLA with 24 seconds to go. Tyson then tried to lay one in, but was unsuccessful, and then Stefanovic took the rebound and was fouled.

Stefanovic hit both shots for the line, and the Bears were in trouble. Celestine went for three, but he missed, and Mack took the rebound with just four seconds to go. At that point, there was no choice but to foul Mack, who missed his first shot from the line, but after he hit his second, that would be it, and the dejected Bears fans headed for the exits.

Celestine did hit a three with a second to go, but it was useless, and Bruins won, 61-60.

The Bears played their hearts out in what was almost another miracle win in this painful bounceback, but they were just unable to pull it off.

The Bears fall to 6-7 in Pac-12 play, and 10-14 overall. Now, they will go back on the road, this time up north to Washington. First, they will head to Spokane to take on the powerful Washington State Cougars for a 7 p.m. tipoff Thursday night, and that will be followed up by a trip to Seattle to play the Washington Huskies Saturday night.

Cal Bears podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Cal defense can’t stop UCLA in final seconds in 61-60 loss at UC Berkeley

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Cal Bears guard Jalen Celestine (32) takes a jump shot against the UCLA Bruins at Haas Pavilion Sat Feb 10, 2024 (Cal Bears photos)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Cal Bears drop to 11-14 with a 61-60 loss, with four second left the UCLA Bruins Sebastian Mack hit a free throw that pretty much won it for the Bruins making it 61-57.

#2 The Bears Jalen Celestine right at the buzzer answered back with a three pointer but Cal fell short losing by just a point in a hard fought effort.

#3 Earlier in the game the Bears were turning the ball over and didn’t execute the shot in the early part second half as well as most of the first half.

#4 In the second half the Bruins Jaylon Tyson hit a go ahead shot with 3:05 left that put the Bruins ahead just to give you and the listeners an idea how tight and how close this game was at that point.

#5 UCLA had a ten point lead for pretty much most of this game but Cal caught up in the end it’s the effort of this team and the last couple weeks Cal has shown it’s competitive self.

#6 Cal hits the road against the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars have won five straight games and are 18-6 Cal could have their hands full.

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

Aimaq scores 20 as Bears trounce Sun Devils 81-66

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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.

Stanford Cardinal game wrap: Cardinal Wounded and Heartbroken in Bears’ Territory, 73-71, on a Friday Night Battle of the Bay I

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Stanford Cardinal guard Kanaan Carlyle (3) takes a a shot against the Cal Bears forward Grant Newell (14) and forward Fardaws Aimaq (00) in second half action at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Fri Jan 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

BERKELEY, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (10-9, 5-4 Pac-12) dropped Part ! of the Battle of the Bay against the California Golden Bears (8-12, 4-5 Pac-12), 73-71, inside Haas Pavilion.

Stanford scratched the scoreboard first , on a split free throws scenario.by senior forward Spencer Jones. Cal took their only lead in the first half (4-3( shortly thereafter.

Although the home team was not able to get over the hump again in the first 20 minutes, Cal kept the game within reach by halftime. Stanford ked by as much as 8 points, and half of that at intermission, 40-36.

No Cardinal hooper reached double=digits, although a triumvirate had 8 points to show for themselves. Spencer Jones, Michael Jones and Kanaan Carlyle all had 2/3 of a dozen points. The Golden Bears had one player with at least 10 points. Junior guard Jaylon Tyson tallied 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Stanford increased the lead to 10 points, early in the second half. However, the Bears clawed their way back, and presumably took the lead 51-50 at the 12:43 mark, Unfortunately for Cal, the three-point shot by senior Jalen Cone, was ruled a 2-pointer instead.. Cal still didn;t get over the hump. at that juncture of the game.

Stanford went on a 7-0 run after that, seemingly in control of the contest. The Golden Bears were determined to come back and eventually be in front of their cross-Bay neighbors and rivals.

After that first disappointment early in the second half, Cal did officially get into a leading position 62-60 (7:13). Despite letting go of a 10-point advantage, Stanford regained the lead on several occasions. As a matter of fact, the game was tied 8 times and there were 7 lead changes.

Those moments were obviously late in the ball game, because overall Stanford had the lead for approximately 31 and a half minutes, while California had their advantage for 26 less minutes than the Cardinal, but led when it really counted,,,at the final whistle.

With the consistent back and forth of the final minutes and seconds, it came down to game-winning free throws by redshirt junior guard, Jalen Celestine, with :58 remaining on the clock. Stanford had a costly turnover by Maxime Raynaud, the Celestine converted another FT, which presented the final score of 73-71, California Golden Bears.

Stanford had 0 players in double-digits at the half, but garnered four at game’s end. Spencer Jones (13), Brandon Angel (12), Kanaan Carlyle (12) and Maxime Raynaud (11) & 13 rebounds.

Cal had a lone player to reach those heights after 20 minutes of playing time, but had a whopping 6 after 40 minutes of regulation time. Jaylon Tyson (14), Fardaws Aimaq (13) & 12 rebounds, Jalen Celestine (12), Keonte Kennedy (11), Grant Newell (11) & 10 rebounds and Jalen Cone (10).

Stanford will next be in action Thursday, February 1 in the Grand Canyon State, as they take on the Arizona State Sun Devils at 6 PM PDT/7 Mountain.. on ESPN2. Cal plays against the Arizona Wildcats, on the same date, a half hour earlier, on P-12 Network.

Note: Both Coach Haas and Madsen both were coaching against their Alma Maters, and are excited the both will continue in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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

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

Friday, Jan. 26, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024

Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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