Tag: Cal Bears

Pittsburg Stuns California on their Senior Day and Home finale, 72-56!!

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California Golden Bear (#7) guard Dai Dai Ames shoots a corner three-pointer over Pittsburg Panther (#8) guard Omari Witherspoon on February 28th, 2026, in Berkeley, California, at the Haas Pavilion. (Photo credits to Michael Villanueva)

By Michael Villanueva

BERKELEY – California played its last home game of the season on Saturday afternoon, hosting the Pittsburg Panthers on the Golden Bears’ Senior Day. A goodbye to their seniors, the fans who always came to the games, and to the “Haas of Pain.” This game is potentially a big one for Cal, as a win could solidify their chances of making it to the NCAA March Madness tournament. This game also meant a lot to Pittsburg as their fighting for the last seed in their conference tournament. So with that, both teams came out fighting, but the Panthers would be able to endure the “Haas of Pain” and win the game by 16 points, 72-56.

The last time the Panthers and the Golden Bears ran into each other was on January 1st, 2025, in Pittsburg. The game would go to the Panthers, 86-74. The all-time series between these two schools is 2-2, so a win today will give the lead to either of them. California entered this game riding a three-game winning streak; their most recent win was three days ago against SMU, 73-69. However, the Golden Bears aren’t too golden as they lost the last two recent matchups to Pittsburg in a row. After todays game, California would now have dropped the last 3 games in a row to Pittsburgh.

California started with a familiar lineup we’ve all seen. The Golden Bears went with guards Justin Pippen, Dai Dai Ames, and forwards John Camden, Chris Bell, and Lee Dort. Lee Dort was out on injury for seven games, but made his return in the Bears’ last game against the SMU Mustangs. California honored seven graduating Bears before the game in a Senior Day ceremony. The graduating Bears were DeJuan Campbell, John Camden, Milos Ilic, Nolan Dorsey, Chris Bell, Rytis Petraitis, and Lee Dort.

The Panthers came into the Pavilion with forwards Roman Siulepa, Cameron Corhen, and guards Omari Witherspoon, Damarco Minor, and Barry Dunning Jr. Pittsburg senior Cameron Corhen has been on a run lately, averaging 19.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4 assists in their last three games. They also sit on a three-way tie with Notre Dame and Boston College for the last spot in the upcoming ACC Tournament.

With the crowd on their feet and ready to cheer on the Bears. Pittsburgh Panthers guard Damarco Minor would hit a three-pointer, followed right up by a fastbreak dunk. This quick 5-0 scoring run would quite the fans for now. Eventually, Lee Dort would get the Bears on the board with a quick layup inside the paint.

In the first 10 minutes of play, Cal was having a rough start in the afternoon with already having 6 turnovers. While Pittsburg just had 1 turnover, and was shooting well on the court to back up their lead. The Panthers were shooting 43% while the Bears were at a low 37%. The score was 7-14, but Bear Dejuan Campbell scored 5 points by himself in 5 minutes to bring the score to 12-14.

Guard Dejuan Campbell’s impact in the 1st half sparked the Golden Bears to lock in and focus on the team’s last home game. The Bears would finish the first half with 12 turnovers, and gave up 14 points in those turnovers. However, the Bears’ shooting brought them closer. As they never had the lead at all during the game, but that would change in the 2nd half.

At halftime, the Golden Bears were down to the Panthers 34-26. Dejuan would lead the Bears with 8 points in his 9 minutes of playing time. His impact and presence on the court was a big factor for the Bears to come back and win this game. His ability to be ready at all times and at anytime proves how valuable their bench is. The Bears’ bench would go and put up 12 points in the 1st half.

The Panthers again would get the half going off another three-pointer from Damarco Minor. Then Golden Bear forward Chris Bell would get a three-pointer to fall right after Minor’s shot. Cal is entering this half playing catch-up to Pittsburgh. With 10 minutes into play, nothing much has changed. The Bears would be able to hit some shots, then eventually go on multiple scoring droughts. Which was really slowing down their comeback. The score is now 52-44, Panthers hold a 8 point lead.

With 4 minutes left, the Bears are starting to run out, and safe to say Dai Dai Ames is on it. Ames drives to the paint for a layup, getting fouled, and knocking down his free throw for a three-point play. His efforts, trying to somehow get the Bears going and the crowd back in the game wasn’t enough. Especially the Panthers going on a 7-0 scoring run right after that. Pushing Pittsburgh’s lead to 14 points in this timeframe.

Although the results weren’t what the Bears and their fans were expecting. The graduating bears and players put on one last show in their home. They were lead by Dai Dai Ames with 11 points and 2 rebounds. On the other side of the bench, Pittsburgh Panthers forward Barry Dunning Jr would put up a double-double in Berkeley’s home finale.

The California Golden Bears have two more games left in the season, but will be on the road. Their first stop will be against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on March 4th, then they will end their season against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on March 7th. These last few games will project the Golden Bears’ chances for the NCAA March Madness tournament and their seeding placement in the ACC Tournament.

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva: Cal picks up 20th win and third straight win over SMU

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Cal Bears guard Justin Pippin (10) takes a jump shot against the SMU Mustangs at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Feb 25, 2026 (photo by Michael Villanueva-Sports Radio Service)

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva:

#1 Michael a real nailbiter right down to the end and the Cal Bears Justin Pippin put the final touches with two free throws that keyed it for Cal with 12 second left in the game to give Cal a 72-69 lead and the win.

#2 SMU Mustangs came in the challenger with the same identicial record as Cal at 19-8 but it was the Bears who stayed ahead of the Mustangs for most of the game to come away with a three point win.

#3 Pippin who got those two final free throws also led Cal in socring with 24 points the Mustangs just couldn’t contain him on defense.

#4 Michael, the Bears Chris Bell followed finishing second in scoring with 20 points Bell was also intrumental coming away with Cal’s 20th win on the 25-26 campaign.

#5 Next up for Cal the Pitt Panthers who got beat by Stanfordo on Wednesday night 75-67 at Stanford. The Panthers are now 10-18 a struggling bunch who come to Haas Pavilion on Saturday for a 1:00pm matinee. Cal is on a roll they have won three in a row as Cal head coach Mark Madson picks up his first career win against SMU.

Michael Villanuevea does the Cal Bears podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Stanford can’t win on Cal’s floor in 72-66 loss

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Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie sits on the Stanford bench during warm ups before their game against the Cal Bears at Cal Berkeley on Sat Feb 21, 2026 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 How will freshman guard Ebuka Okorie’s scoring ability (averaging ~22.5 points per game) impact Stanford’s offensive strategy against Cal?

#2 What adjustments can Stanford make to support Okorie if teammates like Benny Gealer or Aidan Cammann struggle offensively?

#3 How might Stanford’s defense try to contain Cal’s balanced attack after personnel like Chris Bell and John Camden had big outputs in their last matchup?

#4 What role could Stanford forward AJ Rohosy play on the boards against Cal’s big men and how critical could his rebounding be?

#5 Can players such as Jeremy Dent-Smith step up in key moments to complement Okorie’s offense and shift the momentum in Stanford’s favor?

Michael Roberson filled in for Daniel Dullum on the Stanford Cardinal podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cardinal chopped down in Bears’ Territory 72-66; swept in the Battle of the Bay

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Cal Bears guard DJ Campbell (1) dribbles against the Stanford Cardinal guard Benny Gealer (5) at Haas Pavilion in Berekeley on Sat Feb 21, 2026 (Cal Bears X photo)

By Micahel Roberson

BERKELEY, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (16-11, 5-9 ACC) were unable to split the Battle of the Bay, after a second consecutive loss 72-66 to the California Golden Bears (19-8, 7-7 ACC).

Cal began the battle with a 5-0 run to mark their territory. Within the initial 20-minute portion of the game, Stanford never took a lead, but tied once. The Golden Bears had the lead for nearly 19 minutes. That advantage was as high as 14, and was the amount at recess, 39-25.

Stanford shot an abysmal 38% from the field and free throw line. Beyond the arc was worse (22%). Cal, on the other hand, shot 42% from 2, 40% from 3, and 88% from the charity stripe. They also grabbed 21 rebounds, while the cross-Bay visitors had 9 turnovers,

No Cardinal hooper was in double-figures, although Ebuka Okorie was close with 9 points and 8 rebounds. Cal had two players reach( that plateau, Dai Dai Ames (13) and Chris Bell (10).

In the second half, the Golden Bears were able to maintain the lead, but Stanford did reduce it as low as 5 points, but could not get over the hump. The Cardinal got the deficit into single digits several time, but untimely missed free throws and their inability to covert baskets from two or three inhibited any miracle comeback victory.

Stanford’s field goal percentage even got worse (29%) in the second half, while there was improvement from Three & Free Land. They also reduced their turnovers to a lone one in the final 20 minutes of play. Cal also shot worse in half number two, and was actually outscored by the Cardinal. However, that 8-point advantage was not enough to overcome the14-point lead at halftime.

After the whistle blew at the 40-minute mark of the game, Cal had done something they had not done in 16 years; sweep the Battle of the Bay series. Although it was a six points margin (72-66) at the horn, Cal led from wire to wire, with a single tie scenario.

The Cardinal produced four players with10+ points at the end of the game, despite not having any at halftime. Redshirt-Sophomore Aidan Cammann actually led the Cardinal in scorn, with 19 points and six rebounds. Okorie added 17 points and career high 13 rebounds. Benny Gealer chipped in 15 points with four three-pointers to boot, AJ Rohosy added 10 points and six rebounds to the Cardinal’s total.

Three Cal representatives offered double-digit scoring for their group. Senior forward and Bay Area native, Chris Bell led all players with 20 points, while fellow senior forward John Camden provided 18 points and 8 rebounds, and junior guard Dai Dai Ames put up 17 points and seven rebounds..

The Cardinal will next be in action Wednesday, February 25, back on the Farm to host the Pittsburgh Panthers at 5 PM PT on the ACC Network. Cal will remain in Berkeley, to host the Southern Methodist Mustangs on the same date at 7 PM PT on the same network.

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinal prepare to meet rival Cal Saturday night at Haas Pavilion

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Stanford Cardinal Rohosy (4) blocks a shot by the Wake Forest Deacon Demon Juke Harris (2) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston Salem NC on Sat Fevb 14, 2026 (AP News photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 How will Ebuka Okorie’s scoring impact shape up against Cal’s defense, given that he’s been Stanford’s top offensive threat this season?

#2 Can Benny Gealer continue his efficiency from beyond the arc and help stretch the floor early against Cal’s backcourt pressure?

#3 What adjustments might coach Kyle Smith ask from Ryan Agawal on both ends, especially in rebounding and defending Cal’s wings?

#4 How significant will the interior play of AJ Rohosy be in controlling the boards and limiting Cal’s scoring in the paint?

#5 Will center/forward Adam Cammann size and playmaking create mismatches against Cal’s defense, and how might that influence Stanford’s offensive rhythm?

Michael Roberson does the Cal Bears podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Falls to No. 20 Clemson 77–55 at Haas Pavilion on Rock Your Crocs Night

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California Golden Bear forward #22 Chris Bell shoots his 2nd free throw attempt with 7:37 remaining in the 1st half in the Haas Pavilion on Saturday evening on February 7th, 2026. (Photo Credits to Michael Villanueva)

By Michael Villanueva

BERKELEY – In front of an excited home crowd, the California Golden Bears played No. 20 Clemson on Saturday night at Haas Pavilion for Rock Your Crocs Night. However, after early signs of optimism, the Tigers easily won 77–55.

Cal came into the game having lost the previous two meetings and losing the all-time series versus Clemson 2–1. Tigers have made it three straight losses in a row. The conference matchup was made more interesting by the fact that, like Georgia Tech before them, this was Clemson’s first time visiting Haas Pavilion. The Tigers started with RJ Godfrey, Jestin Porter, Jake Wahlin, Ace Buckner, and Carter Welling, while the Golden Bears, with their starting five of John Camden, Chris Bell, Justin Pippen, Dai Dai Ames, and center Milos Ilic, took the floor.

Cal was prepared to make a statement first. Justin Pippen quickly ignited the fans with a driving layup after the Golden Bears won the tip. Cal made all three of the team’s shots, while Pippen and Chris Bell led the squad in the first few minutes, with Pippen scoring seven points without a miss and Bell adding six. whereas Clemson had a difficult start, missing multiple shots and committing two turnovers in a nearly four-minute stretch. Five minutes into the game, the Golden Bears had a 13–9 lead, and the crowd was loving it.

However, things suddenly changed quickly. The Bears committed four turnovers in just four minutes, which led to Cal’s offensive decline and allowed Clemson to gain the upper hand. As they found their groove, the Tigers played with accuracy, dishing out nine assists. Their bench also added 20 points, which increased the pressure. The game shifted in favor of Clemson after a 17–1 scoring run over almost ten minutes, as Cal missed 13 straight field goals, falling to 24 percent shooting in the first half. The Tigers’ defense forced nine turnovers, made four blocks, and recorded four steals, keeping Cal to 38 percent from three-point range and giving Clemson a dominating 39–20 advantage at halftime.

Pippen opened the second half by making a midrange jumper and turning the foul into a three-point play. Bell slowly started to find his stride and made back-to-back shots to give the Golden Bears some energy after a short scoring slump. However, Clemson kept their dominance. The Tigers led 56–41 with eight minutes left, and RJ Godfrey’s three-pointer off a foul put them ahead 59–41. Any Cal comeback attempts were consistently stopped by Clemson’s effective offense and defense, which included aggressive drives, rebounds, and smart fouls that sent them to the line.

After Cal missed another field goal going for three minutes, the Tigers took the lead by 24 points, and then the team went on a 9–0 run in two minutes late in the second half, leading fans to begin leaving Haas Pavilion with five minutes remaining. In the closing minutes, Cal coach Mark Madsen started to slowly remove his starters. Despite scoring 33 points in the second half, the Golden Bears were unable to overcome Clemson’s dominant performance. Tigers made 12 three pointers in this game, compared to the home team Bears, who only made 4 all game.

Milos Ilic pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and added two assists, while Justin Pippen led Cal with 19 points. This is Justin’s 20th game this season, scoring in double-digits.

In front of an energetic, Croc-loving home crowd, Clemson easily won the game 77–55, handing Cal a 22-point loss. After an early hot start, the Golden Bears found it difficult to recover from the Tigers’ strong offensive attack and defensive pressure. Clemson is in 2nd place, while the Cal Bears are in 10th place in their conference. Syracuse came into the West Coast and won their games, going 2-0 in the Bay.

In an attempt to bounce back from the hard loss at home, the Golden Bears will travel for their next two games, starting at 4 p.m. on February 11 against Syracuse, who are currently on a two-game losing skid, and Boston College at 9 a.m. on February 14.

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva: Cal hangs onto beat Georgia Tech 90-85 Wednesday night

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Cal Bears center Milos Ilic takes the ball to the hoop being pursued by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Kam Craft (12) at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Feb 4, 2026 (Cal Bears X photo)

Cal Bears podcast Michael Vilanueva Michael Villanueva:

#1 The Cal Bears (17-6) battled hard to stay ahead of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-12) with a five point win 90-85 at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night there was a lot of focus towards the end of the game as the Yellow Jackets were closing in the last few minutes of the game.

#2 Cal’s Dai Dai Ames led with 29 points in the win. Ames help keep the Bears in the contest in his contribution for the win.

#3 Which key statistical matchups will determine the outcome of the Georgia Tech vs. Cal game — for example, how might Cal’s experience at home and scoring differential compare with Georgia Tech’s rebounding strength?

#4 How significant is this game for Georgia Tech’s efforts to stop its recent losing streak and improve its position in ACC play?

#5 What strategies might each coach employ based on last season’s Georgia Tech win in overtime meeting and the current season’s performances of top players like Cal’s Dai Dai Ames and Georgia Tech’s Kowacie Reeves or Baye Ndongo?

Michael Villanueva covers the Cal Bears for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Daniel Dullum: Stanford gets beat by Cal in 12 point deficit

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The score says it all as the Stanford Cardinal are beaten by the Cal Bears on their home floor on Sat Jan 24, 2026 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

Stanford Cardinal podcast Daniel Dullum:

Tough loss for the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday night losing to the Cal Bears at Maples Pavilion 78-66 but Cal had the final say. In the first half it was close but Stanford came away with a four point lead 38-34. The Cardinal in the first half played a solid game and they led early they led by ten points.

This was before Cal put together a 25-5 run and that’s how they got that four point lead in at the half. The Cardinal leading scorer was Jeremy Dent Smith he had the effort but Dent Smith really needed help from his teammates to try and win this game. Stanford they have a nice lineup but they all need to be clicking they need to be playing off each other.

If their not able to do that and Cal had sonething defensively to do with that and yest Dent Smith had a nice game but the other guys have to step up and they didn’t. Cal is having a solid season which is partially why you had every reason to look forward to Saturday night’s game. Both these teams have had their issues the last few years but this season their both off to excellent starts and it looked pretty even going in.

Daniel podcasts Stanford basketball each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal game wrap: Cardinal mauled by Golden Bears, 78-66 in Battle of the Bay I, Saturday on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal guard Jeremy Dent Smith drives to the net against Cal Bears guard TJ Carr (3) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alot Sat Jan 24, 2026 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Michael Robeson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (14-6, 3-4 ACC) squandered a double-digit first half lead and dropped their home portion of the Battle of the Bay 78-66 to the California Golden Bears (15-5, 3-4 ACC) inside of a sold out Maples Pavilion Saturday night.

Cal scored the first points of the game, but soon relinquished the small advantage over the Cardinal,  There were eight lead changes and six ties during the initial 20 minutes of game action.  The last switch would loom big throughout the rest of the game.

With all the back and forth by the longtime Bay Area rivals, Stanford managed to lead by as many as 16 points.  However, the guests from Berkeley would have a say in the scoring margin by halftime.  Both squads had runs, but Stanford’s 10-0 foray had them in the lead for more than 15 and 1/2 minutes, while Cal was in front for less than three minutes.

The Golden Bears used their small of amount of time wisely.  The eighth lead change  came just under a minute before intermission.  Cal completed a dramatic comeback, before the halftime whistle.  By the time it was recess, Cal had turned a 16-point, to a four points lead for themselves.  A 20-point turnaround before halftime, was great momentum for the Golden Bears, 38-34.

At the midway point of the conference clash, Stanford had one player in double figures, Jeremy Dent-Smith (11), while Cal had two of their own to meet the plateau.  Senior forward John Camden had 11 points, in addition sophomore guard and son of basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, Justin chipped in 10 points.

The second half was similar to the first, with Cal converting the first bucket.  Not only did they do that, but they forged a 12-0 run and led by as much as 15 points before 40 minutes elapsed on the game clock.

During the regulated 20 minutes of second half play, there was one more time the score (60) was tied.  Besides that, Cal was in front from the moment they regained the lead before halftime.  From there, they went on to outscore the Cardinal 18-6, tripling their output. At the final buzzer, Stanford had fallen to their cross-Bay rival by 12 points, 78-66.

Jeremy Dent-Smith led the Cardinal with 20 points and Ryan Agarwal added 12 points and 9 rebounds.  The top bucket-getter, Ebuka Okorie did contribute 14 points for the cause; however, it came from an abysmal 1-16 from the floor and 0-9 from 3-point land.  The bright spot was he shot 12-14 from the free throw line, which greatly assisted his final total.

The Golden Bears were led by John Camden’s game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds.  The aforementioned Justin Pippen offered 18 points and six assists, in addition to Dai Dai Ames (11) and Chris Bell’s (10) points production.

Stanford will next be in action Wednesday, January 28th in South Florida, as they take on the Miami Hurricanes 6:00 PM PT and 9:00 PM ET on the ACC Network.  Cal will also fly to the Sunshine State, on the same date, to battle the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee at 4:00 PM PT and 7:00 PM ET, also on the ACC Network.  Part II of the Battle of the Bay will be Saturday, February 21, at Haas Pavilion 3:00 PM PT on the ACC Network.

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva: Camden, Pippin and Cal how they match up against Stanford on Saturday

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Cal Bears forward Lee Dort (left) throws down against UNC Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) in the first half at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Jan 17, 2026. The Bears hit the road Sat Jan 23, 2026 against cross bay rival Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (AP News photo)

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva:

#1 Can John Camden set the tone offensively for Cal on the road, especially if Stanford pressures the Bears on the perimeter early?

#2 How important will Justin Pippin’s pace and decision-making be in keeping Cal composed against Stanford’s half-court defense?

#3 Will Cal look to establish Dai Dai Ames inside to counter Stanford’s frontcourt size, or lean more heavily on spacing and outside shooting?

#4 Can Camden and Pippin win the backcourt battle against Stanford’s guards and limit turnovers in what’s always a high-energy rivalry game?

#5 Which Cal role player could be the X-factor if Stanford sells out to stop Camden — and does Mark Madsen shorten the rotation in a tight road matchup?

Michael Villanueva does the Cal Bears podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com