Tag: California Golden Bears

Cal Bears basketball podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal can’t hold on just miss with 60-58 loss to Utah

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Utah guard Gabe Madsen (55) shoots against California guard Jordan Shepherd at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Feb 19, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears basketball podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris, the Utah Utes (10-16) didn’t score for almost seven minutes in the second half and the Cal Bears (11-17) almost took advantage of it cutting the score down to two points. The Bears made a valent effort at the end but couldn’t seal the deal taking a tough 60-58 loss at Haas Pavilion.

#2 Later though Utah found the basket and pulled away with just over seven minutes left in the game.

#3 The Utes held the lead in this one from the opening tip with a first half lead by 32-24 and couldn’t muster up to catch the Utes in the closing minutes of the game.

#4 The Bears Lars Thiemann 16 pts, Jalen Celestine, Kuany Kuany and Jordan Shepherd finished with 10 pts and Grant Anticevich with eight.

#5 Cal tips off against the Stanford Cardinal next Sat Feb 26 the Stanford has won only two of their last six games and lost to the Utes last Thursday 60-56. Tell us how you see this match up next Saturday.

Join Morris for the Cal Bears basketball podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Second Half Stampede: Colorado bests Cal, 70-62, ends Bears modest win streak

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Five consecutive halves of competitive basketball from the Golden Bears delivered the expected: two wins and a loss.

The loss came Thursday night at Haas Pavilion, 70-62 to Colorado as the Buffs seized control of a close game with a 14-1 run to start the second half. Cal’s 25 percent shooting after the break put an end to what had been a promising start, and a continuation of the club’s strong play during their sweep of the Oregon schools.

“We were pleased with our play on both ends in the first half, and then really disappointed with how we started the second half,” coach Mark Fox said. “We didn’t play well enough in the second half and I thought Colorado took advantage of our defensive play.”

The Bears shot 15 of 29 in the first half and led by seven at the break. But an opportunity was missed in the final minutes when they missed four 3’s and failed to go to halftime with a double-digit lead. The second half started with a string of empty possessions contrasting the Buffs’ aggressiveness that saw them take the ball to the basket repeatedly with success.

“I’m really pleased with the toughness we showed,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “Cal’s a physical team. We had to be tougher and stronger and we played that way.”

Cal’s close of the first half, and their drought to start the second saw them miss 22 of 25 shots. That took the home crowd out of the mix, and left the Bears in a tough spot, entirely of their making according to Fox.

“As soon as adversity hit, we didn’t respond the right way and I was certainly very disappointed in all of us tonight.”

What specifically changed? The Buffs defensive pressure. Cal enjoyed a string of open looks in the first half. That stopped after the break as Colorado gained intensity. And the Bears’ response wasn’t to match the visitors’ energy. That difference was reflected in a 43-28 edge in the rebounding for the visitors, and in Colorado’s 21 made free throws, a benefit of them taking the ball to the basket.

“We clawed our way back in by getting stops,” Boyle said. “We adjusted in the second half and turned it around.”

CU got 19 points each from Jabari Walker and freshman KJ Simpson. Evan Battey added 18.

Jalen Celestine and Grant Anticevich led Cal with just 11 points each, and Kuany Kuany added a season-best 10 in just 18 minutes off the bench.

The Bears continue their home stretch with a 3:00pm meeting with the Utah Utes on Saturday.

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca: After two game sweep on road trip Cal ready to take on Colorado Thursday in Berkeley

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Cal Bears Jordan Shepherd (31) led with a career high 33 points throws down against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Sat Feb 12, 2022 (photo by Cal Bears Athletics Dept)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Michael:

On the Cal Bears basketball podcast with Michael:

#1 When you just sit back and look at that score the Cal Bears (11-15) 78 and the Oregon Ducks (16-8) 64 a game that was played at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Saturday night it’s shocking but yes it’s real.

#2 The win on Saturday in Eugene was Cal’s second win in this two game Oregon trip taking two games at Oregon State and Oregon. Previous to the win on Thursday at Oregon State Cal had lost ten straight games. What changed?

#3 The Bears guard Jordan Shepherd on Saturday was the only Cal player to score in double figures with 33 points which quite remarkable if you consider Cal winning by 14 points so it looks like all Shepherd all the time.

#4 What also was remarkable was the first half Sunday where the Bears scored a 38-22 lead going into half time and you could see the shock on the faces on Ducks fans and Ducks bench.

#5 The Bears next take on the Colorado Buffaloes (15-9) on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion. The Buffaloes have won their last two games and have won four of their last ten games. Colorado defeated the Utah Utes (9-16) 81-76 in their last game on Saturday night.

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

Bears Find Safe Passage On The Oregon Trail: Cal completes rare road sweep, shocks the Ducks, 78-64

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

More than 200 years after the Oregon Trail was established, there were the Golden Bears trapping opponents, and trading their tarnished reputations for new ones draped in respect on Super Bowl weekend.

Yes, winning first at Oregon State, then shocking the NCAA-hopeful Oregon Ducks, 78-64 on Saturday afternoon demands some historical perspective for Cal hoops. The first win for the Bears in Eugene since 2014 was also was biggest win in coach Mark Fox’s tenure in Berkeley. The embattled coach’s remarks afterwards slyly interpreted the occasion.

“This isn’t about me,” Fox said. “This is about trying to re-establish Cal basketball. We came here expecting to win.”

Getting the opportunity to say what you wouldn’t dare say before you stop a crippling, 10-game losing streak is wholly satisfying. Getting to say it in a manner that defends your methods and personality even more so. Fox earned that opportunity on Saturday, and selflessly spread the wealth.

“During that stretch, you find out who’s with you and who’s not,” Fox said of the losing streak’s effect on his team. “And those kids in there never wavered.”

What the Bears accomplished on Saturday was nothing less than shocking in its manner and impact. After a leisurely start that saw the visitors fall behind 12-5, a timeout hatched a 24-0 run that had Cal in control, leading 29-12 with 7:19 remaining before the break. During the timeout, Fox reiterated to his club not to force the issue at the rim with the athletic Ducks, but instead take what Oregon’s zone look would afford.

“We said, take the midrange jumper,” Fox said of his message. “It’s still a good shot in basketball.”

Jordan Shepherd connected from the free throw line extended first, then less than a minute later, Kuany Kuany buried a jumper from nearly the same spot. Sam Alajiki hit a 3, then Lars Thiemann followed with a layup while fouled, and he hit the following free throw.

On the other end, Oregon (16-8, 9-4) committed a pair of turnovers, then missed two 3-pointers. Their Matthew Knight Arena crowd grew quiet, and Cal kept up the onslaught. Ultimately, the Ducks would misfire 10 consecutive shots, and the 3’s that had carried them–Oregon leads the Pac-12 in shooting percentage from distance at 36 percent–would be their worst enemy. Against Cal, the Ducks were 5 for 27 from distance.

“We came out and gave them easy baskets to start the game,” OU coach Dana Altman said. “They got rolling, and we could never get it stopped. And then on offense our ball movement wasn’t good, we missed some open shots and maybe tightened up a bit.”

Shepherd led the Bears (11-15, 4-11) with 33 points on 9 for 15 shooting from the floor. No one else was in double-digits for Cal, Grant Anticevich, Jalen Celestine and Makale Foreman each scored eight points.

The Bears enjoyed a healthy advantage on the glass early, limiting the Ducks to one shot on most possessions. The final rebounding numbers were 36-31 for Cal, but the first half, when the game was decided, greatly favored Cal.

The Bears shot 53 percent for the game, and didn’t allow themselves to be hurt by their 17 turnovers once they gained control.

On Thursday, the Bears get the unique opportunity to further reiterate their resurgence in a meeting with Colorado on Thursday at 6:30pm at Haas Pavilion.

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca: Cal snaps 10 game losing streak beat Beavers 63-61

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

California guard Jordan Shepherd passes around Oregon State guard Dexter Akanno at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis on Wed Feb 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Michael:

#1 Last night the Cal Bears (10-15) finally can breath a sigh of relief after taking a two point victory over the Oregon State Beavers (3-18) 63-61 at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis on Wednesday night to snap a ten game losing streak. 

#2 The Beavers Dexter Akanno hit a three pointer with 5:16 in the second half to tie the game at 55 all. The Beavers did regain the lead hitting six consecutive free throws narrowing the lead to 61-59 with 1:54 left in the contest.

#3 It was Shepherd who took a jump shot 1:39 to tie the game at 61 up on a goaltending call with 18 seconds remaining. The Beavers Jarod Lucas took a three point shot with just two seconds left and Maurice Calloo tried to score on rebound to put the ball in the net but missed. Shepherd led Cal with 15 points.

#4 The Bears Grant Anticevich had 13 points and eight rebounds. Anticevich for his efforts scored three 3 pointers. Cal’s Joel Brown had nine points, seven assists, and nine rebounds.

#5 Cal takes on the Oregon Ducks (15-7) Saturday at 1:00pm in Eugene. The Ducks have won three straight games including a win over the Utah Utes (9-15) a three point victory 80-77. Michael set this one up what are Cal’s chances?

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

Bears Breakthrough: Cal wins at Oregon State, 63-61, ends 10-game losing streak

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

Throughout a difficult losing skid, and after an injury sidelined their leading scoring for the rest of the season, the Cal Bears kept it together. The payoff for all that focus and belief came Wednesday night.

Maurice Calloo’s improbable miss at the rim that would have sent the game into overtime, allowed the Bears to escape with a 63-61 win in Corvallis over Oregon State. Cal broke their 10-game losing streak, and won for the first time on the road this season.

“These young men weren’t winning but they were functioning like winners so you had to know things would eventually turn around if we did the right thing,” coach Mark Fox said.

The Bears (10-15, 3-11) trailed by one at the half, and never led by more than four points. That led them to a suspenseful conclusion in which Jordan Shepherd’s shot was goaltended with 18 seconds remaining, breaking a 61-61 tie.

Andre Kelly, Cal’s leading scorer who injured January 29 in a loss to USC was declared lost for the season before the game when medical tests on his ankle revealed significant damage. That again forced Fox to rethink his lineups, and depend on a smaller core of performers.

Against OSU, Grant Anticevich, Jalen Celestine, Joel Brown and Shepherd each logged at least 35 minutes, and Cal had to weather their own uneven play at points due to their reliance on the tighter rotation.

Calloo’s 3-pointer with 11:43 remaining put OSU up 47-42, but Cal responded with an 11-2 run to lead 53-49 with 6:47 left.

“We weren’t good defensively to start the second half, but once we strung together some stops, I felt like we settled in,” Fox said.

The Bears took advantage of Oregon State on the glass with 14 offensive rebounds leading to 17 points. That along with 10 steals offset Cal’s 36 percent shooting that was too poor to allow them to sustain any momentum.

Shepherd led Cal with 15 points, and Anticevich had 13 points, eight rebounds. Brown contributed nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists along with a stellar defensive job on OSU’s Jarod Lucas, who scored just two points after halftime.

“I’m super-proud of Joel. He really competed well tonight and I thought he was probably our MVP,” Fox said of Brown. “We had a lot of guys chip in and play well but he was the difference in this one.”

Last season the Beavers (3-18, 1-10) defeated Cal three times, and then the Bears were forced to watch the hosts improbable run, as OSU won the Pac-12 Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. But those standout performers that led Oregon State have endured a rough season that’s landed them in last place in the conference.

Warith Alatishe was limited to 24 minutes on Wednesday and finished with seven points, seven rebounds while clearly favoring a previous knee injury.

Calloo led Oregon State with 18 points but missed 10 of his 16 shots from the field.

The Bears travel to Eugene on Saturday to face the Oregon Ducks at 1:00pm.

A Missed Shot Here, A Failed Pass There: Cal comes up short in 68-64 loss to Washington State

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY–The narrowest of Cal’s ten consecutive losses was going to be agonizing under any circumstances, but losing streaks unearth patterns, and the Bears showed their stripes in Saturday’s 68-64 loss to Washington State.

Missed shots, failed passes, empty offensive possessions continue to plague the Bears, whether they commit those errors repeatedly or sparingly, as was the case in a four-point loss to the Cougars that the hosts could have pushed to overtime with a timely bucket in the game’s final minute.

Instead–without the benefit of a timeout to gain composure–Joel Brown got to an advantageous spot on the floor, but missed a nine-footer that was awkwardly released.

Coach Mark Fox referenced the final three minutes, but his team’s 14 turnovers, 14 missed 3’s and 15 fouls–six more than WSU committed–took place over the entirety of the 40 minutes. The biggest of the those mistakes may have been a turnover at mid-court to start the second half, which prompted Fox to call a timeout just 13 seconds in.

“We got a little bit to casual, and that led to a turnover,” said Fox. “All of the little things matter.”

On Cal’s second possession of the half, Kuany Kuany backed down his defender with a lack of urgency, and without an advantage, and the 6’9″ forward was whistled for an offensive foul. In essence, Cal’s afternoon was short circuited in the first two offensive trips after halftime, not in the final minutes, as Fox claimed.

While the root cause of Cal’s defeat may be cause for debate, the reason the Cougars snatched the win was obvious. Washington State has undeniable, offensive acumen typified on Saturday by diminutive guard Michael Flowers.

Flowers, one of the most sought after players to emerge from the transfer portal in the off-season, put up 21 points, making his first, four 3-point attempts, along with four, consecutive made free throws in the game’s final 30 seconds. Early in the second half, Flowers attacked the basket with two Cal defenders waiting, and emerged with a nifty layup on an up-and-under move.

Coach Kyle Smith has turned diminutive guards with offensive talent into stars at Washington State and before that, at USF. He summed up Flower’s contributions while unconsciously hinting at what Cal currently lacks.

“That’s what good players do, they secure rebounds, and make free throws, put those games away, close them out,” Smith said.

The Cougs (14-7, 7-3) captured their first road sweep of Stanford and Cal since 1993. Efe Abogidi contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds and Tyrell Roberts added 12 points.

Cal got a career-best 20 points from Jalen Celestine, along with 16 points, four rebounds from Grant Anticevich in 36 minutes off the bench. Jordan Shepherd was the only Cal starter to score in double figures, but he was 5 for 18 from the floor for 10 points.

Kuany and Sam Alajiki went scoreless after their minutes were curtailed despite both being in the starting lineup.

The Bears (9-15, 2-11) get time to reset before traveling to Oregon for contests with the OSU Beavers on Thursday and Oregon on Saturday.

Dialed In From Distance: Hot-shooting propels Washington past Cal, 84-63

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Remember the awful shooting Huskies that barely survived their non-conference schedule, and suffered embarrassing loses to Northern Illinois and Utah Valley?

That’s not how they roll these days. The Cal Bears can attest to that.

Jamal Bey scored 20 points, and Washington hit 12 of 23 from three in an 84-63 rout of host Cal on Thursday night. The visibly fatigued Bears dropped their ninth straight and their second, consecutive loss at Haas Pavilion by more than 20 points.

“We played like a tired basketball team,” coach Mark Fox said. “We were just a step behind everything. We got to get some rest and regroup.”

Cal (9-14, 2-10) fell behind immediately, trailing 10-2 less than four minutes in. A Washington scoreless stretch of more than four minutes provided the Bears and opening, but they failed to take advantage. With 12:22 remaining in the half, Cal trailed 10-8, but from that juncture the Huskies went from scoreless to bonkers.

Washington (12-8, 7-3) hit 11 of their next 19 shots to lead 38-29 at the break.

The individual scoring for the Huskies progressed like a relay race. Emmitt Mathews Jr. scored UW’s first seven on 3 for 3 shooting, then went quiet. The Pac-12’s leading scorer Terrell Brown Jr. was next with 13 of his 19 before halftime.

Bey, the lone non-transfer among the Huskies’ starters heated up after the break. Daejon Davis, the transfer from Stanford, took his turn after Bey.

The toll? The quartet combined for 27 made baskets, and ten of the Huskies’ 12 3-pointers. Only Brown did his work inside the arc, registering all eight of his buckets from two. And make no mistake, Cal was victimized everywhere, allowing 10 layups, three dunks and 17 fastbreak points.

“We have some tired guys,” Fox said. “They didn’t have the juice tonight.”

Among the teams in Cal’s five game-in-10 days stretch, UW was supposed to offer the respite. Cal’s other four opponents–USC, UCLA, Stanford and Washington State–all have NCAA aspirations, and figured to be merciless. In the lead up, Washington’s conference schedule was labeled as a run through the league’s bottom tier with Arizona the only ranked opponent.

Well, on Thursday, the UW’s run continued; the Huskies have won 7 of 9.

“We’re just coming in with a different mindset,” Davis said when asked about UW’s in-season turnaround. “Everyday there’s a message that goes in our group chat, and it’s ‘Believe.’ And that’s something we’re sticking by and we just want to put together as many wins in a row that we can. And it’s always good to get a road win.”

Obinna Anyanwu led Cal with 10 points, Jalen Celestine added nine in the absence of Andre Kelly, who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. Jordan Shepherd and Grant Anticevich combined to miss eight attempts from hree.

The Bears will be even more focused on Saturday for Washington State’s visit in hopes of avoiding their streak hitting 10 games. But focus might not mean fresher legs. The 1:00 pm tip comes just 36 hours after Thursday’s meaning the Bears will do more mental gymnastics than on-court conditioning.

“This is a one day prep,” Fox revealed.

WSU avenges earlier loss, holds on for 66-60 win over Cardinal

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Washington State Cougars forward (12) Michael Flowers drives up court against the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion on Thu Feb 3, 2022 (photo by Stanford Cardinal)

By Daniel Dullum
Thursday, February 3, 2022

Despite a game-high 24 points from Spencer Jones, Stanford fell to visiting Washington State 66-60 Thursday in Pac-12 men’s basketball at Maples Pavilion.

The Cougars’ win avenged an earlier loss to Stanford on Jan. 13.

No other player for the Cardinal (13-8 overall, 6-5 Pac-12) scored in double-figures. Jones made 4 of 8 3-pointers while notching his third 20-plus point game of the season. Jaiden Delaire was next on the Stanford scoring list with eight points, and James Keefe finished with 10 rebounds and six points.

The Cougars led 33-21 at halftime and held on to win, even though Stanford outscored them 39-33 in the second half.

Washington State (13-7, 6-3) was paced by Michael Flowers, who scored 22 points, followed by Tyrell Roberts with 12. Flowers’ 3-pointer extended the Cougars’ lead to 63-55 with 4;11 to play in the second half.

Jones sank a 3 and Keefe’s dunk pulled the Cardinal to within 63-60 at 1:18. On Stanford’s final possession, Isa Silva and Harrison Ingram each missed a 3-pointer. Efe Abogidi made 3 of 4 free throws in the final minutes for WSU.

The Cougars made 49 percent of their shots (24 of 49), while Stanford was 23 of 59 (39 percent). The Cardinal outrebounded WSU 36-26.

The Cardinal continue their stretch of playing eight games in 17 days when they host Washington on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m.

High-Minded Hoopfest on the Hardwood: Stanford outslugs Cal, 57-50

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

STANFORD, CA–Determined to avoid a bad loss, Stanford got an ugly win.

The Golden Bears got what was left–and not what they were looking for–a seventh, consecutive loss.

That’s what you get on a rare Tuesday in the Pac-12: succinct conclusions, ragged hoops and gutty performances. Throw in Cal’s signature deliberate pace, and this one was hardly memorable, but it was hard fought. The compressed schedule that has Cal (2-9, 9-13) playing five times in 10 days, along with Tuesday’s physical play clearly impacted them in a second half that was controlled by the hosts.

“I do think that we wore down a little bit in the second half,” coach Mark Fox said. “Certainly we missed Andre on the offensive end, but defensively we gave ourselves a chance.”

Powered by a 9-0 run early, Cal led for much of the first half. But the Cardinal’s defense and rebounding eventually became the story. Cal trailed by just one point at the break despite shooting 32 percent from the floor. Better shooting in the second half (38 percent) didn’t propel the Bears, instead they fell victim to Stanford’s insistence on getting the ball to the rim. Cal’s attempts to rally failed as they missed eight of nine 3-point attempts after halftime.

“We talked a lot about pace during halftime and just getting the ball moving, getting downhill off screens,” Stanford’s James Keefe said when asked what changed after the break. “But, I think coach gave us a good plan and we got it going from there. So, I guess you could say stagnant.”

Jaden Delaire and freshman Harrison Ingram led Stanford with 12 points a piece. Spencer Jones and Michael O’Connell each had nine points, and fifth starter Keefe best “embraced the grind” as described by coach Jerod Haase. Keefe finished with eight points and 11 rebounds, and a bunch of hustle plays in an uneven first half that could have saw the Cardinal fall into a hole.

Andre Kelly was absent for the Bears, as a result of his leg injury suffered on Saturday at USC. Lars Thiemann responded with the lengthiest and most impressive outing of his career with 11 points, six rebounds in 32 minutes.

“Lars really did an admirable job,” Fox said. “I was surprised he could go 30 minutes. He’s been our leading scorer and rebounder in practice all year. He just needs confidence to let the game slow down, and that’ll help him get better.”

Jordan Shepherd led Cal with 15 points, but missed 12 of his 17 shots from the floor. Grant Anticevich was reinstated to the starting lineup, but his seven points, seven rebounds weren’t impactful enough, especially in Kelly’s absence.

Washington visits Cal on Thursday, the Bears next opportunity to end a losing streak that has them currently 10th in the conference race ahead of one-win clubs, Oregon State and Utah.