Tag: UCLA Bruins

U Know Who It Is. UCLA!: No. 1 Bruins Win Convincingly Over Creighton At Chase Center

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Coach Cori Close is greatly loved by her players, the young women she recruited to assume the quest of returning the Bruins to national prominence. Those players are likely well aware that Close hasn’t taken UCLA to the Final Four in her 13 years as head coach.

When you love your coach, and you want her to have the very best storylines, trailing an inferior opponent at halftime of a second round NCAA Tournament game is a nerve wracking situation. Compounding the scene for Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic and the rest of the Bruins was a downcast Pauley Pavilion crowd that had experienced disappointment before.

The team’s play appeared tense, and their defense slipped. Creighton kept pushing, trying to put as many made baskets in their cookie jar as possible before the hosts snapped to. The Bluejays led 38-28 in the second quarter, and we’re still leading 44-34 in the third when Rice settled in.

“I just knew that I needed to do whatever I had to do to help my team win, whether that was feeding the ball to Lauren (Betts), scoring, doing whatever, and I think I was just focused on that,” Rice said.

Close’s tough love speech was all focus, and very little to do with her Final Four aspirations.

“At halftime, I really laid into them about the choices,” she said. “We don’t give up that many points in a half to anybody. So, we needed to just get back to doing things with our defense. I knew if we could get enough stops, we would score enough points.”

Sure enough, UCLA’s defensive intensity prevailed as Creighton scored just 21 points after the break while experiencing three lengthy droughts. The Bruins’ crowd exhaled, and the team advanced to the Sweet 16.

But they went no further, suffering a late game defeat to LSU in Albany the following week, and Close’s streak continued for another year.

“We didn’t get the shots that we wanted,” she said. “We did not execute the way that we needed to, and that’s one that’s going to sting for a really long time for me.”

A really long time wasn’t long at all for the hyper-motivated Close. Along with associate head coach Shannon LeBeauf and assistant Tony Newnan, who have been with Close since her beginning in Westwood, they hit the transfer portal with a mandate to add more of everything to put around Rice and Betts. Adding Janiah Barker from Alabama, Timea Gardiner from Oregon State, and Charlisse Leger-Walker from Washington State along with a group of highly-regarded freshman accomplished that. UCLA’s reload was simply loaded.

The Bruins opened the season running and took down reigning National Champion South Carolina in the process. A more diversified offense and relentless defense fueled an 11-0 start to the season and the Bruins ascent to No. 1 in the polls. Creighton was next on Friday at Chase Center, and the Bluejays immediately saw their opponent’s relentless ways.

“Seventy or 80 percent of it was them, but I thought we were tight and sped up offensively,” Creighton coach Jim Flanery said of UCLA’s flawless first quarter that ended with the Bruins leading 28-4.

Flanery acknowledged that the Bruins probably weren’t in the mindset of having another close call in the rematch, even if they had to play without Betts, who was out with a leg injury.

“The first quarter, I thought they played really fast and had us on our heels.”

The Bruins went on to win easily, 70-41. Their 12-0 start to the season includes just one win by fewer than 11 points. And now their first season in the Big Ten has arrived, along with two huge dates with crosstown irritant USC. A team this deep that wins with ease frequently needs an edge. Close has that covered as well.

“Nobody’s going to play perfect every single night. And bottom line is we have to have a selflessness that if it’s not my night, I’m going to celebrate it being someone else’s night,” she said.

What of the pressure of being the best team in the polls now but needing to break through in March?

“We have not arrived. And I think our ability to be relentlessly focused on being present and having a growth mindset. It is urgent that we improve today. It is urgent that I make a teammate better today.”

NBA/Bill Walton podcast with Tony Renteria: Bill Walton put in the enjoyment of basketball and life everyday

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The late Bill Walton holds up his UCLA #32 Jersey encased. Walton was one of the most famous UCLA players of all time which can also be shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Walton played for UCLA in 1972 and 1973 where he led the Bruins to two championships (photo from UCLA Bruins)

#1 Long time basketball analyst and former UCLA Bruins star in 1972 and 1973 Bill Walton passed away from cancer at age 71. Walton played in the NBA for the Portland Trailblazers, San Diego Clippers, and Boston Celtics from 1974-75 to 1986-87.

#2 He help lead UCLA to two NCAA Championship titles in the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons. He was one of the most famous Bruins of all time along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

#3 Walton is a charter member of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 after playing in the NBA from 1974-75 to 1986-87.

#4 Former Philadelphia 76er Dr. J Julius Erving said of the passing of Walton, “I am sad today hearing that my comrade and one of the sports world’s most beloved champions and characters has passed,” Erving wrote on social media. “Bill Walton enjoyed life in every way. To compete against him and to work with him was a blessing in my life.”

#5 When you look at how carefree and how much fun it was to be around a guy like Bill Walton who after retiring from the NBA became a broadcaster and added more joy to the game as much as when he played the game it’s no wonder why everyone loved being around Bill Walton.

Join Tony Renteria for the NBA podcasts each Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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

Cardinal Mauled by Bruins, 82-74, in the last Conference Matchup of the Rival California Schools; UCLA wins fourth straight game

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UCLA Bruins forward Adem Bona (3) is fouled on his way to the basket by the Stanford Cardinal forward Spencer Jones (left) during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Feb 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (11-11, 6-6 Pac-12) could not withstand the sharp claws of the University of California – Los Angeles Bruins (12-11, 7-5 Pac-12), 82-74, in their LAST Pacific – 12 Battle on the Farm.

Although the LA bears took a 3-0 lead to start the game, the Palo Alto squad came back to go ahead momentarily. Both teams traded leads and had multiple ties during the first 20-minute block, Both had 5-point leads , while Stanford had an 8-0 run, UCLA had a 6-0 of their own push.

Despite no player for the Cardinal reaching double-figures in the First 20, senior Brandon Angel provided eight points for the home team. The Bruins leader at the half was freshman Sebastian Mack, with his 12 points, lady ng everyone in the gymnasium.

At intermission, the visitors from Westwood had a 2-point lead. UCLA 35, Stanford 33.

In the second half, the Bruins had an 8-0 run and held leads as high as 8 points. Stanford managed to get a 50-49 lead near the midway point of the second half. However, UCLA was able to stave them off the rest of the game.

Stanford was perfect from the line most of the game, until (1:25) less than two minutes left in the game, when Maxime Raynaud missed the first of his three misses. UCLA, on the other hand, was horrid from the line for the game, until late in the second half. They ended with a respectable 77% from the line at game’s end.

The Cardinal tried to overtake their southern California opposition, with three players tallying double figure scoring. Raynaud had a double-double (20 points & 10 rebounds), Brandon Angel (12) and Spencer Jones (15). Their 15 turnovers did not help, and the bruins 7 more made threes and 9 more FT’s was a huge contributing factor in the team’s downfall.

The Bruins presented five hoopers with 10+ points on the stat sheet. They were led by the aforementioned Mack (21) with 4 made threes. His 6 missed free throws kept him in the low 20’s. The other four: Aden Bona (16), Dylan Andrews (13), Will McClendon (13), and Lazar Stefanovic (10).

After the 40 minutes of regulation time ended, the UCLA Bruins maintained their largest lead (8) for the final score, 82-74.

The Cardinal will next be in action hosting the USC Trojans, Saturday, February 10, at Maples at 7 PM on ESPN2/U. The Bruins cross the Bay to take on California on the same date at 2:30 PM on FOX.

Cardinal defeat cold-shooting Bruins 59-53

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UCLA Bruins guard Lazar Stefonovic (10) defends against the Stanford Cardinal guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) in first half action at Pauly Pavilion in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Wednesday, January 4, 2024

Timely 3-point shooting by Andrej Stojakovic and Kanaan Carlyle in the second half put Stanford ahead, and the Cardinal hung on for a 59-53 Pac-12 men’s basketball win over UCLA Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Carlyle made a trey with 14:32 remaining to tie the game at 36-36. Nearly two minutes later, Stojakovic sank a corner 3 to put the Cardinal (7-6 overall, 2-1 Pac-12) ahead 39-36. Carlyle made another 3-pointer at 11:41, giving Stanford a 42-36 lead.

The Bruins (6-8 overall, 1-2 Pac-12) pulled to within three points three times, but got no closer. Spencer Jones sank two free throws with 24 seconds to play, giving the Cardinal their largest lead at 58-47.

Carlyle led Stanford with 17 points, four assists and two steals while making 3 of 5 3-point attempts. Maxime Raynaud grabbed nine rebounds.

Sebastian Mack was UCLA’s top scorer with 14 points, followed by Berke Buyuktuncel with 13 and Adem Bona with 12 points, nine rebounds and three steals. The Bruins led 30-26 at halftime and outrebounded Stanford 36-30.

The Bruins suffered through a horrendous shooting night. After starting the game hitting 8 of 9 from the field, UCLA wound up making 32.8 percent (19 of 58). UCLA had a 17-minute stretch, starting in the first half, where it made only three baskets.

Stanford visits Southern California on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is at 1 p.m.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Stanford hopes to continue offensive ways in UCLA Wednesday night

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The Stanford Cardinal were a scoring machine against the Arizona Cardinal on New Years eve at Maples Pavilion at Stanford (isiphotos.com)

On Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael, how shocking was that win for the Stanford Cardinal win over the Arizona Wildcats Sunday at Maples in a 18 point 100-82 win.

#2 The Cardinal got some offensive help from Kanaan Carlyle with a leading 28 points his contribution kept Stanford ahead from the Wildcats who are known to have a talented offense of their own.

#3 Follow up to Carlyle was Spencer Jones with 21 points one of four players to finish in double figures. Michael you have to agree that the Cardinal did shock not only those in attendance at Maples but the Wildcats as well.

#4 From what you’ve seen Michael this is an improved team or did Stanford just have a game plan and was prepared for the Wildcats?

#5 The Cardinal hope to keep it up as they head to Pauly Pavilion in Los Angeles to face the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins lost five of their last seven games and this might be another opportunity for the Cardinal to get another win. Tip off 6pm PT on Wednesday night.

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

Bears collapse; Frankie Collins leads Arizona State to comeback win

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

Sunday, Dec 31, 2023

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

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

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

By Stephen Ruderman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Michael Roberson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

California Bears Upset UCLA With Spectacular Defense 33-7

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

By Barbara Mason

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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