Fresh off of an exciting overtime victory versus Washington State, the Bears invited the Cardinal to Berkeley for the 283rd Big Game between the cross-Bay rivals. As expected, the game was a back-and-forth dogfight, with neither team giving an edge. Ultimately — in Cal fashion — the Bears survived a nail-biter, winning 73-71.
Fresh off of an exciting overtime victory versus Washington State, the Bears invited the Cardinal to Berkeley for the 283rd Big Game between the cross-Bay rivals.
One of the biggest headlines entering Friday night was Cal head coach Mark Madsen facing his alma mater for the first time ever. The build-up to the game has been like none other this season, as Haas Pavilion truly transformed into the “Haas of Pain” with its season-high, nearly 9,000 in attendance.
“To the best crowd in the country, go Bears!” said Madsen after grabbing the microphone following the final buzzer.
As expected, the game was a back-and-forth dogfight, with neither team giving an edge. Ultimately — in Cal fashion — the Bears survived a nail-biter, winning 73-71.
The win added another Big Game victory under the Bears’ belt this year.
Though respect is universal, neither of these two programs are completely fond of each other and it was reflected through the energy, competitiveness and physicality of the game.
Early scoring droughts forced Cal to play from behind, but the all-around effort of the Bears’ starting five kept it competitive with just a four-point deficit at halftime.
Jaylon Tyson continued to be the X-Factor for Cal with the offense constantly running through him. Tonight, though, it was the supporting cast that stepped up and saw six players reach double figures.
Keonte Kennedy and Grant Newell provided the necessary spark both offensively and defensively for Madsen. The pair got their hands in the passing lanes, creating fastbreak opportunities while pulling down boards and dropping buckets. They combined for 22 points, 13 rebounds and three steals.
In the first half, the Cardinal led for over 18 minutes as Cal struggled to stop transition breaks.
One of the biggest adjustments the Bears had in the second half were their turnovers. After coughing up nine in the first 27 minutes, Cal had no turnovers in the final 13 minutes.
“Early in the season, we would turn the ball over too much — it was too much. It wasn't giving us a chance on offense, and it was creating a few too many live-ball turnovers when teams were going down scoring an uncontested basket. So, our guys have really locked in on that, where they’re policing each other. A player-led team is the best team you can have,” said Madsen in the postgame press conference.
Crawling back from 10 down, the Bears rallied for another late-game run to take a four-point lead with the support of Bear Territory. The Pavilion was rocking all night and a sea of gold would erupt at every made basket and defensive stop.
Amid a five-minute Cal takeover, a piece of Haas was taken out as Tyson suffered an undisclosed leg injury and would receive assistance walking to the locker room late in the second half.
Without its best player and leader, Cal would overcome a questionable defensive foul call and take a one-point lead with under a minute in play. With the game hanging in the balance and less than 15 seconds remaining, Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud saved Cal from another heartbreaking loss with a travel under the rim.
“We had some adversity, we had some injuries, we had some curveballs, but ultimately it's on me. We’ve had a bunch of close games and when it’s all said and done, myself as the head coach — I have to be better,” said Madsen. “It’s been a lot of late nights (watching) film. It’s been a lot of meeting with the staff, trying to scratch and claw and get better. I thought we would have many more wins. But with that being said, I love our team.”
Up next is a trip to the desert where Cal will look to get revenge on the Wildcats and Sun Devils.
Contact Eric Hayrapetian at Eric.hayrapetian@gmail.com
Comentários