Cal drops its third straight contest, losing to USC 82-74 in its first of two games in Southern California.
After going winless in the opening week of Pac-12 play, Cal took a trip down to Southern California to take on the USC Trojans.
In a matchup that has seen nearly 270 contests since 1917, the Bears extended their losing streak against the Trojans to 11 games after falling 82-74 at Galen Center.
The Bears are now 4-10 on the season and remain winless against Pac-12 opponents.
Despite getting its hands on the offensive glass, Cal struggled to convert second-chance opportunities. Five offensive rebounds in the first half led to only two second-chance points.
Cal also remained active in the passing lanes with five steals. However, a late run in the first half by the Trojans had the Bears trailing 37-29.
Cal’s 12-30 shooting contributed to USC leading for more than 13 minutes in the first half. Additionally, the Bears’ ball security continued to struggle as eight first-half turnovers were responsible for eight of USC’s points.
USC started the second half hot, extending its lead to 17. As it has been this season, Cal rallied back to cut the deficit to single digits but fell short yet again.
“(USC) got loose from the three-point line. We made some adjustments at the half, and they didn’t get (shots) out of the post, but they probably got a couple out of the press … Our guys fought, they battled, they scrapped,” said Cal head coach Mark Madsen.
Offensively, the Bears took a massive leap in the second half, as they shot 51.6% from the field and 50% from three, but couldn't stop a nosebleed on the defensive end. Cal surrendered 45 points in the second half as the Trojans found their rhythm from the three-point line where they knocked down seven shots.
The Bears’ spark was ignited through the play of Keonte Kennedy and his eight second-half points. The electric guard finds ways to stuff the stat sheet and Wednesday was no different. Kennedy connected on a season-high three triples and added four rebounds and two steals.
Jaylon Tyson, arguably Cal’s best player, had himself another impressive performance with 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Tyson has now scored at least 20 points in nine of his 13 games as a Bear. Despite the three-game losing streak, Tyson continues to be one of the best players in the Pac-12, ranking top-10 in both points and rebounds.
Prior to Wednesday night’s game, Jalen Celestine had seen an equal split of opportunities as a starter and as a bench player. In his four games as a starter, Celestine has averaged 11.8 points per game, compared to just 3.5 points in games off the bench. Against the Trojans, Celestine was part of Cal’s first five and in 25 minutes, the redshirt junior contributed 11 points, six of which came from three.
In the face of the loss, freshman guard Rodney Brown Jr. reached double-digits for the first time in his young collegiate career, scoring 13 points.
Nonetheless, the Bears had no answer for USC’s backcourt as Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier led the Trojans with a combined performance of 28 points, nine rebounds, 14 assists and three steals.
In limited playing time, Bronny James also wreaked havoc for the Trojans — he racked up 10 points with a highlight dunk and efficient shooting while also being a pest on the perimeter.
“Our guys have bought into the fact that the defense and rebounding has to be there. And they know, when it's there we’re going to have a chance to win, we’re going to have a chance to compete. When it's not, we are not going to be at our best,” added Madsen.
Next up for Cal is UCLA. The Bears will conclude its stay in SoCal Saturday night against the 6-8 Bruins at Pauley Pavilion.
Contact Eric Hayrapetian at Eric.hayrapetian@gmail.com
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