Cal Bears Earn First Conference Win With Late Run

Facing a two-game losing streak, the Cal Bears earned their first win in Pac-12 play with a late run against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

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After winning 27 straight games at Haas Pavilion, the Cal Bears had lost two in a row in the friendly confines to a pair of top-25 teams. After losing to the Arizona Wildcats on Friday night, Cal hosted the Arizona State Sun Devils, looking to get back to their winning ways.

Arizona State jumped out to an early lead, shooting lights out from mid-range and beyond. They opened up a five-point lead with about nine minutes to play, and were shooting 52.9 percent from the floor. From beyond the arc, they hit four of seven attempts.

But just as the Sun Devils could score at will, the same was true for Cal’s Ivan Rabb. The sophomore stud could do just about anything he wanted, and opened up his game as well. He scored 16 of the team’s first 23 points, and didn’t just do it around the rim.

Rabb’s perimeter game is highly advanced, and well-known around the conference. While he still scored at the bucket, he also stepped out. He hit a long-range two pointer, and drained his first two three-pointers of the year. Rabb entered this game with just two threes attempted on the year, both misses.

The two teams battled back and forth, trading leads and ties for much of the last 10 minutes of the first half. Charlie Moore’s long three with just over a minute left put Cal ahead by three, and that lead would stick for the rest of the half. The Bears would take a 38-37 lead into the locker room, led by a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) for Rabb.

Cal came in as one of the best defensive squads in the country. They were in the top-15 in the nation in opponent’s field percentage (37.3, 10th), three-point percentage (28.5, 11th), and points allowed (59.9, 13th). Arizona State was unfazed. They shot 48.4 percent from the floor, 46.2 from deep, and scored 37 points.

The Sun Devils opened the second half hot as well, hitting four of their first seven shots to jump back into the lead. Grant Mullins drilled a three to put Cal ahead once again, and crossed 1,000 career collegiate points in the process.

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But the seesaw affair continued, and neither team was able to plant their feet and pull firmly ahead. The game was tied with about five-and-a-half minutes to play, but a pair of Cal dunks (one by Jabari Bird and one by Kingskey Okoroh) got the crowd on their feet, and they were finally able to pull away.

A three-point play by Mullins a couple minutes later put Cal ahead by seven with just over three to play. Bird’s corner triple made it a double-digit game, and the Sun Devils couldn’t respond.

The Bears finished the game on a 21-4 run, which began when Cal was trailing by a point. Their 81-65 victory moved them to 9-4 on the season, and evened their conference record at 1-1.

In the end, the Cal defense was what made the difference. After starting the game hitting 22 of 43 shot attempts, the Sun Devils hit just two of their final 17 attempts. The Cal offense had one of their best performances of the season, shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 44 percent from deep. They also shot 76.9 percent from the line, where they have struggled this season.

After his red-hot start, Rabb finished the game a bit quiet from the offensive side. He finished with 20 points, his third 20-plus point performance this season, and also pulled down 15 rebounds for his sixth double-double. He even added five assists. Mullins enjoyed his best game as a Bear yet, putting up season-highs with 20 points and five made threes. Bird added 15 points, while Sam Singer added 10 off the bench. Okoroh had another nice game, with six points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

Next: Cal Wins 27th Straight at Home

Next up for the Bears are the UCLA Bruins, the number-two team in the nation. UCLA is 14-1 on the season, and 8-0 at home. Cal beat the Bruins at Haas last season, but hasn’t won on UCLA’s home court since 2012.