Cal Basketball: Bears Travel to Pauley Pavilion to Face Pac-12 Favorite UCLA

Cal has lost its past six meetings with the Bruins, who are the Pac-12 favorites

Photo by D. Ross Cameron, USA Today

UCLA (2-1, 0-0 in Pac-12) vs. CAL (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12)

WHERE: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles CA

WHEN: Sunday, 5 p.m.

TV/RADIO: Pac-12 Networks/810-AM

CAL-UCLA HISTORY: UCLA leads 141-103. The Bruins won the only meeting a year ago and has won six in a row against the Bears. UCLA won 50-40 last year as the Bears shot just 30 percent from the field, including 3-for-17 on 3-point tries. . . . The teams were set to face each other in a second-round Pac-12 tournament game last March before the event was canceled by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAL STORYLINES: The Bears played one of their best games in two seasons under coach Mark Fox on Thursday before losing to 25th-ranked Arizona State 70-62. Cal was especially solid on defense against a team that scored 65 points in the first half of its previous game and was picked second in the preseason Pac-12 media poll. There were troubles on offense, however, where Cal had 20 turnovers and shot 1-for-11 on 3-pointers in the second half . . . The Bears are last in the Pac-12 in turnover margin at minus-2.5. . . . Junior guard Matt Bradley, whose 17 points made him the only Cal player to score more than eight against the Bruins last season, comes off a 20-point effort vs. ASU. The preseason All-Pac-12 pick is averaging a team-best 19.5 points and shares the team lead with 6.3 rebounds per game. But Bradley still had not found a groove from the perimeter, making just 5-for-23 so far from the 3-point arc. . . . Grad transfer Ryan Betley, formerly of Penn, is second on the team with a 9.8 scoring average and shares the conference lead with 10 made 3-pointers. Betley and former Stony Brook standout Makale Foreman have combined for 19 of the Bears’ 29 baskets from beyond the arc.

UCLA STORYLINES: The Bruins, preseason favorites to win the Pac-12, begin their conference schedule after beating Seattle U 78-52 on Thursday, UCLA lost at San Diego State 73-58 in its opener then outlasted Pepperdine 107-98 in triple-overtime on Thanksgiving weekend. . . . The Bruins welcomed back 6-foot-10 junior forward Jalen Hill, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds against Seattle after missing the first two games due to tendinitis in his knee. . . . Five other players are averaging double-digit scoring for UCLA, led by sophomore guard Tyger Campbell (16.0 points, 5.7 assists), sophomore wing Jamie Jaquez Jr. (14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds) and senior guard Chris Smith (14.0 points, 7.7 rebounds), a returning first-team All-Pac-12 selection. . . . UCLA is averaging 81 points per game to rank second i the Pac-12 but allows 7.4.3, which 10th in the conference. . . . Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang (foot) has yet to play for the Bruins and is listed as week to week.

CAL GAME NOTES: Click here

UCLA GAME NOTES: Click here

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*** Cal coach Mark Fox saw a lot he liked in the Bears' Pac-12 opener vs. Arizona State, but says the Bears made too many mistakes:

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Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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