Cal Basketball: Bears Return to USF 22 Years Later - Same Result - Dons Win 76-64
Cal remains winless outside Haas Pavilion after a 76-64 loss at USF in the Bears' first visit to the Dons' War Memorial Gym since the 1997-98 season.
This one was all about defense - the Bears' lack of it.
USF jumped out to leads of 7-0, 15-4 and 25-10 as Cal (5-3) made just 1 of its first 10 shots. The Bears battled back to trail just 34-32 at halftime, but USF (8-2) scored the first six points of the second period and never surrendered the lead.
Cal's inability to control USF 7-footer Jimbo Lull or defend the Dons' 3-point shooters spelled its doom. Lull had 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and USF made 12 3-point baskets - many of them wide open as the Bears' defense failed to rotate quickly enough.
Coach Mark Fox, the video above, was critical of Cal's defense, especially the Bears' inability to locate perimeter shooters when that was a focal point of their scouting report. The Dons outscored Cal 36-12 from the 3-point arc.
Kareem South helped keep the Bears in the game, scoring 20 points. But Matt Bradley, the team's leading scorer, was held out of the starting lineup for what Cal called a minor disciplinary issue, and he never found his rhythm, scoring just 11 points, including only 2 in the second half.
But South echoed his coach's assessment that the Bears weren't good enough defensively. In the video below he refers to a lack of intensity early, then "mental lapses" that allowed the Dons to find open 3-point shots.
Cal is now 1-1 against West Coast Conference teams this season, having opened its season with a win over Pepperdine. The Bears play Saturday at Santa Clara and face Saint Mary's at home on Dec. 14.
The Bears are 5-0 at Haas Pavilion but now 0-3 elsewhere. Cal most recently played at War Memorial Gym 22 seasons ago, losing that one 59-50.
PRE-GAME: Cal takes on its second opponent this season from the West Coast Conference tonight at USF, and the Golden Bears are just getting started.
Cal (5-2) already owns a win over Pepperdine of the WCC, and plays Saturday at Santa Clara, then is home against Saint Mary’s on Dec. 14.
The Dons, Broncos and Gaels — the three Bay Area teams from the WCC — won’t be easy. They have a combined record of 23-4.
Facing USF (7-2) and Santa Clara (8-1) on the road may seem the more daunting component of the remaining three-game set. But Saint Mary’s (8-1) is clearly the toughest of the three teams, and even getting the Gaels at Haas Pavilion will be a challenging assignment.
The Bears have had eight days since their most recent game, a 72-66 win over UC Davis. This is Cal’s first true road game, having lost to Duke and Texas at Madison Square Garden.
This Cal team is clearly better than what we saw the past two seasons under former coach Wyking Jones, when the Bears won just eight games each season. But first-year coach Mark Fox knows the Bears have miles to go to be competitive in the Pac-12.
After scoring well in their first three games (82.7 points), the Bears dramatically were less productive the past four outings (55.8). They are turning the ball over at a far higher rate than they are forcing them (13.2 to 8.8) and they are only a modestly successful rebounding team (34.0 to 32.8).
Cal starting lineup: One change tonight - Juhwan Harris-Dyson will start in place of leading scorer Matt Bradley, who is being held out of the start of the game due to what Cal described as a minor disciplinary issue. The remainder of the starting five remains the same: C Lars Thiemann, F Grant Anticevich, G Joel Brown and G Kareem South,
15:12 1st H: Cal not off to a great start. The Bears are shooting 0-for-7 from the field and struggling to find good shots. USF center Jimbo Lull has a tip-in and two free throws. And Charles Minlend just made a 3-pointer for the Dons. Matt Bradley entered the game at 16:23. USF 7, Cal 1.
11:26 1st H: Things aren't getting any better for the Bears. They are shooting 1-for-10 with 4 turnovers. The Bears' only field goal - a jumper by Bradley with 13:22 left. Meanwhile, USF already had three 3-point baskets - from 3 different players. USF 15, Cal 4.
7:02 1st H: Signs of life from Cal, at least the offense. After making just 1 of their first 10 shots, the Bears hit 4 in a row, including a pair of 3-pointers from Kareem South. They're still not doing much to slow down USF, which is 5-for-9 from the 3-point arc. Cal now 5-for-15 from the field with 6 turnovers. USF 25, Cal 14.
3:55 1st H: Somehow, Cal has gotten itself back into this game. Defense a bit better, intensity up, and the Bears are making a few shots. Kareem South has eight points. Still turning the ball over, the Bears are up to 40 percent from the field. USF has gone cold - 0-for-8 over the past 4:45. USF 28, Cal 20.
HALFTIME: USF 34, Cal 32. Against all odds, we have a game. The Bears made 10 of their final 14 shots after starting 1 for 10 for a first-half shooting percentage of just under 46 percent. South has 12 points and Bradley has 9. USF, which couldn't miss to open the game, finished the half at 35 percent.
15:32 2nd H: The Dons scored the first 6 points of the half to stretch their lead to 40-32, but Cal hasn't lost touch. South got a steal/layup/free throw to pull within five points, and the Bears certainly have made it a game. USF 45, Cal 39.
11:09 2nd H: Cal was having a tough time slowing down USF center Jimbo Lull, who has 16 points. But he went out and the Bears pulled within 49-43, getting some good energy from Paris Austin. But the Dons answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Khalil Shabazz and Jamaree Bouyea and have lengthened their lead again. USF 55, Cal 43.
7:39 2nd H: Once more, the Bears close the gap, then USF responds. This time, after a 3-pointer and a driving layup by South got it to 57-50, Jordan Ratinho (who was a combined 0-for-13 last night vs. Arizona State and tonight) made a 3-pointer. Then Lull banked in a 12-foot hook shot. But Lull, who has 20 points, just sat down with his fourth foul. Cal shooting FTs after the timeout. USF 62, Cal 50.
3:35 2nd H: Time running out on the Bears. They haven't been closer than 7 points in the past 10 minutes and the game has become very ragged. Second-half shooting: USF 50 percent, Cal 41 percent. USF 68, Cal 56.
