Bruins Fall, Bears in First

The Bears were behind by 14 points midway through the first half and then had to climb back into the game twice - first to build a seven point lead at the half-way mark, then to stall a Bruin drive that pulled to within three in the second half.

Early in the game, the Bears played with little of the energy on defense that would later in the game serve them well. In post-game comments, Cal coach Mike Montgomery said, "We were back on our heels to start, giving up almost whatever they wanted. We didn't play defense, they scored layups."

Cal briefly tried a box-and-one defense with Jorge Gutierrez as the wild card, but quickly gave that up. Gutierrez had started the game as Montgomery "went small," also using Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher at the guard positions to go with Theo Robertson and Jamal Boykin in the 4 and 5 slots.

On offense, Cal displayed their improving ability to penetrate a zone defense, using a lot of motion and cutting drivers. This in spite of Montgomery's post-game comment that UCLA has significantly improved their execution of the zone defense since the two teams played in Berkeley, a game the Bruins won. However, Cal's ball security early in the game was not up to par as the Bruins' offense got turnovers that led to scores off transition. Mix that with Cal shots that didn't fall, several of them open looks, and the Bears steadily fell behind.

Cal, primarily playing man defense, too frequently let UCLA Bruin Michael Roll find an open spot for his three point magic. Roll shot over 50% from beyond the arc last year and is the Bruins' designated deep threat. He too easily found ways to step into an open area for a shot and score. At about the ten minute mark Roll was four of five from the floor, two of three outside the arc, and had added three assists as well. Cal's defense had not yet solved the Michael Roll challenge.

Now backtracking a bit: With 8:20 gone in the half, the Bears were down by 14 at 8-22, but at that point their determination stiffened. In the next seven minutes they clawed their way back into the game, chipping away at the lead with what seemed like a point by point effort, but in fact was a 15-4 run. With 1:44 left, Cal was within four.

After the game, Patrick Christopher said the change happened because "We were fed up with the way we were playing."

During these seven minutes that turned the game around, Omondi Amoke brought some needed energy to the floor, particularly under the hoop and in scrambles for loose basketballs, and as well in defending high screens. Two critical rebounds he reeled in came off the offensive glass and helped Cal put in six consecutive points from the paint.

On the Cal radio broadcast, Todd McKim commented on what he described as an unusual zone defense deployed by the Bruins - what he called a "location zone" - where the Bruins seemed to be more defending areas than players. On several plays, Cal adapted by splitting the zone, like a wide receiver will do in a football game, and passes to them led to open shots.

Markhuri Sanders-Frison also helped build energy on defense, fiercely battling for rebounds, twice blocking out Bruin defenders to reel them in.

Then, with 1:44 left in the first half, the game changed, never to turn back.

The impact came from a long-range barrage that an artillery company would be proud of. The Bears rained down threes as first Patrick Christopher, then Theo Robertson, and then Jerome Randle buried shots from deep. The crowd went silent.

It was nine points in 58 seconds. Then to cap it off, Jamal Boykin got loose underneath for a layup with three seconds on the clock, and the Bears left the court with a 37-30 lead, using an 18-4 run to get there. Eleven points in less than two minutes, and the Bears had gone from 14 down to a seven point lead in the "second quarter" of the game.

The story of the second half was simpler. The Bruins managed to climb back to within three points with 11:31 left, but the Bears were able to respond. This was heartening news for Cal fans that have too often seen the Bears blow late-game leads. When Jerome Randle hit a three to put the Bears up 52-45, UCLA coach Ben Howland called a time out, trying to stop the bleeding. That left him with just one time out and almost ten minutes of basketball yet to play.

Moments later, Gutierrez made a nifty hand-off to a driving Christopher (in a crowd) to add two. Christopher again scored two from just inside the arc and the Bears led 62-50 with 5:41 on the clock.

The score and the clock left the Bruins just one realistic option to climb back into the game. They had committed only three fouls in the half, so could have shifted to a hyper-aggressive man defense to try to create turnovers. They didn't; answers as to why they didn't will have to come from Howland if any members of the press are brave enough to ask.

Randle hit a three at 3:51. UCLA's Roll got an easy transition bucket to get back two, but Theo Robertson first missed then tipped in a two-point answer. And the clock was winding.

Then the dagger: With 2:25 left, Robertson stepped away from a pick and buried a three to achieve 20 points for the game and put the Bears ahead by 17. The game was over.

In post-game comments Montgomery went out of his way to praise Jerome Randle, saying that Randle is now understanding the game better, never panicking, not forcing the play, making the whole team better. He credited the team as a whole with better decision making, understanding now how an extra pass, and patience, can lead to a better result.

Cal fans and several close observers have noted the Cal loss to the Bruins in Berkeley as the most disappointing game of the season, a tough loss at home that was there to be won. So this game provided some sense of redemption; a road win is harder to come by than home win, especially against UCLA to whom the Bears have lost their last six consecutive games. Going into the game Montgomery said to the team, "Let's get this one back."

"When we play hard, we're pretty good," he added on the radio broadcast. That was evident in today's game; when the defense stepped up, the Bears controlled the game.

After all Pac-10 games have been played today, Saturday, the Bears may have some company in first place in the Pac-10, but it's still first place in the second half of the Pac-10 season. In the seven remaining Bears' games, four will be played in the friendly confines of Haas.

Next up is Washington on Thursday at 6 p.m. (note the early start time), and the Cougars on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both games will be televised. "It's now up to us," said Montgomery, commenting about these upcoming games.

Game Notes:

• Theo Robertson scored 20 on 8 of 13 shooting, 3 of 6 from three.
• Patrick Christopher didn't do quite as well, though he also scored 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting; he only hit 3 of 7 from three.
• Cal out-rebounded the Bruins 31-23, 10 of those off the offensive boards.
• Jerome Randle was 5 of 11 total, 4 of 10 from beyond the arc.
• Michael Roll was the only Bruin to hit a three, and no other player on the Bruins team scored more than nine points. Roll got 22 to lead the game.