Balanced Attack Leads Cal Past Northwest, 86-61

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Five Golden Bears scored in double figures as California used a balanced attack to defeat Northwest (Wash.), 86-61, for its first victory of the year on Thursday at Gill Coliseum.
 
Ryan Betley led all players with 14 points and nine rebounds while Matt Bradley and Andre Kelly scored 11 points each, and Joel Brown and Makale Foreman chipped in 10 apiece for the Bears (1-1), who rebounded from Wednesday's season-opening non-conference loss to Oregon State. The win concluded Cal's trip to Corvallis for the Oregon State-hosted multiple-team event.
 
The game served as an exhibition for Northwest, which will play four more NCAA Division I opponents over the next three weeks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northwest took a 3-2 lead on a three-pointer by Cesar Sandoval before Foreman answered with a 3 of his own moments later to spark a 27-4 run for the Bears, who never looked back. Cal scored 16 straight within the first-half run, which included a pair of three-pointers by Betley and seven points from Kelly.
 
A turnaround jumper by Kelly with less than a minute to play in the first half sent Cal to the locker room with a 41-21 advantage. Cal shot 53.8 percent from the field and drained four of its six total three-pointers in the first half.
 
With a comfortable lead throughout the second half, all 14 active Bears saw action. Lars Thiemann tallied all nine of his points, as well as four rebounds and two steals, in the second half. All but two Bears scored during the final 20 minutes of play.
 
Dejwan Walker scored 12 points to lead Northwest.
 
NEXT UP
Cal will host Nicholls State at 4:30 p.m. PT on Monday, Nov. 30 at Haas Pavilion. It will be aired on the Pac-12 Network.
 
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