SALT LAKE CITY – Lars Thiemann scored 12 points and Kuany Kuany added 11 but the California men’s basketball team came up short in a 61-46 loss to Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Runnin’ Utes (16-9, 9-5 Pac-12) opened the second half with a 12-1 run to pull away and snap a two-game losing streak, while Cal (3-20, 2-10) suffered its seventh consecutive defeat. The Golden Bears were held to 33.9% shooting (19-of-56) from the floor and connected on just four 3-pointers.
Cal trailed by just five at the half, 29-24, as it held Utah to 34.4% shooting – and 36.8% for the game – while tallying four steals over the first 20 minutes of play. A 3-pointer by Kuany Kuany – who scored nine of his 11 points in the first half – gave Cal an 18-11 lead with 9:22 on the clock, but Utah seized momentum with an 11-0 run in response. Lazar Stefanovic’s driving layup gave the Utes a 24-22 advantage that it held for the remainder of the contest.
A 3-pointer by Wrenn Robinson and a second-chance layup from Obinna Anyanwu cut the Bears’ deficit to 55-40 with 6:20 to go, but they couldn’t get closer.
Cal, which entered the game averaging more than 16 free-throw attempts per game, was just 4-of-8 at the line on Sunday.
Kuany added seven rebounds and two steals to go along with his 11 points.
Graduate guard DeJuan Clayton (illness) was inactive for the third time in the past five games.
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Cal will celebrate Filipino Heritage Night and 50 years of Title IX as the Bears play host to No. 5 Arizona on Thursday, Feb. 9. Tipoff inside of Haas Pavilion is scheduled for 8 p.m. PST and the contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.