Cal Fends Off UC San Diego

BERKELEY (AP) – Fardaws Aimaq had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Jalen Cone scored 15 points on five 3-pointers and the California men's basketball team had a 26-point lead erased before rallying to defeat UC San Diego 71-67 on Wednesday in Haas Pavilion.

Aimaq threw down an alley-oop dunk off an assist by Jaylon Tyson to give Cal a 65-61 lead and after Emmanuel Tshimanga brought it back to a one-possession game with two free throws for UC San Diego, Jalen Celestine answered with a 3-pointer for a five-point lead. The Tritons (6-6) pulled back within one point, 68-67, with 22 seconds left before Keonte Kennedy hit two free throws for a 70-67 lead. Tyler McGhie was short on a 3-pointer for UCSD on the following possession and Celestine sealed the Golden Bears' win by making 1 of 2 free throws.

Jaylon Tyson scored 13 points off the bench for the Golden Bears (4-7). Celestine added 12 in his second start of the season while Kennedy had 10 points, five assists, three steals and a pair of blocks.

Cal scored the opening 10 points of the game and extended its lead to 21-2, making its first seven field goals and 8 of 9. The Bears took their biggest lead of the game at 34-8 after a 9-0 run that was keyed by one of Celestine's three 3-pointers on his 22nd birthday.

"I felt we had probably about as good of a first half defensively as we've had all year," Cal head coach Mark Madsen said. "We had a couple of lapses at the end of the first half, but we've really emphasized the defense, so that was fantastic."

UC San Diego scored 21 of the first 27 points of the second half to get within 50-48. Cal went without a point for over five minutes, missing six straight shots, during UCSD's 14-0 run. The Tritons took their first lead of the game at 56-55 on Bryce Pope's deep 3-pointer with 8:55 remaining.

"It was a big growing moment for us," Aimaq said. "We realized, we can be up 20 but if you take your foot off the gas, you can mess around and lose."

McGhie had a game-high 20 points and five 3-pointers while Pope added 14 points.

Cal tallied season highs of 19 assists – including 14 on 18 made baskets in the first half – and nine steals. Aimaq, who's 19-point, 10-rebound double-double was his eighth such effort of the season, added a season-high three blocks.

"When you get stops and rebounds, it allows you to push it in transition. When we're playing in transition, we're a really great team," Cone said. "It all starts with the defensive end; when we get stops, we can run it on the offensive end."

It was the third straight season Cal and UC San Diego have met, with the Tritons winning the previous two contests.

Cal opens Pac-12 Conference play against No. 4 Arizona on Friday, Dec. 29, in Berkeley. Tipoff from Haas Pavilion is at 7:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.