BERKELEY -- The California men's basketball team shrugged off a cold start and found its footing in the second half, maneuvering to a 93-71 win over visiting Dominican tonight at Haas Pavilion. The win keeps the Golden Bears a perfect 8-0 on home turf while extending their win streak to six in a row to mark its longest win streak since 2016. Now 9-1 overall, Cal is also enjoying its best start to a season since 2014.
Cal was ice cold in the first half, shooting just 18.4 percent overall thanks in large part to a 1-of-16 effort from 3-point range as the Bears trailed visiting Dominican 31-28 at halftime. The Penguins by comparison were on a hot streak, hitting four 3-pointers and going 43.3 percent overall in those first 20 minutes. Cal got a boost from the free-throw line, hitting 13-of-14 from the stripe, but went into the locker room trailing for just the third time this season. A new-look Cal squad took the court in the second half, pinning up 65 points to help right the ship and put the Penguins out of reach. Dai Dai Ames scored all 14 of his points in that second half, and Cal would finish out the game shooting 40.8 percent overall thanks to its 66.7-percent second-half effort. Dominican wrapped at 47.2 percent overall, with 10 threes landed. Cal had the advantage on the boards 39-34.
Cal's offensive effort was led by Justin Pippen's career-high 24 points, while John Camden added 18, Dai Dai Ames had 14 and Chris Bell scored 11. Camden also led on the boards with eight rebounds. Camden, Pippen and Bell were all perfect from the free-throw line as well as Cal went 27-of-30 from the stripe. Dominican was led by Nick Medeiros' 16 points along with 10 from Michael Wilson.
Cal had the early advantage, but the Penguins manufactured a 9-0 rally to take a 13-9 lead six minutes into the game. Cal's cold snap continued, with only a couple free throws falling to stop that run before Dominican charged on and put the Bears in a 21-11 hole. It took Cal almost eight minutes, but the Bears finally scored from the floor with a John Camden 3-pointer with 8:19 on the clock to make it 21-14. Still struggling to get the ball to drop from the floor, Cal got to the free-throw line and found some success. Six tosses from the stripe landed to go along with a couple buckets to help tug the home team back ahead, up 24-23 on another score from Camden at 3:15. Dominican snarled up the score at 26-26 on a 3-pointer at 1:43. Another Penguin three a minute later punched the visitors back ahead, and Dominican would convert on a take to the hoop to lead it 31-28 at halftime.
Cal seemed to find its scoring touch in the next stretch, opening the second half by going 5-for-5 from the floor in the first three minutes. The Bears netted two 3-pointers in that stretch to help them get back out in front, up 43-36 at 17:14 on a three-point play from Chris Bell. Cal and Dominican stayed largely in stride from there until Dai Dai Ames stepped in. He'd score seven points in under two minutes to nudge the Bears to a 68-58 lead with 8:45 on the clock. Pippen hit the 20-point mark for the second time this season to add to Cal's advantage, and he'd get to a new career high for himself with some work from the stripe in the next couple minutes. Pippen's 24th points fell at 5:42 to net a 76-65 Bear lead, and Cal would press on as a collective unit to chalk up a final 93-71 victory.
NEXT: Cal is playing out the calendar year on home turf, looking to keep its undefeated run at Haas Pavilion intact. Next, the Bears will host Northwestern State at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 13).
NOTABLE:
- Justin Pippen (24 points) and Dai Dai Ames (14) both scored in double digits for the ninth time this season.
- Ames scored all of his points tonight during the second half.
- John Camden (18 points) and Chris Bell (11) both scored in double figures for the eighth time this season.
- Pippen had a career-high four steals along with a career-high 24 points.
- With 10 points, TT Carr set a new career high.
- Carr also had a career-high seven rebounds.
- Cal's 28 points at halftime was a season low.
- This was Cal's fourth 90-point game of the season.
- Now with six straight wins, Cal has its longest win streak since 2016.
- Cal's 27 free throws made was a season high.
- Cal's 65 points scored in the season half was its most in a half this seasoln.
- Cal is now 8-0 when holding teams to 72 or fewer points.
- Cal's 9-1 overall record is its best since 2014, when the Bears opened up 10-1.
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