Despite their one-point advantage going into halftime, the California Golden Bears (7-11, 2-9 Pac-12) lost to the Arizona State Devils (5-8, 2-5 Pac-12), 68-72, Thursday night.
California finished the first half strong, despite being shooting only 35.1% compared to Arizona State's 42.9%. Junior forward Andre Kelly was responsible for California's lead, with back-to-back scores with 1:39 remaining in the game. He brought the home team's lead down to a single point with a fast-break dunk and put his side ahead with a layup just 43 seconds later.
Kelly finished the evening with a double-double: 16 points, 13 rebounds, one assist and one steal.
California star-scorer Matt Bradley also had a double-double. He put up a game-high 26 points, including three out of eight three-point attempts completed, 10 rebounds and one assist.
Despite the eye-popping stats, the Sun Devils pulled away in the second half, giving the Golden Bears only four minutes and 12 seconds of game-time with a lead.
With the loss, California's third-straight, the Golden Bears fall to last place in the Pac-12 Conference standings. They will face off against an Arizona Wildcats team, fresh off a 64-73 loss against the Stanford Cardinal.
I don't have cable so I haven't seen a single game this season. Why are we still turning the ball over at such a prodigious level? This seems to me a big issue that plagues the Fox tenure both seasons. Looks like Bradley is the biggest offender, I'm guessing because he's playing hero ball and opponents are doubling him.
Preview of a future rant: when you're down multiple possessions and there's somewhere around 1:30 to a 1:00 left in the game, not fouling is bad strategy. Also, not shooting 3s is bad strategy. Doing BOTH of those things is AWFUL strategy. More later. Sigh.
We immediately noticed the same thing: a bucket scored by Cal was credited to ASU. We screamed at the TV to correct it. A couple of minutes later, and unrelated to anything happening on the floor, the problem was half corrected: Cal was given the two points. BUT, the two points given to ASU were never taken off. I swear the final score was actually 70-68.
Just watched that play a few times. Hard to tell from the ref's signal, (or the worthless announcers who never got it right), but looks like they must have (incorrectly) called goaltending on Celestine on that play. The timing on the scorekeeper's "correction" giving ASU the 2 points was unfortunate, as it was right after Kelly laid the ball in for a Cal score (which also did correctly show up on the scoreboard a few seconds later). Celestine actually fouled Graham on the arm before the ball entered the cylinder, so it should have been a shooting foul, not a goaltend. This would have put a 41% free throw shooter at the line, perhaps keeping the game at 2 points vs 4, which would have certainly changed Cal's mindset down the stretch.
The NCAA box score says "Jalen Graham makes two point jump shot (Marcus Bagley assists)". Maybe they don't mention goaltending calls in the official boxscores, they just give the guy the basket? In any case, I don't see how Bagley gets an asset as he dished the ball to Lawrence who missed, Graham got the rebound and the bad call was made. How's that an assist?
You can see Hurley react the same time the ref blows his whistle, as they were on the same line-of-sight behind the ball, and could not see that the ball was not inside the cylinder, which was obvious from the tv camera angle. If this had been a Kentucky-Louisville game on CBS you know they would have replayed that play to death instead of the announcers whining repeatedly about Lawrence missing the reverse lay-up.
I think the Lawrence reverse the possession before was goaltending, because the announcers referred to it as "it should've been an and1" so I would have to assume Cal goaltended on the okay but I would have to see it again.
Agreed. He’s responsible for 3-4 turnovers per game via mental lapses or ill-advised drives to nowhere. And as much as I (sometimes) like Foreman, he sure has some really poor shot selection, even on some makes.
I had loftier expectations for him given his solid FR year in Fresno, tho I’m having a hard time seeing what he does well. He’s not a great ball handler, shooter or defender, nor does he seem to play very heady. He may turn out to be a valuable role player, but he ain’t there yet, and he actually hurts them against quality competition. Hopefully he’ll improve.
It seems like in the last 5 minutes our only strategy was Bradley hero ball. Everyone was standing around waiting for him to shoot. And he didn't makes the shots and free throws he needed to make.
IDK about this GoBears49. What I saw was Bradley finally get his confidence back some point at the end of the 1st half. He is the only guy on the roster who has a real dribble drive game (in traffic) that can finish or get fouled. He has historically been clutch down the stretch. Last night, he just had trouble finishing and making his foul shots. Otherwise, this is a positive development; we need him.
Anticevich just had a bad night. He missed almost all of his shots after the first early three. Grant's game is more high percentage than volume, so I think he probably felt insecure at some point and decided to facilitate more than shoot.
I am going to take the glass half full approach. We have been in these last three games, against good team. We have been losing because the other team has managed to go on a little hot streak at about the 5-3 minute market, while we have not had an answer. Bradley is what we have been missing; if a couple of those layups go in and get makes a couple more free throws...we would have won that game. We just need him to settle in and get his swagger back.
I should add that the larger issue is recruiting and fact that we desperately need another 2/3 like Bradley that can score and a 1-guard that can really distribute. We are going to have to replace Grant, and both of our 3-point shooting grad transfers (Ryan & Makale). I think Mark Fox is a good coach, but we need more talent. We always seem to be one or two player short if a complete team (going back many years now).
I don't have cable so I haven't seen a single game this season. Why are we still turning the ball over at such a prodigious level? This seems to me a big issue that plagues the Fox tenure both seasons. Looks like Bradley is the biggest offender, I'm guessing because he's playing hero ball and opponents are doubling him.
Preview of a future rant: when you're down multiple possessions and there's somewhere around 1:30 to a 1:00 left in the game, not fouling is bad strategy. Also, not shooting 3s is bad strategy. Doing BOTH of those things is AWFUL strategy. More later. Sigh.
Nick, what about my strategy suggestion?
I dunno, somebody's going to have to do the math for me
I thought we were talking basketball.
I think next time, we should try scoring more than the opponent.
At the 9:48 mark, Andre Kelly had an offensive rebound and scored, but the score was credited to ASU. They never corrected it
We immediately noticed the same thing: a bucket scored by Cal was credited to ASU. We screamed at the TV to correct it. A couple of minutes later, and unrelated to anything happening on the floor, the problem was half corrected: Cal was given the two points. BUT, the two points given to ASU were never taken off. I swear the final score was actually 70-68.
Just watched that play a few times. Hard to tell from the ref's signal, (or the worthless announcers who never got it right), but looks like they must have (incorrectly) called goaltending on Celestine on that play. The timing on the scorekeeper's "correction" giving ASU the 2 points was unfortunate, as it was right after Kelly laid the ball in for a Cal score (which also did correctly show up on the scoreboard a few seconds later). Celestine actually fouled Graham on the arm before the ball entered the cylinder, so it should have been a shooting foul, not a goaltend. This would have put a 41% free throw shooter at the line, perhaps keeping the game at 2 points vs 4, which would have certainly changed Cal's mindset down the stretch.
The NCAA box score says "Jalen Graham makes two point jump shot (Marcus Bagley assists)". Maybe they don't mention goaltending calls in the official boxscores, they just give the guy the basket? In any case, I don't see how Bagley gets an asset as he dished the ball to Lawrence who missed, Graham got the rebound and the bad call was made. How's that an assist?
You can see Hurley react the same time the ref blows his whistle, as they were on the same line-of-sight behind the ball, and could not see that the ball was not inside the cylinder, which was obvious from the tv camera angle. If this had been a Kentucky-Louisville game on CBS you know they would have replayed that play to death instead of the announcers whining repeatedly about Lawrence missing the reverse lay-up.
I remember that. Odd.
I think the Lawrence reverse the possession before was goaltending, because the announcers referred to it as "it should've been an and1" so I would have to assume Cal goaltended on the okay but I would have to see it again.
*play not okay
Just single handedly keyed a 6 point swing
Man Hyder stinks
Agreed. He’s responsible for 3-4 turnovers per game via mental lapses or ill-advised drives to nowhere. And as much as I (sometimes) like Foreman, he sure has some really poor shot selection, even on some makes.
I had loftier expectations for him given his solid FR year in Fresno, tho I’m having a hard time seeing what he does well. He’s not a great ball handler, shooter or defender, nor does he seem to play very heady. He may turn out to be a valuable role player, but he ain’t there yet, and he actually hurts them against quality competition. Hopefully he’ll improve.
Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself.
You should’ve seen the live chat in the Flick app
I'm liking Kelly
This is my first time watching Cal basketball this year. Who else is up in this place?
ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-basketball! -John Tesh's brother
It seems like in the last 5 minutes our only strategy was Bradley hero ball. Everyone was standing around waiting for him to shoot. And he didn't makes the shots and free throws he needed to make.
IDK about this GoBears49. What I saw was Bradley finally get his confidence back some point at the end of the 1st half. He is the only guy on the roster who has a real dribble drive game (in traffic) that can finish or get fouled. He has historically been clutch down the stretch. Last night, he just had trouble finishing and making his foul shots. Otherwise, this is a positive development; we need him.
Anticevich just had a bad night. He missed almost all of his shots after the first early three. Grant's game is more high percentage than volume, so I think he probably felt insecure at some point and decided to facilitate more than shoot.
I am going to take the glass half full approach. We have been in these last three games, against good team. We have been losing because the other team has managed to go on a little hot streak at about the 5-3 minute market, while we have not had an answer. Bradley is what we have been missing; if a couple of those layups go in and get makes a couple more free throws...we would have won that game. We just need him to settle in and get his swagger back.
I should add that the larger issue is recruiting and fact that we desperately need another 2/3 like Bradley that can score and a 1-guard that can really distribute. We are going to have to replace Grant, and both of our 3-point shooting grad transfers (Ryan & Makale). I think Mark Fox is a good coach, but we need more talent. We always seem to be one or two player short if a complete team (going back many years now).