The Cal men’s basketball team doesn’t have control over whether it wins the Pac-12 this year.
But as the Bears proved in Thursday night’s 64-46 win over Utah, there is no team in the conference playing better than Cal right now.
“I just feel like everyone’s confidence is high right now,” said junior Allen Crabbe, who led the Bears with 15 points. “And that’s what we’ll need if we want to make a run at the Pac-12 title.”
The Bears (19-9, 11-5 in the Pac-12) entered the game at Haas Pavilion having won five games in a row and seven of their last eight. But early on in the first half, that win streak appeared in peril.
Cal struggled early from the outside against the Utes (11-16, 3-12), who came into the game leading the conference in defensive 3-point shooting. After Crabbe opened the game with a three, the Bears didn’t hit another until the 8:14 mark in the first half, missing seven straight from behind the arc.
Cal’s offensive stagnation allowed the Utes to open up a 22-14 lead after a 12-3 run.
“We lack self-motivation a little bit,” said forward Justin Cobbs. “We need to get down to get energy, and we don’t want to play like that.”
But the Bears responded with a run of their own.
In one of their most complete stretches of the season, the Bears took an eight-point deficit and turned it into a 10-point halftime lead. Forward Richard Solomon was a key part of the turnaround, nailing a rare 3-pointer and slamming home a thunderous dunk to bring the crowd to its feet and cut Utah’s lead to three.
Ensuing back-to-back layups from Tyrone Wallace gave Cal a lead it would never relinquish. After starting the half cold from behind the arc, Cal hit four of its last six 3-pointers of the half for a 34-24 lead.
By the time the dust had settled, Cal had finished off a 26-2 run, inciting eight first half turnovers by the Utes.
As impressive as the Bears’ prolific offense was their ability to keep the Utes off the scoreboard. Cal held Utah scoreless for a 10-minute stretch until the 13:58 mark in the second half.
By then, the Bears’ 16-point lead was too much to overcome. The squad’s 46 points allowed tied for its second-lowest of the season.
“We’re really taking pride in our defense,” Crabbe said. “We just want to roll.”
Whereas the Utes turned a thick Cal halftime lead into a harrowing finish in the Bears’ 62-57 win on Jan. 24, Cal staved off any threat of a comeback in this one. In the second half, the result was never in doubt.
The Bears, who have been jostling for position in a top-heavy conference, now have two regular season games left to assert themselves in a competitive Pac-12. Cal finishes off with a pair of home contests — a Saturday matchup against Colorado and the March 6 finale against Stanford — before the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
“I’m excited for our team’s success,” Wallace said. “But the job still isn’t done. We’ve got to come out and play as good as we have during this winning streak.”
Contact Chris Yoder at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @chrisyoder92.