Jalen Celestine

Cal men’s basketball showcases a rough shooting day resulting in a season-low 60 points in its three-point loss to Montana State on Thursday night.

Cal starts its season 2-1 for the first time since 2020 and will continue to embark on its journey to build a winning streak against Montana State at home Thursday.

The Cal men’s basketball team opened the season with a win Monday night — something they only did three times last season. The Bears have a game at home Friday against Pacific before taking on CSU Bakersfield on Monday evening in Berkeley. Cal begins the year with four straight home games.

The 1-0 Bears will play the second game of the Mark Madsen era at Haas Pavilion.

Cal, led by Jalen Celestine and Fardaws Aimaq, kickstarted the Mark Madsen era with a last-minute thriller against St. Thomas.

When the Bears tip off against Chico State Wednesday night, responsibilities will be completely reallocated compared to last season. Cal will need to establish and impose its new identity from the get-go if it hopes to grasp any chance of success this year.

Now without star forward Andre Kelly for the rest of the season, the war-ridden and weathered Bears head to Gill Coliseum in Oregon to face the Beavers, desperate for a win to snap a 10-game losing streak.

Cal’s two-game road trip to Washington ended without a victory, as it has now dropped the past four games. It doesn’t get any easier from here, as the Bears next take on No. 6 Arizona.

Cal takes control of the second half, ending the game on a 21-2 run and improving to 9-5 on the season.

As Figueroa yelled in Bradley’s face, there was nothing the guard could do but smirk and inbound the ball. It was a perfect metaphor for the ballgame.