Dec 31, 2002

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Amit Tamir scored 26 points, including a last second 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime, as California defeated San Francisco 77-70 on Monday.

In the 75th meeting between the San Francisco Bay area rivals, but first since 1997, Joe Shipp had 20 points and freshman Richard Midgley added a career-high 16, including six in overtime. The Bears (7-2) won their 24th consecutive home game over a nonconference opponent and snapped San Francisco's three-game in streak.

Shamell Stallworth had 20, James Bayless 17 and John Cox 14 for the Dons (4-7), who hung tough despite just seven points from two-time all-West Coast Conference forward and current leading scorer Darrell Tucker. Jason Gaines added 10 assists.

Cox, the cousin of Lakers all-star guard Kobe Bryant, hit a tough runner in the lane, making it 64-61 with 12.3 seconds left, but USF inexplicably left Tamir open for a 3-pointer. The 6-foot-11 center from Jerusalem drilled it from beyond the top of the key, tying it at 64-64 with 3.7 seconds.

After a Cal timeout, USF's Alvin Broussard dribbled the length of the court and banked home a 4-footer as the horn sounded. All three officials looked at each other, then referred to a courtside television monitor before waving off the shot.

Wethers (11 points) opened the overtime with a 3-pointer and Cal led the rest of the game.

The Bears made nine of their first 13 shots of the second half to open a 51-42 lead. But the Dons scored six straight points in 39 seconds to close within 51-48. Two minutes later, Cox tied it at 53-53 with a 3-pointer. Neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.

Cal looked lethargic after its 80-67 nationally televised loss to No. 19 Kansas on Saturday, missing its first eight shots en route to a 13-1 deficit. But the Bears eventually caught up, taking their first lead 28-27 with 4:48 left in the half on an A.J. Diggs steal, coast-to-coast drive and layup.

The lead changed four times before two free throws by Midgley gave the Bears a 32-31 halftime lead. Both teams struggled from the field, hitting a combined 21 of 55 shots (38 percent). Tucker scored five of USF's first seven points but was shut out the final 17:39 of the half.

Cal's Martin Smith, son of the late Phil Smith, a former all-America guard at USF and two-time NBA all-star, entered with 14:50 left in the first half. The walk-on freshman assisted on Cal's first basket, a fastbreak layup by Shipp. Phil Smith, who won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, died of bone morrow cancer on July 30 at the age of 50.

San Francisco won the team's last meeting, 59-50, on Dec. 2, 1997.

Before the game, USF coach Phillip Mathews announced that former Michigan guard Dommanic Ingerson has signed a letter of intent to San Francisco. Ingerson averaged 26 minutes and 8.1 points last season as a true freshman for the Wolverines but played limited minutes in their exhibition games this season.

Cal head coach Ben Braun postgame quotes
I was disappointed in the way we started - not so much in the missing of shots, but we didn't come out with the kind of intensity that we needed. They have great players. We did an admirable job on Darrell Tucker, but other guys did some things for their team. We need to right the things that need to be righted - with Pac-10 coming, we'll be in a deep hole if we play like we did tonight.

USF battled tonight. They played hard and scrapped. If you don't play with intensity, they'll get the better of you ... and they almost did tonight.

Our team needs to play more intense. We didn't play with intensity early in the game and when we had the lead. We weren't playing with the kind of tenacity that we need to play with. I just didn't have our team ready to play today.

I like my guys, they are smart players. But I didn't like how they played. I was disappointed with the way they played. We have Stanford on Saturday and we have some things that we need to settle.