Dec. 23, 2004

Box Score |  Quotes

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Richard Midgley's 3-pointer as time expired lifted California to a 61-58 win over Pepperdine in the Golden Bear Classic on Thursday night.

Midgley had missed nine of his first 10 shots from the floor before connecting on a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute, the last of which lifted the Bears to their fourth win in the last five games. Midgley finished with a team-high 14 points.

It is the eighth time in 12 years that California has won its own tournament.

Glen McGowan scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to pace Pepperdine, which led for most of the game before going cold in the final five minutes of the game.

California shot just 34.6 percent from the field and missed half of its 36 free throw attempts but overcame the Waves' hustle with critical shooting down the stretch.

In addition to Midgley's key 3-pointers, the Bears also got a clutch 3 from Martin Smith and a long jumper from Marquise Kately in the game's final minutes.

Kately had 12 points for the Bears (7-3) in his return after serving a one-game suspension for what California coach Ben Braun termed "failure to meet a team responsibility."

Dominic McGuire added 10 points and a career-high nine rebounds.

Pepperdine led the entire first half and most of the second half, with McGowan scoring from all over.

The Waves' forward went 6-for-7 at the free throw line, all in the second half, and was the lone Pepperdine player in double figures.

California missed its first nine shots from the field and didn't score until Devin Hardin's short one-handed jumper with 15:55 left in the first half.

By then, Pepperdine had already built an eight-point lead and was controlling the tempo of the game, forcing the Bears into a pace they weren't comfortable with.

The Waves led 16-8 midway through the first half before California slowly crept back into the game.

A 3-pointer from Kately and a layup from Rod Benson tied the game at 20, but the Bears struggled at the free throw line. They missed seven of eight attempts in the final 3:30 of the first half, and went into halftime trailing 29-23.