Dec. 7, 2004

Final Stats |  Quotes

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Chris Copeland scored all 11 of his points after halftime and Colorado rallied with a big second half to win at California for the first time in eight meetings, 63-60 on Tuesday night.

Richard Roby scored twice in the final 2:47 and also had a late steal for Colorado, sending the Golden Bears to their second narrow defeat at home in a week after a 73-72 loss to UNLV last Wednesday. Marcus Hall scored with 12.2 seconds left for the Buffaloes (3-2).

Rod Benson had career highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears, who missed several important shots in the final minute. Richard Midgley's 3 at the buzzer wasn't enough for Cal (4-3). Midgley finished with 14 points.

It was the teams' second meeting in two seasons. The Buffaloes won 78-60 last season in Boulder, Colo., but Cal leads the series 9-7. Colorado last played in Haas Pavilion in 2000.

Copeland played only three minutes in the first half, had two fouls and didn't score. He was one of several Colorado players to pick up their game in the second half.

The Buffaloes have five players averaging in double figures, and five scored more than 10 - Copeland, Roby (11), Hall (12), Jayson Obazuaye (12) and Julius Ashby (11). Ashby also had a career-high 17 rebounds, including eight offensive.

The Buffaloes made three 3-pointers during an 11-2 spurt early in the second half to get back in the game after getting just nine field goals and shooting 37.5 percent in the first half.

Ashby's two free throws with 8:40 left gave Colorado a 47-44 lead, then DeVon Hardin answered with a three-point play on the other end to tie it. After Obazuaye made one of two free throws - he got another try on his second attempt after a Cal lane violation - freshman Eric Vierneisel made a 3 for a 50-48 Bears' lead.

Hardin scored all six of his points in the second half and also had five rebounds as California concluded a three-game homestand.

The Golden Bears, who came in averaging 61.8 points and shot 63.3 percent in a win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, used an 8-0 first-half run to take an early lead but struggled on offense.

The Bears' poor 3-point shooting has plagued them all season, and they went 3-for-12 from long range Tuesday.

The Bears are down to eight healthy scholarship players after losing starting point guard Ayinde Ubaka to a broken left foot in an 82-63 win over Southern on Nov. 23. He is expected to be sidelined until mid-January.

Cal is already without reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Leon Powe, likely out for the season as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery.