BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team will be back on its home court for the first time in more than two weeks when it hosts Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff from inside Haas Pavilion is set for 4 p.m. PST on the Pac-12 Network, following the Cal women's basketball game against Saint Mary's at noon.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Saturday, Dec. 2 | 4 p.m. PST
• Location: Berkeley, California | Haas Pavilion
• Watch: Pac-12 Network | J.B. Long (PxP) & Mike Montgomery (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

ROCK YOUR CROCS/FRIENDS & FAMILY DAY
The first 500 fans in attendance at Saturday's game will receive a Cal Script Croc Charm.

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Put your Crocs in sport mode this Saturday! The first 500 fans at the @CalMBBall game will receive a free Cal Croc Charm.#GoBears pic.twitter.com/5CEES5CWTj

— Cal Athletics (@CalAthletics) November 30, 2023

LAST TIME
Cal used a stingy second-half defensive effort to force overtime before ultimately falling 76-67 to San Diego State in the SoCal Showcase last Saturday in San Juan Capistrano. The Bears trailed by as many as 12 with 9:24 remaining in the contest but climbed back by holding SDSU (5-1) without a field goal for the final 11:33 of regulation. Rodney Brown Jr. hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Fardaws Aimaq made 3 of 4 from the line to tie the game with 1:42 left and force overtime, but Cal went just 1 of 7 from the floor in the extra period. Jaylon Tyson paced Cal with 23 points while Aimaq posted 14 points and 18 rebounds.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
The Golden Bears (2-5) and Broncos (7-1) will go head-to-head for the third consecutive season and fifth time in six years on Saturday. Cal has won each of the past four meetings played in Berkeley and leads the all-time series 46-30. Santa Clara has already bested two Pac-12 squads this season, defeating Stanford 89-77 on the road on Nov. 14 before taking down Oregon 88-82 at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida.

NOTEWORTHY

• The Bears' current four-game skid includes three consecutive three-point losses and an overtime defeat against 2023 national runner-up San Diego State.
• Fardaws Aimaq was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week (Nov. 20-26) after averaging 18.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game in three games played in San Juan Capistrano. He's posted four straight double-doubles and ranks second nationally with five on the season.
• Aimaq's season-high 18 rebounds against San Diego State last Saturday were the most by a Golden Bear since Kingsley Okoroh had 18 against UC Riverside on Nov. 10, 2017. He's just the sixth Cal player with 18-plus rebounds in a single game since 1996-97.
• The Bears are third in the Pac-12 and 33rd nationally with a 9.1 rebounding margin. They've out-rebounded all seven opponents, including a margin of 12 or better against four of the past five.
• Jaylon Tyson has paced Cal with 20.3 PPG. He's tallied 20 or more points in four of six games played, including the most recent two contests against Tulane (24) and San Diego State (23).
• Cal has been hamstrung with injuries to rotational players Keonte Kennedy (hand), Devin Askew (foot) and Jalen Celestine (foot). Kennedy has not yet played this season, while Askew and Celestine have both missed the past four games.
• Cal is 2-2 at home this season, splitting a four-game homestand between Nov. 6-16. It won't be back at home again until Dec. 20 against UC San Diego.

 
UP NEXT
Cal travels to Indianapolis for its first true road game of the season, where it will face Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 9 a.m. PST on Dec. 9.
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal men's basketball, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalMBBall), Instagram (@CalMBBball) and Facebook (/CalMBBall/).