BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team will conclude nonconference play Wednesday afternoon when it hosts UC San Diego inside Haas Pavilion. The matinee contest will tip off at 2 p.m. PST on the Pac-12 Network.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Wednesday, Dec. 20 | 2 p.m. PST
• Location: Berkeley, California | Haas Pavilion
• Watch: Pac-12 Network | Ted Robinson (PxP) & Don MacLean (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY
While supplies last, fans attending Wednesday's game will receive a free pair of Cal-themed holiday socks.

Hoopin' in our holiday socks ??

Grab your own pair at tomorrow's 2pm nonconference finale vs. UC San Diego!#GoBears pic.twitter.com/5pNcFWGGgC

— Cal Basketball (@CalMBBall) December 19, 2023

 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Cal (3-7) and UC San Diego (6-5) will meet for the third consecutive season, with the Tritons having won the past two matchups on Nov. 9, 2021, in Berkeley (80-67) and on Nov. 15, 2022, in La Jolla (64-62). Four current Bears played in last season's loss to the Tritons in La Jolla, including Devin Askew and Grant Newell, who combined for 25 points as starters.
 
LAST TIME
Cal saw all five starters score in double figures, but it could not slow down a hot-shooting Ole Miss in an 88-78 loss at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio last Saturday. The Rebels (10-0) shot 57.1% (12 of 21) from 3-point range and 52.5% overall as they remained one of four unbeaten teams in the country. Cal, which lost its second straight game and sixth of seven, never led in the neutral-site contest that was played as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame Series.
 
Ole Miss jumped out to a 10-point advantage, 14-4, just over five minutes into the game. Cal cut its deficit to six, 28-22, on a 3-pointer by Jaylon Tyson with 7:56 remaining in the first half, before the Rebels stretched it back to an 11-point difference by halftime. Grant Newell hit a 3-pointer and Tyson scored six straight points to fuel a 9-0 run that brought the Ole Miss lead back to single digits, 84-76, with 59 seconds to play before the Rebels put it away with four free throws by Jaemyn Brakefield, who finished with a game-high 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
 
NOTEWORTHY

• Cal is averaging 76.5 points per game this season, a 12.2-point increase from its 64.3 PPG average over the previous six seasons (2017-23). It's an 18.2-point jump from last season's average of 58.3 PPG.
• Jalen Cone has matched his career high in 3-pointers made (7) three times this season. He's the only player in the country with three games of seven or more made 3-pointers and leads the Pac-12 in total 3-pointers made (36) and attempted (105).
• Jaylon Tyson has scored 20-plus points six times, including four of the past five games. He's second in the Pac-12 with 20.1 points per game.
• Fardaws Aimaq's seven double-doubles lead the Pac-12 and rank second nationally. The big man's rebounding prowess – he leads the Pac-12 in total rebounds (108) and RPG (10.8) – has keyed Cal's 6.7 rebounding margin, which ranks 51st nationally.
• Keonte Kennedy's impact has been felt since he made his Cal debut on Dec. 2. He's averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 4.3 APG along with four steals in three games played after missing the first seven with a hand injury.
• Devin Askew (foot) has missed the last seven games due to injury, while ND Okafor (leg) did not play vs. Ole Miss for the first time this season. Freshman Devin Curtis made his Cal debut in the Ole Miss contest.
• Aimaq (24 points), Cone (23) and Kennedy (20) scored 20-plus points at Butler on Dec. 9, marking the first time Cal had three 20-point scorers in the same game since Feb. 5, 2011, against Arizona (Harper Kamp, 33; Allen Crabbe, 27; Jorge Gutierrez, 25).
• Tyson (20.1 PPG) and Cone (16.4 PPG) combine to average the sixth-most PPG by a guard duo in the country (36.5 PPG). Tyson and Cone are second among major-conference duos as well, trailing only USC's Boogie Ellis (21.4) and Isaiah Collier (16.6) at 38.0 PPG.
   

UP NEXT
Cal opens Pac-12 Conference play against No. 4 Arizona on Friday, Dec. 29, in Berkeley. Tipoff from Haas Pavilion is at 7:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
 
STAY POSTED
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