BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team will open the final homestand of its 2022-23 season against Washington in Haas Pavilion on Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PST and the contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
 
Cal and Washington went to overtime before the Huskies ultimately prevailed 81-78 in their first meeting of the season in Seattle on Jan. 14. The Golden Bears (3-24, 2-14 Pac-12) are looking to snap an 11-game losing streak while the Huskies (15-13, 7-10) most recently earned a home sweep of the Oregon schools last week.
 
Guy Haberman and Ben Braun will have the call for the Pac-12 Network.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Thursday, February 23 | 6 p.m. PST
• Location: Berkeley, California | Haas Pavilion
• Watch: Pac-12 Network | Guy Haberman (PxP) & Ben Braun (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & The Varsity App | Rich Cellini (PxP)
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

 
NOTEWORTHY

• Freshmen Grant Newell and ND Okafor have continued to take strides this season after being thrust into prominent rotation roles. Newell, who has started 24 of 27 games played, is averaging 8.6 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 17 games since Dec. 10 and is the first Cal freshman with multiple double-doubles (2) in the same season since Ivan Rabb (12) and Jaylen Brown (4) in 2015-16. Newell double-doubled against Washington with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds on Jan. 14. Okafor is shooting 50% (30 of 60) from the floor in reserve action over the past 16 games behind senior Lars Thiemann.
• Alongside Newell, three other Bears scored in double figures in their overtime loss at Washington on Jan. 14. Cal was ultimately snake bit by poor free-throw shooting in the loss, going 12-of-21 at the line while missing its last four attempts in regulation.
• Kuany Kuany is averaging 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in the past 15 contests. Nine of his 15 double-figure scoring efforts this season have come during that stretch, including 11 points at USC and 14 points at UCLA last week.
• Thiemann has started 38 consecutive games dating back to the end of last season and is averaging 8.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG in that span after averaging just 3.5 PPG and 2.7 RPG in the first 71 games of his collegiate career.
• In nine games played, DeJuan Clayton has averaged 9.2 PPG, highlighted by a 26-point outburst against Stanford on Jan. 6.
• Monty Bowser scored 14 and 13 points against Arizona State (Feb. 11) and USC (Feb. 16), respectively, for the first two double-figure games of his career.
• With 10 points at UCLA last week, Joel Brown tallied his fifth double-figure scoring performance of the season. Brown has continued to do the heavy lifting at the point guard position due to a depleted backcourt and is averaging 31.8 minutes per game.
• Cal has won two of three games against Washington played in Berkeley under head coach Mark Fox and is 47-28 all-time when hosting the Huskies. Washington has won four straight games played between the two foes dating back to Feb. 20, 2021.
• Fox was an assistant coach under Lynn Nance at Washington from 1991-93.

 
UP NEXT
Cal will host Washington State in its home finale at 2 p.m. PST on Saturday. Five senior student-athletes – Joel Brown, DeJuan Clayton, Jarred Hyder, Kuany Kuany and Lars Thiemann – will be recognized during a pregame ceremony taking place approximately 20 minutes before tipoff.
 
STAY POSTED
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