BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team welcomes Washington to Haas Pavilion on Thursday for the first of three consecutive home games. The contest tips off at 6 p.m. PST and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Thursday, Jan. 18 | 6 p.m. PST
• Location: Berkeley, California | Haas Pavilion
• Watch: Pac-12 Network | J.B. Long (PxP) & Don MacLean (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

 
WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!
Cal students can redeem a free ticket to Thursday's game using the promo code B23STUDENT on CalBears.com. In recognition of International Night, the first 500 students will receive free food at Entry 6 of Haas Pavilion.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP

• Since winning three of four games in the head-to-head series between Feb. 28, 2019, and Jan. 9, 2021, Cal has lost five straight times to Washington.
• Thursday's matchup features the Pac-12's top two scorers in Cal's Jaylon Tyson (20.7 points per game) and Washington's Keion Brooks Jr. (20.1 PPG).
• The Huskies (10-7, 2-4 Pac-12) are in the midst of a three-game road trip through California, having lost at UCLA on Sunday.
• Cal head coach Mark Madsen led Utah Valley to a 68-52 win over Washington in Seattle on Dec. 21, 2021. Current Golden Bear Fardaws Aimaq had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Wolverines.

 
LAST TIME
Jermaine Couisnard sank five 3-pointers and scored 18 points to help Oregon rally from an 18-point deficit and beat Cal 80-73 last Saturday in Eugene. The Golden Bears (6-11, 2-4) saw their two-game win streak snapped despite Jaylon Tyson totaling 20 points and 10 rebounds – his fifth double-double of the season and sixth straight game with 20 points or more – and Fardaws Aimaq's 18 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Bears led 32-19 with 7:31 left in the first half. Back-to-back layups by Aimaq pushed Cal's advantage to 41-23 with four minutes to go, but Oregon seized momentum with a 16-2 run to close out the half, pulling within 43-39. Cal maintained its lead until Jackson Shelstad followed a successful jumper with a 3-pointer to put Oregon on top 46-45 with 15 minutes left to play. Tyson made two free throws coming out of a TV timeout and Rodney Brown Jr. sank a jumper as the Bears regained the lead. Oregon's Keeshawn Barthelemy and Kario Oquendo sandwiched 3-pointers around a bucket by Grant Newell and the Ducks took a 54-51 lead with 11:34 remaining and never trailed again.
 
NOTEWORTHY

• Jaylon Tyson's streak of six straight games – all of which are Pac-12 contests – with 20 points is the longest by a Cal player since Ed Gray had 20-plus in 11 consecutive games between Jan. 9-Feb. 15, 1997. Tyson is shooting 55.4% (51 of 92) in that six-game span.
• Cal's comeback victory against Colorado on Jan. 10 – the Bears rallied from a 20-point deficit for its largest comeback win in nearly 15 years – was filled with statistical standouts.
  • Cal's largest come-from-behind win since Feb. 14, 2009, when it trailed by 22 in an eventual 82-75 win over Stanford at home.
  • Cal committed just five turnovers, its fewest in a conference win since Feb. 7, 2015, vs. UCLA.
  • The Bears' 56 second-half points were their most in any half since Dec. 21, 2018 (58 in the second half vs. San Jose State).
  • Nine of Cal's 14 3-pointers were made in the second half. The Bears shot 46.7% from 3-point range compared to 40% from the floor.
• Cal is the only Pac-12 team with two players with at least five double-doubles. Fardaws Aimaq leads the conference and is fourth nationally with 10 double-doubles while Tyson has five, four of which have been 20-point, 10-rebound efforts.
• Cal has made at least 10 3-pointers seven times this season, including 14 in the comeback win against Colorado. The Bears are second in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (9.0) and first in attempts (26.4) per game, shooting 34.2%. They averaged just 4.9 makes and 16.4 attempts per game last season, both ranking last in the Pac-12.
• Jalen Cone is 17th nationally with 3.12 3-pointers made per game, while Rodney Brown Jr. (53.3%), Jalen Celestine (47.4%) & Tyson (37.7%) have all been effective from beyond the arc.
• In the second halves of Cal's wins at UCLA and vs. Colorado, Tyson amassed 40 points on 15-of-16 shooting from the floor.
• Cal is averaging 75.4 PPG, an 11.1-point increase from its 64.3 PPG average over the previous six seasons (2017-23). It's also a 17.1-point jump from last season's 58.3 PPG.
• Devin Askew will miss the remainder of the season with a reinjury to his left foot expected to sideline him 6-8 weeks. He'll pursue a redshirt season.
• With Askew's intention to pursue a redshirt season after reinjuring his foot, Cal only had three games this season with its quartet of veterans – Askew, Aimaq, Cone and Keonte Kennedy – active at the same time. Cone has played in a team-leading 129 career games.

 
UP NEXT
Cal hosts Washington State at 2 p.m. PST on Saturday. The contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
 
STAY POSTED
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