SEATTLE – The California men's basketball team wraps up its two-game road swing in the Pacific Northwest on Saturday when it faces Washington. Tipoff from Alaska Airlines Arena is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST. The Golden Bears (10-15, 6-8 Pac-12) will look to snap a two-game skid and split their regular-season series with the Huskies (14-11, 6-8).
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Saturday, Feb. 17 | 5 p.m. PST
• Location: Seattle, Washington | Alaska Airlines Arena
• Watch: Pac-12 Network | A.J. Kanell (PxP) & Eldridge Recasner (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & The Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

• Since winning three of four games in the series between Feb. 28, 2019, and Jan. 9, 2021, Cal has lost six straight times to Washington.
• Moses Wood hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift Washington to a 77-75 win against Cal on Jan. 18 in Berkeley.
• Saturday's matchup features the Pac-12's top two scorers in Washington's Keion Brooks Jr. (21.0 points per game) and Cal's Jaylon Tyson (20.0 PPG). They scored 21 and 17 points, respectively, in the Jan. 18 contest.
• Cal's last win against the Huskies in Seattle was a 78-75 game on Feb. 18, 2016. Jaylen Brown – who will play in his third NBA All-Star Game this weekend – scored 23 points for the Bears in that victory.
• The Bears are seeking their first road split against the Washington schools since 2019-20.

LAST TIME

• Cal could not slow down a hot-handed Washington State squad in an 84-65 loss in Pullman on Thursday.
• The Cougars shot 55% from the floor and were fueled by 25 points by Myles Rice and 21 from Isaac Jones.
• Jaylon Tyson scored a team-high 18 points while Rodney Brown Jr. and Grant Newell added 12 and 11, respectively, off the bench.
• A 3-pointer by Jalen Celestine with 2:48 to go in the first half cut WSU's lead to five, 27-22, but Rice and Jones combined for nine of the final 11 points before halftime to take a 36-24 advantage into the locker room. Cal pulled within 10 points three times in the second half, but could not get within single digits.

NOTEWORTHY

• Jaylon Tyson enters Saturday's contest as the only major-conference player averaging at least 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Tyson, who is one of 10 players shortlisted for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, averages 20.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 3.2 APG and has scored 20-plus points 14 times this season, the most by a Golden Bear since 2012-13.
• Fardaws Aimaq is one of just two major-conference players averaging at least 14.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season, joining Purdue's Zach Edey, the reigning national player of the year. Aimaq is the Pac-12 leader and tied for fifth nationally with 16 double-doubles this season, the most by a Cal player since Ivan Rabb had 17 in 2016-17.
• Cal is the only Pac-12 team with two players that rank in the top 15 in the conference in both points and rebounds per game: Tyson (second in PPG, 20.0; fifth in RPG, 7.3) and Aimaq (15th in PPG, 14.8); first in RPG, 11.1).
• Cal averages 74.6 PPG this season, a 10.3-point increase from its 64.3 PPG average over the past six seasons (2017-23). It's also a 16.3-point jump from last season's 58.3 PPG.
• The Bears have scored 80-plus points five times in Pac-12 play, their most since the 2010-11 season (seven times).
• Jalen Celestine is second among qualified Pac-12 players in 3-point field-goal percentage (47.1%). He's 33 of 70 on the season.
• Cal has made at least 10 3-pointers nine times this season, including 11 in each of its two most recent wins at Arizona State (Feb. 3) and against USC (Feb. 7) on a combined 45.8% clip (22 of 48). The Bears are third in the Pac-12 with 8.7 3-point makes per game and first in attempts (25.3). They averaged 4.9 makes and 16.9 attempts per game last season, both ranking last in the conference.
• Rodney Brown Jr. notched his third double-figure scoring effort at WSU on Thursday, scoring 12 on 3-of-6 shooting.

UP NEXT
Cal hosts Oregon State next Thursday in Berkeley. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST in Haas Pavilion.
 
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