BERKELEY -- Dai Dai Ames hit two 3-pointers in the last 11 seconds and drained the game-winning free throw for California men's basketball in a heart-stopping 72-71 Golden Bear victory tonight at Haas Pavilion. The Bears had trailed by as much as 12 points in the first half but didn't quit en route to a dramatic ACC win. Cal is now 13-2 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, while Notre Dame goes to 10-5, 1-1.

ALL DAI ?????????

??>>ACCNX#GoBears | #ThroughAndThrough pic.twitter.com/RDDezzJrti
— Cal Basketball (@CalMBBall) January 3, 2026
 

Cal took a 12-point deficit down to four by halftime as the Bears fought through a sluggish shooting start. Notre Dame was hitting at a 40-percent clip in the first half to overpower Cal's 32.1 percent effort, hitting five 3-pointers in those first 20 minutes to beat out Cal's three makes as the Fighting Irish led it 31-27 at the half. Cal was undeterred, pulling even twice and getting ahead by seven with 7:19 to go. The wild final stretch was capped by Ames' heroic four-point play with five seconds left, giving the junior a game-high 23 points and the Bears a hard-fought win. Cal finished out the game shooting 40.6 percent overall, just ahead of Notre Dame's 40 percent outing. Both teams landed 11 threes, and the Fighting Irish won the battle of the boards 44-34.

Ames' game-high 23 points went along with 15 points from Chris Bell and 14 from Justin Pippen for the Bears. Lee Dort also hauled in 11 rebounds for Cal. Notre Dame was led by Braeden Shrewsberry's 21 points, with Jalen Haralson adding 17 and Cole Certa with 16, while Carson Towt had 15 rebounds.

"Could have gone either way. Two good teams battling, fighting," Cal head coach Mark Madsen said. "Nothing but respect for Notre Dame and for coach Shrewsberry. They played a great game. I thought we played a great game. An absolute battle."

Notre Dame landed four 4-pointers in the first six minutes, breaking a 7-7 snarl with an 11-2 run while the Bears found only free throws falling for almost four minutes. The Fighting Irish were up 18-9 with 12:00 on the clock thanks to that push. Milos Ilic gave the Bears a boost with a couple big plays, turning a steal into a dunk and converting on a three-point play to keep the margin at single digits. Trailing 25-16 with 8:10 to go in the first half, Cal carved in farther, making it 25-20 on a 3-pointer from Justin Pippen at 5:10. It got chippy for a stretch there, but Cal had the final word of the half with TT Carr's baseline 3-pointer to make it a 31-27 Notre Dame advantage at the break. 

Cal picked up the pace in the second half, tying it up twice before edging into the lead for the first time since the first three minutes of the game, Pippen landed a 3-pointer to help push the Bears along on a 7-0 run, with Chris Bell landing one in the lane to lead it 46-42 with 13:15 on the clock. Five minutes later, the Bears were still up by five, gripping a 57-52 lead at the 8-minute mark on a 3-pointer from Carr. Notre Dame found some key threes later, making a 9-0 surge to steal back the lead, up 67-63 in the final minute. Bell landed a floater with 19 seconds left for a 67-65 margin. After a successful Irish trip to the stripe for a four-point lead, Ames drained a three with 11 seconds left. Again, Notre Dame hit from the line, nudged to a 71-68 lead with 10 ticks to go. Undeterred, Ames went on the attack, draining a 3-pointer and drawing a foul that had him go to the line with six seconds remaining. He nailed it, pushing Cal on top 72-71 and leaving the defense to do the rest to sew up the dramatic Bear victory.

NEXT: Cal now turns to its first ACC road trip of the season, heading east to visit Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Bears face the Cavaliers at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday (Jan. 7) in Charlottesville, Va., and the Hokies at 4 p.m. ET on January 10 in Blacksburg, Va.

NOTABLE:
- Dai Dai Ames (23 points) scored in double figures for the 13th time this season and notched his seventh 20-point game of the season.
- With 15 points, Chris Bell scored in double digits for the 12th time this season
- Justin Pippen (14 points) hit double digits for the 11th time and recorded his third game with no turnovers committed.
- John Camden has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season.
- With 10 rebounds, Lee Dort recorded his fourth game with double-digit boards this season.
- Milos Ilic scored a season-high seven points.
- Cal is now 13-0 this season when holding opponents to 72 points or fewer.
- Cal committed a season-low three turnovers.
 

Tickets for 2025-26 games at Haas Pavilion can be purchased by visiting CalBears.com/Tickets or calling 800-GO-BEARS (462-3277). 

Fans can support the Golden Bears through the Cal Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative.  

For further coverage of Cal men's basketball, follow the Bears on X (@CalMBBall), Instagram (@CalMBBball) and Facebook (/CalMBBall/).

CALIFORNIA THROUGH AND THROUGH
"California Through and Through" is more than a slogan – it's a statement of identity, pride and our trajectory as Cal Men's Basketball. Just like our state, our program is engaging, diverse and inspiring. We have a rich history and legacy, and we have a bright future. Being California Through and Through means we celebrate our community and our place within it.