TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- The California men's basketball team carved down a 15-point deficit on the road but was unable to find the late winner in a 63-61 loss at Florida State tonight in Tallahassee, Fla.
Justin Pippen made a career-high four 3-pointers for the Bears, who go to 15-6 overall and 3-5 in ACC action with the road defeat. The Seminoles are now 9-12, 2-6.
It was a game of runs in the first half, and Florida State was the better at making offensive pushes in those first 20 minutes. The Seminoles broke up a back-and-forth battle with a 7-0 rally to take a lead and then added to it for a 36-23 advantage at halftime. Cal was shooting 32.1 percent to that point, while FSU was at 41.2 percent by the break. Cal would fall behind by 15 before coming back to catch FSU and pull ahead with 3:45 to go, although the Bears' slim lead was short-lived. The Bears improved their output in the second half but still finished up behind the Seminoles, shooting 34.5 percent overall to FSU's final 36.5 percent. Cal hit 10 threes in the game but was outscored in the paint 32-14 down the stretch.Â
In addition to Pippen's game-high 19 points, Cal got 13 points from
Chris Bell and 11 from
Dai Dai Ames, while Milos Ilic pulled in a season-high 11 rebounds in his first start as a Bear. FSU was led in scoring by Chauncey Wiggins' 18 points along with 11 from Robert McCray V.
It was a 3-point party at the start, with FSU nailing a pair of threes before Cal's
Dai Dai Ames and
Justin Pippen drained one each next for a 6-6 tie five minutes in. The Bears mounted an 8-0 rally in under a minute on a take from Ames followed by back-to-back threes from
Chris Bell, but the Seminoles fired right back with eight straight while Cal came up empty on the attack. The lead traded hands for a stretch, and then the Seminoles rattled off a 7-0 surge to lead it 25-19 with 4:15 on the clock. Cal broke over three minutes of scoring silence with a bucket from Bell at 4:05, but only one more would fall from the Bears in the remaining time -- a score from
John Camden -- and Cal would trail FSU 31-23 at halftime.Â
FSU got out ahead 41-27 four minutes into the second half, prompting Cal to dig in and find some buckets. Milos Ilic sparked it with a putback, and Camden hit his first 3-pointer next. Ames finished in the lane, and Cal was back within single digits, down 41-34 at 14:40. Seven minutes later, it was a six-point game with the Bears trailing 52-46 after a successful trip to the stripe from DeJuan Campbell for his first points of the night. While the foul count was tipping against the Bears, they were able to break up the Seminoles' trips to the line with big threes from Camden and Pippen. Pippen's long one carved the deficit to one at 55-54 with 6:15 to go. Pippen came up clutch with a slick finish following a three-point play from Campbell, and Cal had its first lead since the 7-minute mark of the first half, up 59-58 at 3:45. FSU scratched its way back in front, edging ahead 62-60 with 3:00 remaining, and it was down to a one-point margin in the final minute. A look from 3-point range was off the mark for Cal, and FSU was back at the free-throw line with 9.8 ticks to go, up 62-61. He'd hit the back end, but the Bears were just off on their last look at a game-winner, and the Seminoles emerged with a tense 63-61 victory over their visitors.Â
NEXT:Â The Bears now turn to take on Miami in Cal's first-ever trip to Coral Gables at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday (Jan. 31).
NOTABLE:
- With 19 points,
Justin Pippen scored in double figures for the 17th time this season.
- His four 3-pointers made was a career high.
- With 11 points,
Dai Dai Ames scored in double figures for a team-best 18th time this season.
- With 13 points,
Chris Bell hit double digits for the 15th time this season.
- In his first start as a Bear, Milos Ilic hauled in a season-high 11 rebounds.Â
- Cal's 23 points at halftime marked the fewest scored in a half this season.Â
- This was Cal's first-ever game played at Florida State.Â
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