BERKELEY, CALIF. -- The California men's basketball team rang up its first postseason victory since 2014 thanks in part to Chris Bell's career-high 31 points with seven 3-pointers made to help the Golden Bears fight off visiting UIC for a 91-73 win in the NIT First Round tonight at Haas Pavilion. The Flames led by nine points in the first half and by two in the second half before the Bears found their winning groove. Cal is now 22-11 overall and advances to the NIT Second Round against Saint Joseph's on Sunday at 6 p.m. PT in Berkeley.

Both teams were shooting 50 percent from the floor in the first half, but Cal had landed three more 3-pointers to counter the extra free throws UIC was shooting as the foul count tipped against the Bears. Still, Cal was able to make a late 9-0 run and lead it 39-35 at halftime. In the second half, the Bears turned it up and made a 12-0 rally to take control of things. The Bears finished the game shooting 56.1 percent overall, making a season-high 15 threes and going a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. The Flames continued to shoot well, wrapping at 50.9 percent overall, but it was Cal's 3-point game that turned the tide. Cal also outrebounded UIC, 28-26

Bell's career-high 31 points led all scorers on the night, and the Bears also had Justin Pippen (18 points) and John Camden (13) hit double figures. Pippen scored 16 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the second half and also served up six assists in the game. TT Carr added seven for the Bears, who tied their season high of 21 total assists. UIC was led by Rashund Washington Jr's 15 points along with 14 each from Abdull Momoh and Elijah Crawford.

Cal was tagged with five fouls in the first five minutes as UIC pushed out to a 13-6 lead in that span. The Flames manufactured a 9-0 run to lead by nine, although the Bears woke back up and stopped that run with a Milos Ilic dunk and a three-point play converted by Chris Bell. DeJuan Campbell buried back-to-back 3-pointers later to reel the Flames in and make it a one-point game at 11:00. It was a back-and-forth battle from there, although UIC spent much of the time at the free-throw line. Only one basket fell from the floor for the Flames amongst a flurry of free throws for five minutes as UIC stayed a step ahead. Cal turned a 33-30 deficit into a 39-33 Bear lead -- its first since the first couple minutes -- with a defensive effort that fueled some big buckets at the other end. Ilic, TT Carr and Bell all contributed to the 9-0 surge, and the Bears were up 39-35 at halftime. 

UIC edged back on top with a 6-0 rally, leading it 43-41 three minutes into the second half, only to see Bell blast off on a 9-0 run all his own before Dai Dai Ames got in on the action with a 3-pointer that lifted Cal to a 53-43 lead at 14:20. UIC got the margin down to three points with 7:30 to go, but again the Bears had a 3-point response at the ready. This one came from John Camden, and Ilic followed that with a steal and coast-to-coast finish to put Cal back in the driver's seat. Bell unleashed two more 3-pointers in the final stretch to bump his total to a career-high 31 points, and BJ Fisher capped things off with a bucket with 20 ticks to go, making it a 91-73 final victory for the Bears.

NEXT: Cal now hosts Saint Joseph's in the NIT Second Round at 6 p.m. PT on Sunday (March 22) at Haas Pavilion.

NOTABLE:
- Chris Bell scored a career-high 31 points, making him the second Bear to hit 30 in a game this season (Dai Dai Ames scored 31 at Wake Forest, 3/7).
- It was Bell's 25th double-digit game of the season.
- Bell's seven 3-pointers made tied his season high.
- With 13 points, John Camden scored in double digits for the 24th time this season.
- With 18 points, Justin Pippen hit double figures for the 26th time this season.
- With four steals tonight, Pippen now has 59 steals this season, tying for fourth most by a Bear in a single season.
- Cal's 21 assists marked the fifth time this season that it has recorded 20 or more assists in a game.
- Cal's 15 threes made tied its season high.
- This was Cal's eighth game scoring 90 or more points -- the most recorded in a season since 10 in 1970-71.
- This was Cal's first postseason appearance since 2017 and first postseason victory since 2014. 

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