March 17, 1999
A Quick Look at the Golden Bears
California hosts Colorado State in the third round of the National Invitation Tournament Thursday, with the victor advancing to play the winner of the Oregon-TCU game March 23 in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Bears reached the third round by defeating Fresno State, 79-71, at home and DePaul, 58-57, on the road. In both contests, Cal rebounded from double-digit deficits. The Bears trailed Fresno State, 49-37, early in the second half, and they were behind, 28-11, at DePaul. The scenario is familiar to followers of Cal basketball this year, as the Bears have come back from at least 10 points down to win six times this year, including games against North Carolina and Arizona.
Cal now owns a 5-3 record in NIT action. The Bears lost in the first round in 1986, reached the quarterfinals in 1987 and made the second round in 1989. At home in the NIT, Cal is 3-1.
Senior guard Geno Carlisle continues to lead Cal in scoring with a 16.2 ppg average. He has totaled at least 25 points six times this year, with a high of 29 against North Carolina. Carlisle scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half against Fresno State last week and paced the Bears with 16 points at DePaul.
Although he doesn't always receive as much attention as his starting backcourt mate, senior guard Thomas Kilgore has been Cal's most consistent player throughout the majority of the season. Kilgore joined UCLA's Baron Davis as the only two players in the Pac-10 to score in double figures in every league game. He led the Bears in scoring in conference action (16.5 ppg) and is also the team's top defender, picking off 54 steals on the year.
Up front, sophomore forward Sean Lampley has re-asserted himself as one of the top rebounders in the country during Cal's two NIT games. He had 14 boards (to go with a career-high 28 points) against Fresno State, then added 14 more boards at DePaul. Owner of 10 double-doubles on the season, Lampley's 9.0 rpg average this year is the highest for a Cal player since Brian Hendrick averaged 10.7 rpg in 1991-92.
As a team, Cal's defense has propelled the Bears to the postseason for the sixth time in the 1990s. Cal ranks third in the Pac-10 in scoring defense at 69.2 ppg and owns a substantial lead in the conference in turnover margin (+4.40). Cal is 13-2 this season when holding opponents to 70 or fewer points.
Cal on the Radio
All California games will be broadcast on KABL Radio (960 AM) in San Francisco and KATD Radio (990 AM) in Concord with Roxy Bernstein calling the action. Each broadcast begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off with the Cal Basketball Pregame Show. After the game, head coach Ben Braun will recap the action on the Cal Basketball Postgame Show. In addition to the radio, broadcasts can be heard on the Internet at www.broadcast.com.
www.calbears.com
All Cal releases, results, statistics, box scores, schedules and coach and player information, as well as historical data, is available on the Internet at www.calbears.com. Game recaps and statistics are updated after each contest. The site also includes information on all 27 of Cal's teams.
Cal Radio on Telephone
All Cal basketball radio broadcasts during the 1998-99 season are available nationwide via telephone through TRZ Telephone Broadcast Services. Fans may access the Cal games from anywhere in the country by dialing 800-846-4700, extension 5918. The cost is 50 cents for the first minute, with decreasing rates for each addition minute.
The Oakland Arena
While Haas Pavilion is under construction on campus, Cal will play all of its home games at the Oakland Arena. Recently renovated and expanded to 19,200 seats, the facility also serves as host to the NBA's Golden State Warriors. Cal played its first game in Oakland in 1974 and has an all-time mark of 40-21 there. The building, which was originally built in 1966, served as host of the men's NCAA West Regionals in 1990 and '95 and the women's regionals in 1998.
Cal Coach Ben Braun
Ben Braun (Wisconsin '75), who was named the 14th head coach in Cal history on Sept. 15, 1996, is in his third year in Berkeley and 22nd season as a collegiate head coach. He agreed to a new eight-year contract with Cal in October 1997 that extends through the 2004-05 season. His record at Cal stands at 54-35, while his career mark, which includes 11 years at Eastern Michigan and eight seasons at Siena Heights College, is 387-270. The 1997 Pac-10 Coach of the Year and a finalist for '97 National Coach of the Year honors, Braun led the Bears to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1997. At EMU from 1985-96, the three-time MAC Coach of the Year guided the Eagles to three NCAA Tournaments and one NIT appearance with an overall record of 185-132. A native of Chicago, Braun played one year of basketball at Wisconsin-LaCrosse before transferring to Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a teaching degree in English with a minor in African-American studies in 1975. He received his master's degree in guidance and counseling from Siena Heights.
Colorado State Scouting Report
A Look at Colorado State (19-11). Colorado State advanced to the third round of the NIT with home victories over Mississippi State (69-56) and Colorado (86-76). The Rams tied for fourth in the Mountain Division of the WAC with a 7-7 record. They lost in the first round of the WAC tournament, falling to Fresno State, 80-59. Colorado State is making its sixth appearance in the NIT and has a 6-5 record in the Tournament.
Cal-Colorado State Series History
Cal and Colorado State will meet for the first time Thursday.
Colorado State Head Coach Ritchie McKay
Ritchie McKay is in his first season as head coach at Colorado State. Prior to moving to Ft. Collins, Colo., he was head coach at Portland State for two years, guiding PSU to a 24-29 record, including a 15-12 mark in 1997-98. McKay has also served as an assistant at Washington, Bradley, Seattle Pacific and Queens College.
Probable Starters
Pos No Name Ht Wt Yr Ppg Rpg
F 45 Ceedric Goodwin 6-8 230 Jr 14.4 4.5
C 54 John Ford 6-9 205 Jr 3.7 3.5
G 5 Milt Palacio 6-3 195 Sr 18.4 5.1
G 20 Andre McKanstry 6-1 180 Sr 13.4 4.5
G 32 John Sivesind 6-3 195 So 10.5 3.4
Updated Cal NIT Postseason Notes
Cal Makes Most Postseason
Appearances in 1990s
With its invitation to the NIT this March, Cal is making its sixth postseason appearance of the 1990s more than in any other decade in Golden Bear history. In addition to this year, Cal also went to NCAA Tournaments in 1990, '93, '94, '96 and '97. The Bears made three postseason trips in both the 1950s (3 NCAA Tournaments) and 1980s (3 NITs). Cal first went to the postseason in 1946 when the Bears finished fourth in the NCAA Tournament. After the arrival of Pete Newell as head coach, Cal went to three NCAA Tournaments in the 1950s, including a national championship in 1959. The next year, the Bears finished as NCAA runner-up, but then went 26 years before going to the postseason again. In 1986, Cal began a run of three NIT berths in four seasons. The current decade, though, has given the Bears more postseason opportunities. Below is a look at Cal's postseason appearances by decade.
Decade Postseason
1940s 1946 (NCAA, 4th)
1950s 1957 (NCAA, 2nd round), 1958 (NCAA, 2nd round),
1959 (NCAA, 1st)
1960s 1960 (NCAA, 2nd)
1980s 1986 (NIT, 1st round), 1987 (NIT, Quarterfinals),
1989 (NIT, 2nd round)
1990s 1990 (NCAA, 2nd round), 1993 (NCAA, Sweet 16)
1994 (NCAA, 1st round), 1996 (NCAA, 1st round)
1997 (NCAA, Sweet 16), 1999 (NIT)
Current Bears Experience
Postseason for First Time
With four seniors on the roster and four returning starters, Cal was tabbed as one of the most experienced teams in the Pac-10. However, when it comes to the postseason, the current group of Bears is taking part in the festivities for the first time. Although Cal was in the NCAA Tournament just two years ago, no member of the 1998-99 squad was part of that unit. The Bears lost their top seven players six who graduated and one who declared early for the NFL Draft after their Sweet 16 run in 1997 and have since completely turned over the roster. In fact, all but one player on the present team is part of a winning Division I program for the first time (San Diego State was 15-14 during Raymond King's freshman year). Among the 10 scholarship players seeing action this season, six transferred in from other schools and four started their careers at Cal. King transferred to Cal prior to the 1996-97 season and sat out the '97 NCAA Tournament year, while Geno Carlisle (Northwestern) and Thomas Kilgore (Central Michigan) arrived in Berkeley as mid-year transfers in January 1997. Francisco Elson (Kilgore College in Texas) and Mike Gill (Pittsburgh and Compton CC) both came to Cal in the fall of 1997, and Carl Boyd joined the squad this season from Porterville College. The only four Bears to play entirely for Cal are sophomore Sean Lampley and freshmen Dennis Gates, Shahar Gordon and Solomon Hughes.
Cal Comes Back to Defeat Fresno State, 79-71, in NIT First Round
Sophomore forward Sean Lampley scored a career-high 28 points (7-13 FG, 14-18 FT) and added 14 rebounds to lead California to a 79-71 victory over Fresno State in the first round of the NIT March 10 at the Oakland Arena. Fresno State led for the entire first half and went up, 49-37, with 15 minutes left. That's when Cal went on a 16-1 run to take a 53-50 lead. Two Bears had big second halves to lead the charge with Carl Boyd scoring 10 of his 14 points and Geno Carlisle putting in 15 of his 19 points after intermission. The Bears outrebounded the Bulldogs, 47-30, easily Cal's biggest margin of the season (previous best: +8 vs. Houston (50-42) Dec. 3). The Bears are now 3-1 in NIT first round games after beating Cal State Fullerton, 72-68 in overtime, in 1987 and Hawaii, 73-57, in 1989. The Bears lost to Loyola Marymount, 80-75, in 1986.
Elson's Game-Winner Lifts Bears over DePaul, 58-57
Center Francisco Elson hit a short jumper in the lane with just over two minutes left to lift California to a 58-57 victory over DePaul March 18 at the Rosemont Horizon. For the second straight game, the Bears fell behind in the first half, this time by 17 points (28-11), and Cal was down, 37-24, at the break. However, Mike Gill scored eight of his 12 points during a 14-1 run that tied the game at 38-all early in the second period. After shooting just 25.7 percent from the floor in the first half, Cal sank 63.6 percent in the second half when the Bears outscored DePaul, 34-20. The 17-point comeback represented Cal's largest since they rebounded from being down 20 points in the first half at home against Arizona State on Feb. 10, 1994 before winning, 95-78.
Cal NIT Record Book Update
Through two games of the NIT, several Cal NIT and postseason records have either been set or tied. Sopohomore forward Sean Lampley's 14 rebounds against both Fresno State and DePaul broke the school NIT mark of 12 set by Jon Wheeler against Cal State Fullerton on March 13, 1987. Lampley also took 18 free throw attempts (14 made) versus Fresno State, tying the Cal posteason record set by Leonard Taylor in an NIT second round game at Connecticut in 1989. In addition, Cal's 11-for-11 performance at the free throw line at DePaul broke the team's postseason mark of 18-for-20 (90.0%) against St. Mary's in the NCAA Tournament on March 18, 1960.
Rosemont Horizon Provides Exciting Cal Finishes in Postseason
When Cal emerged with a 58-57 victory over DePaul March 18 in the second round of the NIT at the Rosemont Horizon, it improved the Bears record to 3-0 all-time in postseason games in the facility. In the 1993 NCAA Tournament, Cal, behind All-Americans Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray, beat both LSU (66-64) and two-time defending NCAA champion Duke (82-77) to advance to the Sweet 16.
Cal Ties Best Start Since 1980
By jumping out to a 9-1 record after 10 games, Cal equaled its best 10-game start since 1980. Going back to 1945, the Bears also won nine of their first 10 games in 1945-46, 1959-60, 1953-54 and 1945-46. However, those quick starts have not always translated into subsequent success. In '80-81, Cal slumped through the rest of the year and finished with a 13-14 overall record, while the '53-54 squad ended the season 17-7, but tied for third in the Pacific Coast Conference and did not advance to the postseason. However, the Bears reached the NCAA Final Four after 9-1 starts to both the 1945-46 and '59-60 seasons. This year, Cal completed a 9-1 run through its pre-Pac-10 slate, bolstered by wins over Rhode Island and North Carolina.
Season Record after 10 Games Final Record Postseason
1998-99 9-1 ?? NIT
1980-81 9-1 13-14 -
1959-60 9-1 28-2 NCAA
1953-54 9-1 17-7 -
1945-46 9-1 30-6 NCAA
Lampley Lights Up under the Boards
Sophomore forward Sean Lampley may be only 6-7, but he stands tall as one of the best rebounders in the Pac-10. Lampley is averaging a team-high 9.0 rpg, which ranks in the Top 5 in the league and is the highest at Cal since Brian Hendrick averaged 10.7 rpg in 1991-92. For the season, Lampley has led Cal on the glass 22 times in the 29 games he has played (he missed the season-opener with a hand injury). In the Bears first round NIT game against Fresno State, Lampley soared to a career-high 28 points to go with 14 boards. He then added 14 rebounds at DePaul in the second round, the second time this year he pulled down 14 caroms against the Blue Demons (also Nov. 28). Early in the season, he grabbed a personal-best 18 rebounds (to go with 21 points) against Houston Dec. 3. Other big rebounding efforts came against Eastern Kentucky Dec. 21 (15), USC Jan. 16 (11) and Oregon March 6 (11). Lampley has 10 double-doubles on the year, including an 18-point, 11-rebound effort vs. UCLA and a 20-point, 11-rebound outing vs. Arizona. Lampley capped off the regular season at Oregon March 6 with 21 points and adding 11 boards. He nearly had an 11th double-double when he finished with 14 points and 9 boards against North Carolina.
Bears Beat 3 Top 10 Teams for First Time Since 1960
For the first time since Cal finished as the national runner-up in 1959-60, the Bears have defeated three Top 10 opponents in the same season. Cal began its '98-99 run with a 78-71 victory over No. 9 North Carolina Dec. 29. The Bears then upended No. 9 UCLA, 85-67, Feb. 13 and completed the stretch with their Feb. 25 89-76 triumph over No. 7 Arizona. During the 1959-60 season, No. 4 Cal beat No. 10 Illinois, 62-48, on Dec. 28, 1959 at the Los Angeles Invitational. Two days later in Los Angeles, the Bears moved up to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll and defeated No. 2 West Virginia, 65-45. Cal's final victory over a Top 10 team that year came in the NCAA semifinals at the Cow Palace in San Francisco when No. 2 Cal beat No. 1 Cincinnati, 77-69.
Cal Sets School Attendance Record
With an average of 10,605 per home game this year, Cal broke its school records for season average and total attendance. The previous mark came in 1993-94 when the Bears attracted 166,317 fans to 16 home games, an average of 10,395 per contest. During the '98-99 season, 180,278 fans came to watch Cal basketball at the Oakland Arena. The Bears were bolstered by three crowds of over 15,000. On Dec. 29, 19,657 came to watch the Pete Newell Challenge doubleheader when Cal defeated North Carolina and Stanford upended Temple - the largest crowd ever to watch a college basketball game in the state of California. In February, the Cal-Stanford contest attracted a crowd of 15,269, while the Cal-UCLA match-up brought 15,676 out to the Arena. That UCLA total set a Pac-10 single-game record, breaking the mark of 15,517 set when UCLA played USC at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1992.
Cal's Top Attendance Figures
Season Games Total Average
1998-99 17 180,278 10,605
1993-94 16 166,317 10,395
1992-93 14 130,819 9,344
1997-98 14 130,258 9,304
1994-95 15 128,715 8,581
Cal Turns Up Heat on Turnovers with Two School Records
If there is one statistic that shows why Cal earned a postseason berth this season, it would have to be turnovers. Not only are the Bears committing just 14.07 turnovers per game, but they are also forcing a school-record 18.47 per contest. As a result, Cal leads the Pac-10 with a turnover margin of +4.40 - the highest differential in school history since the statistic started being tabulated during the 1978-79 season and the best in the Pac-10 this year. The Bears have caused opponents to commit at least 20 turnovers 14 times, with highs of 29 by Eastern Kentucky and 27 by Arizona State. On the flip side, Cal has turned the ball over 13 or fewer times on 15 occasions, including a low of seven versus both North Carolina and Stanford. Cal enters the postseason having had a positive turnover margin in all but six games. Four times, the Bears have been at least +10, which led to wins over North Carolina (+17), Eastern Kentucky (+12), Eastern Washington (+11) and Oregon State (+11). Cal is 12-4 when its turnover margin is +5 or greater this season.
Top 5 Turnovers Forced Per Game
Season Games TO Forced TO/Game
1998-99 30 554 18.47
1992-93 30 552 18.40
1997-98 27 495 18.33
1979-80 27 489 18.11
1996-97 32 579 18.09
Top 5 Turnover Margins
Season Games Difference Margin
1998-99 30 132 +4.40
1982-83 28 92 +3.29
1978-79 27 82 +3.04
1979-80 27 75 +2.78
1997-98 27 73 +2.70
Senior Guard Thomas Kilgore -- Cal's Quietly Consistent Leader
Throughout the 1998-99 season, one player has clearly emerged as the most consistent on the squad - senior guard Thomas Kilgore. After getting off to a slow start through the year's first six games (9.7 ppg, 32.7 FG%), Kilgore has been Cal's leading scorer the rest of the way. Over his last 20 games of the regular season (Dec. 22 through March 6), Kilgore averaged 16.7 ppg while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor (111-220) and 43.2 percent from the three-point line (16-37). Kilgore also leads the Bears in free throw shooting (81.2 percent, 117-144) and steals (54, 1.93 spg). During the run, Kilgore paced Cal in scoring nine times, including a Cal career-high 34 points at Washington State Feb. 18 (As a freshman at Central Michigan, he had 35 points against Iona in 1994.) That total ranks as the fifth best at Cal in the last 17 years. In addition, Kilgore had 21 points in a win over North Carolina, 21 more at Stanford and 24, including 12 straight late in the game, against Arizona State. In Pac-10 action, Kilgore was the top shooting guard in the conference, making 49.3 percent of his shots. Along with UCLA's Baron Davis, he was one of only two players in the league to score in double figures in every conference game. On the defensive side, he has had at least four steals in a game seven times, most recently in the regular-season finale at Oregon. After averaging 2.14 steals per game last season, Kilgore is trying to join Jason Kidd (1993, '94) as the only two Cal players to average at least 2.0 steals in two different seasons.
Defensive Stats Key to Cal's Success
Ever since he took over as Cal's head coach in September 1996, Ben Braun has emphasized defense. During his first year in Berkeley, Braun's Bears led the Pac-10 in both scoring defense (67.8 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (41.0 percent) on their way to the Sweet 16 of the 1997 NCAA Tournament. With five new starters the next season, Cal still ranked among the conference leaders, this time second in scoring defense at 69.5 ppg. And this year, the Bears once again find themselves near the top, ending the regular season third in scoring defense (69.6 ppg). In fact, Cal rates in the top half of the league in almost every defensive area.
Cal's Defensive Pac-10 Rankings (as of March 7)
Scoring Defense, 3rd 69.5 ppg
3-Point FG Percentage Defense, 5th 33.0%
Steals, 3rd 8.68 spg
Blocked Shots, 2nd 3.75 bpg
Turnover Margin, 1st +5.07
Turnovers Forced, 2nd 18.9 topg
Carlisle's Big Games Lead to Big Wins
Just like the entire Cal squad, senior Geno Carlisle has certainly had his ups and downs this season. But when it comes to performing well in big games or with the game on the line, it is clear that Carlisle has been a key performer. After shooting sporadically for the first 14 games of the Pac-10 season (55-186, 29.6%), Carlisle turned his game up a notch down the stretch, hitting on 48.1 percent of his field goal attempts the last four games of the regular season. In Cal's win over Arizona Feb. 25, Carlisle scored 10 of the Bears final 12 points of the first half as Cal went from a 40-40 tie to a 52-40 lead at the break. He finished the contest with 21 points (8-16 FG, 3-5 3P, 2-2 FT). Two days later against Arizona State, Carlisle added six points in the final 31 seconds, making all four of his free throw attempts as Cal pulled away for a 78-73 victory. He tallied his high for a Pac-10 game in '99 with 26 points at Oregon State March 4 . Earlier in the season, Carlisle had 10 of his season-best 29 points in the final 4:51 to help Cal seal a win over North Carolina. He also scored 8 of his 26 points in the last 4:33 against Rhode Island and he had 8 of his 27 points in the final 3:30 at BYU. Even though he made just 6-of-18 field goal attempts in the first round NIT game against Fresno State, Carlisle scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, as Cal came back from a 12-point deficit. He also had a team-high 16 points at DePaul in the second round. Playing point guard for most of the year, Carlisle averages 3.9 assists per game, including a career-best 10 assists at USC. He has led Cal in assists 20 times and has had at least five assists on 10 occasions. Much of the reason he was voted to the Golden Bear Classic all-tournament team in December was because of his ability to pass the ball as he had 12 assists with just two turnovers in wins over Eastern Kentucky and SW Louisiana. In addition, Carlisle made 27 consecutive free throws from Feb. 20 through March 6 just missing the school record of 31 set in 1963 by Dan Lufkin.
Bears Show Comeback Ability
During this unpredictable season of Cal basketball, the Bears have shown that, no matter the circumstances, they should never be counted out. Six times this year, Cal has come back from double-digit deficits to win, including twice over schools ranked in the Top 10 at the time and in both NIT games. Against Fresno State March 10, the Bears trailed 49-37 early in the second half before surging for a 79-71 win. Then at DePaul, Cal was down, 28-11, midway through the first half yet won, 58-57. That comeback was Cal's best since the Bears won, 95-78, at home over Arizona State on Feb. 10, 1994 after trailing by 20 points in the first half. The Bears even have a winning record when trailing at the break this year, going 8-6 during the course of the season. During the Bears most recent appearance in the postseason -- the 1997 NCAA Tournament -- Cal trailed both Princeton (29-23 before winning, 55-52) and Villanova (36-34 before winning, 75-68) in the first two rounds on its way to the Sweet 16.
Overcoming Double-Digit Deficits
Team Date Deficit Time / Half Final
at DePaul 3/16/99 17 (28-11) 7:41 / 1st W 58-57
Fresno State 3/10/99 12 (49-37) 14:30 / 2nd W 79-71
Arizona State 2/27/99 14 (18-32) 6:37 / 1st W 78-73
Arizona 2/25/99 10 (12-22) 13:34 / 1st W 89-76
North Carolina 12/29/98 10 (49-59) 13:28 / 2nd W 78-71
Coppin State 12/7/98 12 (29-41) 13:08 / 2nd W 54-52
Steals Rate Among Best Ever
With Thomas Kilgore and Mike Gill leading the way, the 1998-99 Cal squad has posted one of the highest steal totals in school history. Through this year's 30 games, the Bears have 255 steals - a total that rates fourth on the Cal list - and their average of 8.50 per game ranks near the top of the Pac-10. With 54 by himself, Kilgore leads Cal's individual charge. Kilgore has had four steals in a game seven times this year, most recently at Oregon March 6. After averaging 2.14 steals per game last year, he is at 1.93 spg this season. If he can slightly increase that rate, Kilgore would join former Cal All-American Jason Kidd (1993, '94) as the only two players in school history to average at least two steals in two different seasons. In addition to Kilgore this year, Gill has 40 steals and four other players have at least 20 steals - Carl Boyd (26), Geno Carlisle (24), Dennis Gates (23) and Sean Lampley (20)
Top 5 Steals List
Year Steals Games
1. 1993 284 30 games
2. 1997 271 32 games
3. 1994 258 30 games
4. 1999 255 30 games
5. 1998 227 27 games
Cal Trio Gets Streaky at FT Line
As a team, Cal may rank in the lower half in the Pac-10 in free throw shooting at 67.0 percent, but the Bears have three players who have put together some impressive streaks from the charity stripe. Senior guard Geno Carlisle had a run of 27 consecutive free throws made end March 6 at Oregon. The string which fell just short of the school record of 31 set by Dan Lufkin in 1962-63 began at Washington Feb. 20 and included an 8-for-8 game against Arizona State and a 5-for-5 night at Oregon State. Senior guard Thomas Kilgore leads the Bears overall with a free throw rate of 81.2 percent and has been perfect from the line eight times. His best game came against Arizona Feb. 25 when he was 10-for-10, while Kilgore also went 7-for-7 versus both Rhode Island and Washington. Senior forward Mike Gill, at 72.0 percent for the season, has put together two long streaks of his own one of 14 straight and another with 13 in a row. As a team, Cal made all 11 of its free throw attempts at DePaul in the second round of the NIT.
Cal to Move into Haas Pavilion for 1999-2000 Season
Cal will open the 1999-2000 season in a new on-campus arena - the Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion. The facility, which is being built on the site of the former Harmon Gym, will have a capacity of 12,300 - up from 6,578 in Harmon - and is named in honor of Walter and Evelyn Haas, who donated a lead gift of $10 million. Construction on the $60 million project got underway in the summer of 1997. The Bears played in Harmon Gym for 64 seasons (1933-97) and compiled a 588-300 record there, including an 18-game winning streak during the final two years. The final game at the facility came on March 6, 1997 when Cal defeated Arizona State, 84-66. Over the last two seasons, Cal played all of its home games at the Oakland Arena, which also serves as home to the NBA's Golden State Warriors, going 22-8 during that span.
Golden Bear Notes
Cal's 85-67 win over UCLA Feb. 13 was the Bears biggest victory at home over the Bruins since Cal won, 62-44, on Feb. 14, 1948 ... including its 71-69 overtime loss to Oregon in the Pac-10 opener, Cal owns an all-time record of 20-34 in single OT games; the Bears are 11-7 in multiple OT games ... Geno Carlisle, Thomas Kilgore and Sean Lampley all received honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors this season ... Cal is 5-5 in games decided by three points or less this season; last year, the Bears were 0-8 in similarly close games ... Geno Carlisle was named Pac-10 Player of the Week Dec. 7 after leading Cal to wins over Houston and Rhode Island ... Cal won the Golden Bear Classic in December for the third consecutive year ... the Bears will play in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, next fall.
