The California Golden Bears did something that no team has done in a long time.
They silenced Oregon’s notoriously loud Pit Crew.
During a timeout with 10:44 left in the second half of Saturday’s game, you could’ve heard a cup being filled at a McArthur Court concession stand. The score stood 57-48 California, after Oregon had been up for most of the game. The crowd swelled with furious noise again as the Ducks led a charge and got as close as six points with 2:45 left, but Cal kept Oregon at arm’s length and won the game, 86-75. The loss left the sold-out McArthur Court crowd stunned after the Ducks’ second loss of the season at The Pit.
“We really wanted this game,” Oregon center Matt Short said.
The Bears used a strong second-half run to topple the Ducks. Oregon scored only 10 points in the first 14 minutes of the second half, as Cal went on a 30-10 run that all but ended the Ducks’ chances.
Cal’s “Big Three” of Amit Tamir, Joe Shipp and Brian Wethers
Oregon players (from left) Ian Crosswhite, Brian Helquist, Robert Johnson and Luke Ridnour can’t watch as the final seconds tick away in Cal’s 86-75 win at McArthur Court on Saturday.
led the Bears with a combined 62 points.
The Ducks contained Tamir — who averaged 27.6 points per game against the Ducks coming into Thursday’s match — for most of the game until the second-half run. Tamir had 14 of his 18 points in the second half.
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said the key to the Ducks’ loss was contained in the first half, not the second.
“In the first half, we had several opportunities to push the lead to 10 or 12 points, but we felt like we rushed some things, made some tough decisions,” Kent said. “And each time we did that, Cal made us pay.”
Cal’s Gabriel Hughes (left) and Joe Shipp celebrate their win Saturday.
Cal kept the lead close in the first half and then pounced in the second. The Bears shot 68.4 percent from the field in the second half, and when the free throws mattered down the stretch, Cal made just enough to get the win. The Bears hit 16 of 20 free throws in the final 2-1/2 minutes, when Oregon was fouling on almost every possession.
Oregon will have a week off before facing Oregon State on Feb. 15 in Corvallis. The Bears, only one game out of first place in the Pacific-10 Conference, head home to face Washington State and Washington this week.
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