Bears have no answer for No. 14 Wildcats
Defense unable to handle Ayton inside or 3-point barrage in fifth straight loss
BERKELEY >> What a dilemma for Cal coach Wyking Jones on Wednesday night against No. 14 Arizona: Try to collapse around potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Deandre Ayton or hope his team’s porous perimeter defense could defuse the Wildcats’ 3-point shooting.
Arizona exploited both avenues to easily beat the Bears 79-58 in Pac-12 action in front of 7,721 fans at Haas Pavilion, handing Cal its fifth straight defeat.
Ayton, a 7-foot freshman from the Bahamas boasting a 43-inch vertical leap, scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season. The Pac-12’s leading scorer and rebounder made nine of his 11 shots.
Jones called him “a monster” earlier this week and saw nothing that changed his opinion, saying: “He’s a talented young man.”
But the Wildcats (15-4, 5-1) broke open a sluggish game with on onslaught of 3-point baskets late in the first half. Arizona made five straight from beyond the arc in a span of less than 7 minutes, stretching out to a 14-point lead.
Jones acknowledged it was a no-win game of “pick your poison.”
“Do you want those guys, Ayton and (7-footer Dusan) Ristic, hurting you in the paint? Or do you play the zone and dare them to miss the long 3. They made the long 3 tonight,” Jones said.
Defending the 3-pointer has been a soft spot all season for the Bears, who entered the game tied for 338th nationally in that department. Arizona was 7 of 10 from deep in the first half and made nine of its first 14 tries.
Cal has allowed its past four opponents to convert 54 percent (52 of 96) of their 3-point attempts, and Jones concedes that opponents now have a scouting report on the Bears.
“They’re seeing what other people are shooting against us and coming in with a little bit more confidence they can make shots,” he said.
Arizona coach Sean Miller said it took his team some time to adjust to Cal’s defensive tactics.
“Cal’s zone is very extended,” he said. “You watch it on film, I think it’s one of those defenses, sometimes your players have to get into a rhythm and understand and get a sense of how to move the ball against it.”
When it was over, the Bears (7-12, 1-5) lost by double digits for the 11th time this season.
The Bears actually led 104, thanks to five turnovers by the Wildcats on their first seven possessions. But the Arizona lead was 36-26 at halftime, and the Bears were within single digits for a total of 17 seconds in the second half.
Freshman Justice Sueing, who entered the game as the Pac-12’s No. 3 scorer (19.2) in conference play, led the Bears with 19 points and nine rebounds, but shot just 6 of 17.
Cal’s five starters combined to shoot 12 of 43 with 12 of the team’s 14 turnovers. The Bears were 1 of 13 on 3-pointers, outscored 33-3 from the arc.
Allonzo Trier scored 15 points for Arizona and Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Dylan Smith each had 14 points. The Wildcats played without starting guard Rawle Alkins, sidelined as a precaution by a sore right foot.