Cal State Bakersfield shocks Bears
It was supposed to be a tuneup game. Instead, it was a disaster.
After its best start in 55 years, Cal (10-3) ended its nonconference slate with a question-raising, turnover-filled 55-52 loss to Cal State Bakersfield (3-10) in front of 6,902 at Haas Pavilion on Sunday night.
The Bears had narrowly avoided losing to Fresno State, Montana, Wyoming and Princeton. They were one game away from escaping into conference play without a major blemish on their resume. That all changed with the loss to a Bakersfield team ranked No. 340 in RPI.
“That’s why I always talk about respect all your opponents,” Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “Don’t get consumed with the name on the front of the jersey or the record.”
Despite trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half, Cal still had a chance to tie the score and possibly force overtime. But with his team trailing by three, Jordan Mathews — Cal’s best three-point shooter — dribbled the ball off his shoe out of bounds with less than five seconds to play. It was the Bears’ 18th and final turnover of the night.
“That’s unacceptable,” Cal’s David Kravish said of the turnovers.
Cal trailed by six with a little more than a minute to play before Kravish scored and guard Sam Singer stole the ensuing inbounds pass. Guard Tyrone Wallace’s layup cut the lead to two with 58 seconds to play.
The teams traded free throws in the following 40 seconds. The Roadunners’ Brent Wrapp made 1 of 2 with 18 seconds to go, setting up Mathews’ mishap.
Wallace struggled (5-for-13 shooting, four turnovers) but still scored 17 points, with nine rebounds and three assists. Kravish added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“It’s starting to get harder,” Wallace said. “A lot of attention is getting brought to me.”
Up 3-0 in the game’s first minute, the Bears went scoreless the next 10½ minutes — during which Bakersfield scored 15 points.
The Roadrunners entered as one of the worst teams in the country at forcing turnovers, but Cal gave away the ball 11 times in the first 15 minutes.
Although Bakersfield started only one player taller than 6-foot-4, the Bears were outscored 24-22 in the paint.
“We can’t come out flat in the first half,” Kravish said. “It’s been a pattern we’ve been setting for a while. By the end of the game, it was too late.”