The California Golden Bears hosted No. 6 Oregon in Berkeley this evening, and for one half, they ran circles around their top-ten foes. Oregon put up just 16 points in the first half, which is the worst mark of the Dana Altman era. Cal’s guards were raining threes and lanky power forward Ivan Rabb was dominating the paint. Things looked bleak for the Ducks
Oregon learned how to shoot baskets and actually make them in the second half, but Cal’s offense held serve and maintained a healthy lead until the last three minutes of the game. The Bears, cheered on by a face-paint-emblazoned Bill Walton, spun into a horrifying six-and-a-half minute field goal drought as Oregon kept eating into their lead.
The Ducks took their first lead of the game inside the last minute on a Dillon Brooks jumper, and it appeared Cal was dead. However, Ivan Rabb got his own rebound and nudged in an and-1 from close range with 10 seconds left. Upon further review, referees ruled that it was goaltending, and Oregon got the ball back with the game tied up. Brooks went back to work and put the Bears to sleep.
The win was Oregon’s biggest comeback in a decade and Cal’s dumbest loss in a while.