No. 7 Syracuse 92, California 81: Freshman point guard Tyler Ennis scored a season-high 28 points as the Orange advanced to the championship game at the Maui Invitational.
Trevor Cooney shot 5-for-8 from 3-point range and scored 23 points for Syracuse, which will play No. 17 Baylor in Wednesday’s championship game. Jerami Grant added a career-high 19 points off the bench and eight rebounds and C.J. Fair contributed 14 points and seven rebounds for the Orange (6-0).
Justin Cobbs had 18 points and eight assists to lead California (5-1). Jabari Bird had 17 points and seven rebounds, David Kravish finished with 15 points after fouling out with just under three minutes remaining and Jordan Mathews scored 12 off the bench for the Golden Bears, who will meet Dayton in the consolation game.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the first half and neither team led by more than six points until Kravish went to the bench with his fourth foul with just under 11 minutes remaining and the Golden Bears trailing by one. The Orange followed with a 13-2 run and the Golden Bears never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
Kravish’s departure was key as California was without senior forward Richard Solomon, the fifth-leading rebounder in the nation at 11.4, who did not play because of a right corneal abrasion. Ricky Kreklow started in place of Solomon and finished with five points and four rebounds.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cobbs has posted at least five assists in every game this season. … Cal outrebounded its sixth consecutive opponent to start the season 30-26. … Syracuse has appeared in the Maui Invitational twice before and won both times (1990 and 1998).
California | Syracuse | |
Justin Cobbs 18 | Scoring | Tyler Ennis 28 |
Justin Cobbs 8 | Assists | Tyler Ennis 4 |
Jabari Bird 7 | Rebounds | Jerami Grant 8 |
Justin Cobbs 5 | Free Throws Made | Tyler Ennis 8 |
Justin Cobbs 4 | Steals | Tyler Ennis 3 |
David Kravish 2 | Blocks | DaJuan Coleman 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
California | 81 | 51.9 | 6-21 | 19-25 | 20 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
Syracuse | 92 | 53.4 | 7-14 | 23-24 | 14 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 8 |