Jalen Cone's five 3-pointers provided the difference in a high-scoring first half and Cal avenged a 2017 postseason defeat with an 83-63 nonconference men's basketball triumph over Cal State Bakersfield on Monday night in Berkeley, Calif.
Cone, a Northern Arizona transfer, finished with a game-high 23 points for the Golden Bears (2-1), who were coming off a home loss to Pacific.
Cone's point total included 17 in the first half, helping Cal take a 49-34 advantage into the break. Jaylon Tyson finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and a game-high seven assists for the Golden Bears.
Kaleb Higgins had a team-high 22 points for Cal State Bakersfield (1-2). The Roadrunners began a two-game trip with a loss to then-No. 21 Southern California on Thursday.
The last time the Roadrunners beat a Pac-12 team, it was Cal in the first round of the 2017 NIT, another game the Golden Bears hosted.
All five Cal starters hit a 3-pointer in the first-half flurry, during which the hosts shot 11-for-21 from deep. Cone's five successes came in 10 attempts.
Cal State Bakersfield got no closer than nine in the second half.
All but two points of Cone's total came on 7-for-16 shooting from beyond the arc. The seven threes equaled a career best set five times previously at Northern Arizona.
Cal outrebounded the visitors 45-33.
Fardaws Aimaq added 14 points for Cal, while Devin Askew had 12 and Grant Newell 10.
Higgins' 22 points came on 7-for-17 shooting from the field. He shot 2-for-4 on 3-point attempts, but his teammates combined for just three hoops from beyond the arc as the Roadrunners were outscored 45-15 from deep.
Modestas Kancleris backed Higgins with 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Cameron Wilbon had 10 points.
--Field Level Media
CSU Bakersfield | California | |
Kaleb Higgins 22 | Scoring | Jalen Cone 23 |
Kaleb Higgins 2 | Assists | Jaylon Tyson 7 |
Modestas Kancleris 8 | Rebounds | Jaylon Tyson 12 |
Kaleb Higgins 6 | Free Throws Made | Fardaws Aimaq 5 |
Modestas Kancleris 1 | Steals | Monty Bowser 1 |
Modestas Kancleris 1 | Blocks | ND Okafor 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
CSU Bakersfield | 63 | 39.6 | 5-12 | 20-33 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
California | 83 | 40.3 | 15-36 | 14-20 | 18 | 41 | 2 | 3 | 8 |