Jaylon Tyson knocked down two free throws with 23 seconds to play, sealing California’s 69-64 win over Oregon on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.
Tyson finished with 27 points, 16 in the second half, and overcame a banged-up left wrist to lead his team to the win. The Golden Bears (13-15, 9-8 Pac-12) won for the fifth time in their last seven games.
Jermaine Couisnard paced the Ducks (18-9, 10-6) with 19 points, but Oregon’s field-goal percentage for the game was just 35.1 (20 of 57).
The Bears got a scare with about a minute to go in the first half when Tyson, their leading scorer this season, went up for a layup and landed hard on the court. His wrist got much of the impact, and Tyson had to leave the game before halftime.
Tyson, who came in averaging 19.8 points per game, was back in the game after halftime, with his wrist taped. He led the turnaround for the Bears as Oregon went far too long between baskets.
Oregon led 34-30 at the break, with nine points from Couisnard. The Ducks led by as many as seven in the half but made just one of only two 3-point attempts. Cal, coming off 16 made 3s on Thursday against Oregon State, made four in the first half and seven for the game.
Ducks freshman forward Kwame Evans Jr., a starter, hurt an ankle early in the second half. He got it taped up but did not return to the game.
Cal made it 44-43 on a Jalen Cone 3 with 12:32 to play, then Cone gave the Bears their first lead of the game with another 3 at the 11:23 mark. Both shots were part of a 10-0 run for Cal.
The Bears continued to build on the lead as the Ducks went ice cold. Bothered by Cal’s increased pressure on defense and rushing their shots, Oregon’s only points for more than 10 minutes came from free throws.
An N’Faly Dante hook shot with 5:12 to play was Oregon’s first made basket since the 15:24 mark.
Cal led by as many as eight, but Jadrian Tracey’s 3 with 3:12 to go cut the Bears’ lead to 60-57. The Ducks had the Cal lead down to one inside of three minutes, but never made another basket after Tracey’s 3 and went 7 of 30 from the floor in the second half.
–Field Level Media