Golden Bears steal one from Washington Huskies in triple overtime

January 10, 9:11 PMCal Bears ExaminerRob Calonge

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After only 41 seconds into the game, the California Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead on the Washington Huskies.  Only 12 seconds later, the Huskies scored a bucket to go up 2-1.  The Bears would never take the lead again.

That is, until there was only 15 seconds left of the third overtime.

In an incredible ending to one of the better college basketball games that you could ever hope to see, the California Golden Bears (15-2, 4-0 Pac-10) outlasted the Washington Huskies (11-4, 2-1 Pac-10) 88-85 in triple overtime Saturday evening.

Several times, I was forced to scrap and rewrite this post, as the Bears kept changing the story of the game.  First, the story was that they looked sluggish, slow, and off when it came to shooting.  The story later changed to poor defensive play by the Bears and an inability to control the inside game.  That story was then replaced with the Bears unable to get the bounces, but were getting some questionable fouls called.  In the end, the story was about Cal's perseverance and determination while they never quit and continued to play with great heart, even when there looked to be no hope of victory.

There's really nothing to sugar-coat - there's NO WAY the Bears should still be undefeated in the Pac-10.  Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still don't believe that I'm writing about a win.  This is probably the first game, since their loss to Missouri, that the Bears did more to lose the game than they have in the last five or so games.  Whether it was poor shooting, missing defensive assignments, losing the 'motion' from the offense, committing fouls, or turning the ball over, somehow the Bears never got blown out of Bank of America Arena.

Washington's Isaiah Thomas scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half and did a good job of making anyone defending him look silly.  Often, it was Cal's point guard of the same size, Jerome Randle.  The Huskies continued to pressure the Bears, guarding them on the perimeter and preventing any Cal player from finding easy shots.  After being down 11-4, the Bears scrapped to within a point to make the score 16-15 with 8:41 left in the first half.

Washington would extend their lead by going on an 13-4 run, making the score 29-20 with 3:44 left in the half, but the Bears again would battle back to get within four points at the half 32-28.  Randle went into the locker room with four points on 1-6 shooting.  Cal shot only 30.8% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc, which had more to do with a lack of momentum for most of the first half.

In the second half, the Bears kept the score close, but trailed the entire way until Patrick Christopher hit two free throws to tie the game at 41, with 13:37 left in the second half.  The Huskies then rattled off 11 straight points and were in control with their biggest advantage at 52-41 with 9:27 to go.

Washington forward Jon Brockman
(40) puts up a shot over California
forward Harper Kamp, lower right,
during the second half of an NCAA
college men's basketball game,
Saturday, Jan.10, 2009, at Hec
Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle.
(AP Photo/Joe Nicholson)

Then a crazy thing happened...the Bears woke up.

Randle scored nine points, Theo Robertson scored five, and the rest of the team held the Huskies to only six more points as the Bears rallied to tie the game with 44 seconds remaining in the game.  With the score 58-55, Randle took a pass from Christopher and sank a three-point shot that gave the Bears their first tie since the score was even at 41.  Robertson missed a two-point shot with two seconds to go and the game went into its first overtime.

In the first overtime, the Bears were down by three (64-61) with 2:44 to go.  27 seconds later, Christopher hit a three-point jumper and the game remained tied until the overtime period ended.  With Jorge Gutierrez guarding Thomas, the freshman point guard wasn't able to score from the field the rest of the way.

The second overtime period had the Bears trailing again.  With 33 seconds to play and all hope seemingly lost, the Bears were down 75-70.  After an apparent three-point shot by Randle was ruled as a two-point play because his toe touched the line, the Bears trailed 75-72 and were forced to foul the Huskies' best free throw shooter, Justin Dentmon.  Dentmon made one of two, making the score 76-72 with 20 seconds to go.  With 11 seconds remaining, Randle was fouled while shooting a three and made two of his three charity shots making the score 76-74.  Dentmon was fouled again, and again he made only one of the two free throws, leaving the score at 77-74.  With five seconds remaining, Christopher missed a three-point jumper and freshman guard, D.J. Seeley rebounded, drove the lane and laid up for two points and a foul with only one second left in the period/game.  With the game on the line, the freshman swished the free throw and the Bears were able to make it to a third overtime.

The Bears have the momentum right?  Wrong.  18 seconds in the third overtime, Randle is called for a charge, which is his fifth foul of the game.  The Bears trailed by no more than two points in the period and were tied with the Huskies when Harper Kamp fouled out with 48 seconds to go.  Down two starters, the Bears kept grinding until Theo Robertson's and-one free throw put them up 86-85 with 15 seconds to go.  Dentmon missed a jumper with four seconds and Christopher got the rebound, putting the game away.

It was Cal's ninth straight victory, making it their best start since the 1959-'60 season when they went 28-2 and lost in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament.  Christopher led all scorers with 27 points (a career high) and led the Bears with 11 rebounds on the night for a double-double.  Dentmon led the Huskies with 24 points and Jon Brockman recorded a double-double of his own with a game high 18 rebounds and 16 points.  Robertson nearly made it three double-doubles on the evening scoring 18 points and pulling down nine rebounds.

The Bears will get a full week to prepare for their next game, against rival Stanford at Maples Pavilion next Saturday the 17th.  After a game like tonight, they'll need all the time they can get to recuperate.

Check out what the Washington Huskies Examiner says about the game!

Technicals: None
Officials: Bruce Hicks ,Michael Eggers ,Randy Burkhart
Attendance: 9,946