Field Level Media
Nov 6, 2019
Paris Austin, Andre Kelly and Matt Bradley did all the scoring in a 17-point run midway through the second half that propelled California to an 87-71 home victory over Pepperdine in Mark Fox's coaching debut for the Golden Bears.
Bradley led all scorers with 25 points, Kelly added 16 and Austin 14 for Cal (1-0), which fired Wyking Jones after a pair of eight-win seasons.
Colbey Ross had 19 points and a game-high seven assists to pace Pepperdine (0-1), a 16-win club a year ago.
Both teams enjoyed a seven-point lead in the first period before the Waves from the West Coast Conference went into halftime with a 37-35 advantage.
The visitors' lead was three on a Kessler Edwards dunk with 14:35 to play before the Golden Bears did all the scoring for nearly the next five minutes to take command.
Austin got the run rolling with a layup before Kelly gave Cal the lead for good with a three-point play with 13:49 remaining.
Kelly scored again from short range, after which Austin dropped in a pair of free throws and another layup for an eight-point lead.
Bradley then broke the game open with consecutive 3-pointers, giving the Golden Bears a 63-49 advantage with 10:05 left.
Jade' Smith ended Pepperdine's drought with 9:46 to go, but the Waves got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.
Canadian import Kareem South was a fourth Cal player in double figures with 14 points, hitting two of his four 3-point attempts. The Golden Bears shot 10-for-19 (52.6 percent) from beyond college basketball's lengthened arc.
Australian Grant Anticevich shared game-high rebound honors with Kelly with 10 apiece for Cal.
Edwards totaled 18 points and Skylar Chavez added 13 for Pepperdine, which improved from 6-26 to 16-18 in Lorenzo Romar's first season as coach last year.
Cal outshot Pepperdine 57.4 percent to 37.1.
--Field Level Media