Field Level Media
Feb 29, 2020
Matt Bradley scored six of his team-high 21 points in overtime Saturday afternoon, helping host California recover from a late-game collapse to turn back Utah 86-79 in a Pacific-12 Conference showdown in Berkeley, Cal.
Grant Anticevich went for 17 points, while Paris Austin and Andre Kelly added 15 apiece for the Golden Bears (13-16, 7-9), who completed the home portion of their regular-season schedule with a second straight win.
Timmy Allen led all scorers with 26 points, Alfonso Plummer totaled 23 and Both Gach had 19 for the Utes (15-14, 6-11), who wrap up Pac-12 regular-season play at home next Saturday against Colorado.
Gach produced in overtime when he made two game-tying free throws with two seconds left, capping a rally by the visitors.
Cal then never trailed in the overtime, with Bradley opening the scoring 15 seconds in on a jumper and adding two free throws at the 3:54 mark.
Cal increased its lead to six on a Kelly layup with 1:40 remaining, and Bradley helped the Golden Bears cap a 2-0 homestand with a pair of free throws with 1:07 to go.
Joel Brown's layup and two free throws in the final 32 seconds iced the win, which allowed Cal to avenge a 60-45 shellacking at Utah earlier in February.
Brown was a fifth Golden Bear scoring in double figures with 11 points.
Cal, which upset Colorado on Thursday, appeared to be closing in on a regulation win before Goth's free throws.
After the teams traded six-point leads in a first half that finished with Utah on top 28-24, the game was tied at 33, 36, 38, 40 and 56 before Austin made two free throws with 5:00 remaining to give the Golden Bears a lead they held until the final two seconds.
The lead reached six on a Kareem South jumper with 1:49 remaining, but a 3-pointer by Plummer got the Utes within arm's length and Gach came through after Austin left the door open by missing the second of two free throws with eight seconds left.
Utah lost despite outshooting Cal 50.0 percent to 43.9 percent.
Cal's Kelly led all rebounders with nine.
--Field Level Media