Harvard @ California preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2012 ) Harvard 67, California 62

California has exceeded expectations with six victories in its first 12 games, but first-year coach Mark Fox is far from satisfied. The Bears close out non-conference play on Sunday against visiting Harvard, which has won its last three games by an average of 17.3 points.

Sophomore guard Matt Bradley is averaging 17.8 points while shooting 46.2 percent from the field to lead the Bears, who were pegged to finish last in the Pac-12 and have lost four of their last five games. Bradley had 21 points and nine rebounds last Saturday against Boston College, which was tested by the Bears before escaping with a 64-60 win at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Cal outrebounded the Eagles by a 37-29 margin and received a career-high nine boards from 7-foot center Lars Thiemann, but Fox was in no mood for moral victories. “That’s not what we came here to do,” Fox told reporters. “I know we’re going to have to go through the fire. And I know we have limitations. And I know we have a lot to learn. That doesn't mean I have to be happy about what happened because I’m not. Because we can be better. And I’m going to push them to be better.”

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT HARVARD (8-4): Senior forward Chris Lewis recorded 15 points and eight rebounds in last Sunday’s 60-55 win over Howard while sophomore forward Mason Forbes added 13 points and a career-high four blocks. The 6-9, 235-pound Lewis averaged 18.5 points and seven rebounds while shooting 68 percent from the field in the recent back-to-back wins over George Washington and Howard. Picked to finish first in the Ivy League preseason poll, Harvard boasts a nine-man rotation that includes sophomore guard Noah Kirkwood, who ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game.

ABOUT CAL (6-6): Bradley has scored in double figures in 11 of the team’s first 12 games, but the Bears need more production from fellow starters Paris Austin, Kareem South, Grant Anticevich and Andre Kelly. Austin averaged 11.6 points and 4.4 assists last season under coach Wyking Jones but has struggled to find his role this year and is averaging 5.2 points on 26.9 percent shooting over his last five games. The Bears are also looking for more consistency from Kelly, who was held to six points while battling foul trouble against BC following a 26-point outburst versus Saint Mary’s.

TIP-INS

1. Cal holds a 2-1 lead in the all-time series, but Harvard won the last meeting 67-62 on Dec. 29, 2012.

2. Harvard is 34-7 when leading at halftime over the last two-plus seasons.

3. Cal is 6-1 at home this season and 0-5 away from Haas Pavilion.

PREDICTION: Harvard 78, Cal 67