1:10 2nd H: Too much Evan Turner, who has 22 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and has scored 14 points in the past 10 minutes. Cal trails 71-63 after two free throws by Amoke, who has played his best game with nine points and 13 rebounds.

3:51 2nd H: It’s not over yet. Cal got within 63-57 after a 3-pointer by Gutierrez, then a layup by Sanders-Frison off a Gutierrez feed with 5:07 left. But Jorge picked up his fifth foul on the next possession and Diebler made two FTs for OSU. It’s 65-57 after Christopher was whistled for a charge.

6:21 2nd H: The Bears are running out of time. It’s 63-52 after a putback by Turner. Cal has outscored the Buckeyes 18-9 since Diebler’s technical FTs, but it’s going to take something out of the ordinary to reverse this score.

7:55 2nd H: Ohio State leads 60-50, but the Bears are showing some guts. Randle has 17 points and Amoke has seven points and nine rebounds and has been in the middle of things recently. Turner has made some mistakes for the Buckeyes, but he has scored his club’s last six points and 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

11:09 2nd H: Randle hit a 3-pointer, Amoke converted a layup and free throw and Randle made another 3-pointer, pulling Cal within 54-45. The Bears have scored 11 straight since Diebler’s free throws following the technical foul. Did Monty do it on purpose? Either way, the Bears have new life and seem to be playing angry for the first time in two games. But Gutierrez picked up his fourth foul just before the timeout, and has taken a seat in exchange for Knezevic.

13:39 2nd H: Things just got exciting. Gutierrez stole the ball and Montgomery was called for a technical when Jorge was fouled by Turner. During a break, Randle called the players together and he and Boykin were very animated talking to their teammates. Diebler made both free throws off the “T”, but Gutierrez made his, too.

15:29 2nd H: Why the wait? Montgomery just called a timeout, and it may be too late. Not that anything he could say in the huddle will change what’s going on. Ohio State leads 52-28 and is in the midst of a 14-0 run that followed Randle’s 3-pointer. The Buckeyes are shooting 6-for-9 in the half, while Cal has missed eight straight shots. Sanders-Frison is on the bench with four fouls — again — and Gutierrez has three, although he’s still on the floor.

RANDLE’S ANKLE: Everything appears good. He’s moving well in warmups for the second half and is giving the ankle no special attention. Randle hit  a 3-pointer to open the half.

HALFTIME STATS: My unofficial totals were pretty good — 10 Cal turnovers, 6 OSU blocks. That’s 16 possessions that had NO chance. Cal shot 35.7 percent, while OSU converted 48.3 percent. The Bears shot zero free throws. Christopher leads Cal with eight points, but the man he has defended much of the half — William Buford — has 10. Turner, who is averaging 20.3 ppg and 15.0 rpg, has just four points, but has contributed six rebounds and four assists.

HALFTIME: Ohio State 38, Cal 25. The Buckeyes outscored Cal 17-6 after Randle’s 3-pointer got the Bears within 21-19. The OSU surge included runs of 8-0 and 7-0, the latter closing the half. Cal’s answer was seven turnovers and 2-for-7 shooting during that span. Randle seemed to turn an ankle driving into the lane on the final play of the half, but it may not be serious. We’ll have some halftime stats in a moment, but turnovers and blocked shots crippled Cal’s offense.

3:24 1st H: Cal got within 21-19 on a 3-pointer by Randle with 6:59 left. Since then, the Buckeyes have gone 8-0 for a 29-19 lead. In six possessions in the meantime, Cal has had four turnovers, one shot blocked and another barely hit iron. Cal can’t win this game in the final 3:24 of the half, but the Bears could possibly lose it if they’re not careful.

7:35 1st H: Buckeyes lead 21-16. Cal is competing much better than last night, although that certainly wasn’t the primary goal tonight. Amoke has given the Bears energy off the bench, and Nikola Knezevic is in for Gutierrez and staying with Turner so far. Unofficial Buckeyes blocked shot total: five, and at least two of them have led to transition 3-pointers against a defense not set.

11:13 1st H: Ohio State leads 18-12. The Bears are shooting 5-for-13, but have had three shots blocked. The Buckeyes are 7-for 13. Each team has two turnovers. Omondi Amoke came in for Sanders-Frison, making the Bears a bit smaller still. One night after going for 25 points, Randle is scoreless, and the Bears haven’t attempted a free throw..

14:24 1st H: The Buckeyes lead 13-7, thanks to three 3-pointers, including a pair by Jon Diebler. Christopher scored on Cal’s first possession — we’ll see if it’s a good sign after last night’s 3-for-17 start. And Gutierrez hit a 3-pointer. But Ohio State already has blocked two shots, meaning the Bears have had 11 swatted in 45 minutes of action here.

IN THE ZONE: Big surprise — Ohio State has opened in a zone defense. And Jorge Gutierrez is on Turner.

——————

OK, the Golden Bears are back to try again.

The big question: Who will defend Ohio State’s 6-7 junior forward Evan Turner?

That would have been Theo Robertson. Now who gets the call?

We’ll know soon.

STARTING LINEUPS: Cal goes with Markhuri Sanders-Frison, Jamal Boykin, Jorge Gutierrez, Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle. Ohioh State: Dallas Lauderdale, William Buford, Evan Turner, Jon Diebler and David Lighty.

AROUND THE PAC-10

Nic Wise had 15 points, seven assists, five steals and five turnovers and Arizona (2-0) beat Ben Braun’s Rice squad, 66-49 in Tucson . . . Sophomore Klay Thompson had a career-high 37 points (15-for-20 FGs) and Washington State (3-0) beat IPFW 89-71, despite the fact that no one else scored more than seven points.

THE NATIONAL SCENE

No. 1 Kansas will win most of the time when it outscores the opposition 33-3 from the 3-point line. That’s what happened in the Jayhawks’ 94-44 win over Central Arkansas . . . Kentucky’s starters scored all the club’s points in a 102-92 defeat of Sam Houston State. Freshman guard John Wall had 21 points, six assists and six turnovers.

LOCAL HERO

Former St. Mary’s HS-Berkeley star Larry Gurganious, a tranfer from Gonzaga, had 21 points and nine rebounds as UC Riverside scored an 87-71 win over La Verne, playing without Shirley.

With Cal set to face Ohio State in Friday’s third-place game, let’s revisit those questions and grade the Bears on their performance so far at Madison Square Garden:

– What does Cal’s No. 13 national ranking mean?

Suffice the Bears will not be ranked anywhere near No. 13 after their 95-73 loss. But it means little at this point in the season. No one would agree more than coach Mike Montgomery, who has often stated preseason rankings reflect only which teams have the best cast of returning players. Cal has plenty of time to demonstrate whether it deserves national recognition, but in the eyes of the New York media, at least, the Syracuse game will take time to overcome.

– Can the Bears’ three senior perimeter players deliver in a high-octane setting?

The Bears get an incomplete on this one, of course, because Theo Robertson was sidelined by a foot injury. He won’t face the Buckeyes, either, so Cal isn’t playing right now with a full deck. Return Robertson and forward Harper Kamp (knee) to the lineup at some point, and we’ll get the chance to see what this team can do. Of course, no one knows just when that will be.

Jerome Randle played well against Syracuse with 25 points, but Patrick Christopher had just six points and was shooting 3-for-17 until making three late baskets.

 – Can new center Markhuri Sanders-Frison, at just a shade more than 6-foot-7, give Cal a viable man in the middle against the taller post players he will see this week?

Round 1 on this one did not go well. The taller Syrcause post players swarmed Sanders-Frison inside, and for the third straight game he would up with four fouls. The Bears need him on the floor and they need him to present at least the threat of a low-post scorer.

– Montgomery is hoping one way the Bears are improved over a year ago is through better depth. But is that perceived depth real?

The Bears’ would-be depth is disappearing. Starting forward Jamal Boykin said Thursday night that the injuries to Robertson and Kamp will provide opportunity for others, which should create more depth. But are these guys ready for the assignment? Even if they grow, they cannot replace the Robertson or Kamp at this point.

 THE DOMINO EFFECT: The absence of starting small forward Robertson not only forced sophomore Jorge Gutierrez to make his first start against Syracuse, it messed with the rest of the Bears’ rotation.

“We had people playing our there that had not ever played in situations like this,” Montgomery said.

Sophomore center Max Zhang played 12 minutes, contributing six points and four rebounds, but he struggled defensively, too. Sophomore guarad D.J. Seeley also played 12 minutes, shot just 1-for-5 and also had difficulty on defense. 

OHIO STATE SCOUT: The Buckeyes feature junior forward Evan Turner, who has put together two triple-doubles in three games this season. He’s likely only proud of one of them.

Turner had 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in the Buckeyes’ 100-60 season-opening win over Alcorn State.

On Thursday against North Carolina, he had 23 points and 11 rebounds, but also 10 turnovers.

Ohio State boasts four players averaging double figures, including junior guard guard Jon Diebler, who averaged 40 ppg as a high school senior, becoming Ohio’s all-time prep scoring leader with 3,208 points.

This won’t be an easy game for the Bears. The Buckeyes have size across the board, and Turner is a superior athlete who will be a tough defensive cover for Cal.

HISTORY: Cal leads the all-time series 9-8, but the Buckeyes beat the Bears 73-56  in their most recent meeting, the second round of the 2008 NIT. The teams met in the third-place game at the NCAA championships at Madison Square Garden in 1946, then again in the NCAA title game in 1960. In both cases, Ohio State prevailed.

TIPOFF: 2 p.m.

TV: ESPN2.

RADIO: 1550-AM.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

CAL (2-1)
Starters                                 Ht   Yr   Pts   Rebs
PF Jamal Boykin                        6-8  Sr.   8.7  7.7
C  Markhuri Sanders-Frison       6-8  Jr.   5.3   6.3
SG Jorge Gutierrez                  6-2  So.   5.0  3.0
SG Patrick Chrstopher              6-5  Sr.  14.3  3.7
PG Jerome Randle                  5-10  Sr.  21.7  3.7*

Key reserves
F  Omondi Amoke                   6-7  So.   3.0  4.7
C  Maz Zhang                         7-2  So.   3.7  3.7

OHIO STATE (2-1)
Starters                             Ht   Yr   Pts   Rebs
SF Evan Turner                   6-7  Jr.   20.3  15.0
C  Kyle Madsen                     6-9  Sr.  4.0   3.0
SG Jon Diebler                    6-6  Jr.   15.5  3.3
SG David Lighty                   6-5  Jr.  11.0  4.0*
PG William Buford               6-5  So.   13.0  3.3

Key reserves
PG Jeremie Simmons            6-2  Sr.    8.0  1.0
PF Dallas Lauderdale             6-8  Jr.    2.7  3.3

* – Assists

A few post-game notes of importance:

– Mike Montgomery said there is no definitive diagnosis of Theo Robertson’s right foot injury, and that he expected on Wednesday that Theo would play. Then the pain became worse, even after Robertson did not practice Wednesday, so they pulled the plug. He wore a protective boot and will not play in Friday’s third-place game.

– Jerome Randle scored 25 points and was 5-for-9  from 3-point range. The rest of the team was 1-for-11 from beyond the arc, including 0-for-7 by Patrick Christopher, whom Monty defended, saying the Bears didn’t allow him to find any offensive rhythm. Christopher wound up with 12 points, six of them in the final 5 minutes, long afer the outcome was settled.

– Monty acknowledged that the two things he worried about most — Syracuse’s zone defense and its size — were the biggest factors in the game. But he was unhappy that 15 turnovers leading to 19 Syracuse points also contributed to the loss, and noted that the Bears became disorganized defensively at times.

– A couple other stats: Syracuse blocked nine shots, discouraging the Bears inside and forcing them to rely on perimeter shooting. The Orange bench outscored Cal’s reserves 41-12. Syracuse won easily despite missing nine free throws in the first half.

– Randle and Jamal Boykin, who had 14 points and eight rebounds, both said the Bears are happy they have a game Friday, so they can leave this one behind.  

12:30 2nd H: Cal has scored seven straight, including a 3-pointer by Randle, but Syracuse stil leads 64-48. Even so, Jim Boeheim called a timeout to settle his team. Randle has 21 points. Sanders-Frison is on the bench with four fouls, the third straight game he’s picked up four.

15:53 2nd H: We’re having some technical difficulties here at the Garden, so my apologies. Cal got within 44-35 early in the second half when Zhang blocked a shot, leading to a fastbreak layup by Randle. But Syracuse has opened things up and leads 59-41. Randle has 18 points for the Bears; not many other bright spots.

HALFTIME: Syracuse leads 44-33, despite missing nine free throws. So, clearly, it could have been much worse. Cal had 10 turnovers and Syracuse blocked six shots. Points in the paint: 20-10 for Syracuse. Randle had 14 points at halftime and shot 4-for-8. The rest of the team had 19 points and shot 9-for-28. Zhang started the second half.

0:31 1st H: The Bears called timeout and will try to take the last shot, trailing 44-33. A 3-pointer by Randle got them within 41-33, but Scoop Jardin just hit one for the Orange, who lead 44-33. Zhang has contributed in recent minutes, tipping in a miss by Randle and feeding Boykin for a layup.

3:55 1st H: Randle has 11 points, but no one else is providing the Bears any consistent offense, and Cal cannot stop the Orange. It’s 37-26, and Sanders-Frison is on the bench with three fouls. Boykin and Gutierrez each have two. Monty has few options at this point.

7:52 1st H: This is becoming a rout. Syracuse leads 30-16. The Orange is bigger, quicker, more aggressive and has Cal on its heels. Randle and Christopher came out of the game for the first time with 8 1/2 minutes left, and the Bears have turned the ball over on both possessions since. The Bears are relying on 3-point shots, not because the Syracuse defense is allowing them, but because Cal is getting its inside shots swatted. Randle and Christopher are back. And so is Boykin, even with two fouls.

11:42 1st H: The Orange leads 21-14. Syracuse’s size is giving Cal fits, but the Orange also is shooting it well from the perimeter. Max Zhang and D.J. Seeley are in the game. Seeley hit a 3-pointer to get the Bears within 18-14, but Brandon Triche answered with one of his own for the Orange. 

15:59 1ST H: Syracuse leads 9-7 and the Bears already are in foul trouble. Jamal Boykin went to the bench after his second with 17:58 left. 

STARTING LINEUPS: As expected, Cal will go with sophomore Jorge Gutierrez as its replacement for Theo Robertson (foot) in the starting five. The rest is the regular group: Markhuri Sanders-Frison, Jamal Boykin, Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle. Syracuse will start Arinze Onuaku, Rick Jackson, Wes Johnson, Andy Rautins and Brandon Triche.

We’ll update later after getting comments from Robertson and coach Mike Montgomery, but this cannot be good news for a team whose hopes of improved depth may be fading.

The ailment apparently has not been fully diagnosed, and was not considered even potentially an issue until Tuesday evening. Robertson practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday and skipped today’s walk-through practice.

I don’t know much more than that, except that if Robertson is held out of tonight’s game vs. Syracuse, it’s apparently more of a precautionary move to make certain the situation doesn’t worsen.  It seems unlikely he would play Friday if he doesn’t go tonight.

The best guess is that sophomore Jorge Gutierrez would start if Robertson is held out. We’ll pass on more as soon as we have it.

Found my spot here at the Garden, and there’s currently about two hours before tipoff.

Here’s my story from this morning’s editions on the challenge Cal faces in trying to solve the Syracuse 2-3 zone defense.

– What does Cal’s No. 13 national ranking mean?

If the Bears truly belongs to be ranked in the top-15 neighborhood, they should be at least competitive with anyone they might face in New York. This doesn’t mean they have to sweep two games to call the trip a success. Conceivably, the Bears could lose twice and still emerge looking like a good club. The point is, they need to play well against good teams to demonstate they are for real. A split certainly wouldn’t hurt their rep one bit.

– Can the Bears’ three senior perimeter players deliver in a high-octane setting?

The threesome of Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson has combined to average 53.5 points through Cal’s first two games. Now they get the chance to do it in the Garden, not in familiar Haas Pavilion, and against superior athletes than they’ve seen so far. The Bears need their complementary guys to deliver, too, but Mike Montgomery makes no bones about it: If the Bears are going to play at a high level, their three best players are going to have to lead the way.

– Can new center Markhuri Sanders-Frison, at just a shade more than 6-foot-7, give Cal a viable man in the middle against the taller post players he will see this week?

The Bears are counting on MSF overcoming his vertical disadvantage with strength, attitude and smarts. He looks like a player with skills, but he must avoid foul trouble — he had eight fouls in 35 minutes in last week’s two wins — or a smallish Cal team will have to play even smaller.

– Montgomery is hoping one way the Bears are improved over a year ago is through better depth. But is that perceived depth real?

We know guard Jorge Gutierrez gives the Bears something different off the bench as a defensive game-changer. But forward Harper Kamp (knee) hasn’t yet played (and won’t this week), and no one else off the bench has had the chance to deliver against elite-level teams. At the very least, the Bears need forward Omondi Amoke and freshman point guard Brandon Smith to provide evidence they will be dependable in the big games.

SYRACUSE SCOUT: Known for their aggressive 2-3 zone defense, the Orange are averaging 87.5 ppg through two games. All five starters are averaging double-digit scoring and seven players are scoring at an 8.0 ppg clip or better . . . The team’s most recent trek into Madison Square Garden was for last season’s Big East tournament, where it won a memorable 127-117 six-overtime classic against Connecticut in the tournament quarterfinals. Andy Rautins, a returning guard, scored 20 points in the game . . .  Through two games, Syracuse has allowed opponents to shoot just 31.6 percent, including 21.6 percent from 3-point range. The Orange has forced 60 turnovers and blocked 20 shots . . .  One of Syracuse’s freshmen is 7-footer DaShonte Riley of Detroit, whom Cal recruited last year. Riley is averaging 2.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg off the the bench.

BOEHEIM SPEAKS: Here’s a sampling of what Boehim had to say on a Coaches vs. Cancer media teleconference this week.

– On what he knows about Cal: “I’ve seen Cal play a few times. I stay up late at night and watch West Coacst games. They’re a very, very impressive team, a veteran team. They have tremendous ballhandling, they’re a tremendous defensive team and a great offensive team.

– On whether Cal’s 3-point shooting ability poses a problem or plays into the hands of a team that uses an aggressive zone defense:  ”Any team that shoots well gives you trouble. It never plays into your hands. They’re a very good offensive team. They’ve got veteran guys that have been able to score, that have proven they can play offense.”

– His impressions of PG Jerome Randle: “He’s a tremendous player He can score, he can penetrate, he’s as good as anybody in the country. Their perimeter guys are tremendous — they can really shoot the ball and they can get by you.”

– On starting freshman Brandon Riche at point guard: “It’s a matter of feeling comfortable. Physically,  he’s certainly strong enough to play as a freshman. Having veteran guys around you really helps you, which Brandon does have.”

– On whether Madison Square Garden is almost a second home for his club: “We enjoy playing in New York. We’ve had some good games there, and have players that have had some success there. I dont’ know how much that helps us. Hopefully, we’ll be fairly comfortable coming down there to play.”

ETCETERA: This is the first meeting between Cal and Syracuse . . . Likewise, coaches Mike Montgomery and Jim Boeheim never have faced one another . . . Hall of Famer Boeheim is beginning his 34th season as head coach and has spent 40 years on the coaching staff of his alma mater . . . Cal is 4-2 all-time at Madison Square Garden . . . The Bears have a history against both North Carolina and Ohio State, who are playing in the later semifinal Thursday. Cal is 1-4 all-time vs. the Tar Heels and hold a 9-8 series lead over the Buckeyes . . . Jerome Randle is shooting 22-for-23 from the FT line so far this season . . . Wednesday was sophomore center Max Zhang’s 22nd birthday.

IN QUOTES: “He’s a little unorthodox. He has the ability to make shots at odd times, in odd situations, and he has tremendous range. Just when you don’t expect it, he jumps up and hits a long three. He has a lot of confidence.  He likes that responsibility and he’s made some big shots for us.” – Montgomery on Randle.

TIPOFF: 4 p.m. PST, Thursday at Madison Square Garden, New York.

TV: ESPN2.

RADIO: 1550-AM.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

CAL (2-0)
Starters                                 Ht   Yr   Pts   Rebs
PF Jamal Boykin                        6-8  Sr.   7.0  7.5
C  Markhuri Sanders-Frison       6-8  Jr.    6.0  6.5
SF Theo Robertson                   6-5  Sr.  18.0  4.0
SG Patrick Chrstopher              6-5  Sr.  15.5  3.5
PG Jerome Randle                  5-10  Sr.  20.0  3.5*

Key reserves
SG Jorge Gutierrez                  6-2  So.   5.5  2.5
F  Omondi Amoke                   6-7  So.   4.5  4.0
PG Brandon Smith                  5-11  Fr.   1.0  0.5*

SYRCUSE (2-0)
Starters                             Ht   Yr   Pts   Rebs
PF Rick Jackson                    6-9  Jr.   10.0   5.0
C  Arinze Onuaku                 6-9  Sr.  14.0   4.5
SF Wes Johnson                    6-7  Jr.   13.5  5.5
SG Andy Rautins                  6-4  Sr.   11.0  3.0
PG Brandon Riche                 6-4  Fr.  10.0  5.0*

Key reserves
PG Scoop Jardin                  6-2  So.    9.0  6.5*
SF Kris Joseph                     6-7  So.    8.0  4.5
SF Mookie Jones                   6-6  Fr.    5.5  3.5

* – Assists

Here goes:

SI’s Top 20
1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Villanova
4. Texas
5. Kentucky
6. Purdue
7. North Carolina
8. West Virginia
9. Washington
10. Connecticut
11. Cal
12. Duke
13. Tennesssee
14. Butler
15. Michigan
16. Ohio State
17. Louisville
18. Mississippi State
19. Georgetown
20. Siena

One correction, though, courtesy of Cal radio man Roxie Bernstein, who reminds me that senior forward Jamal Boykin played at the Garden when he was at Duke.

– Marcus Simmons shows he’s ready to provide USC with an offensive boost.

– Arizona State has its own trip to Madison Square Garden on the calendar, and the Sun Devils are amped.