BearTalk

TIPOFF: 6 p.m. Thursday at MGM Grand Garden Arena. TV/Radio: Pac-12 Networks/910-AM.

The Utah team Cal faces in Thursday’s Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal has won three in a row against conference opponents for the first time in its two seasons in the league. The Utes are on a roll and feeling good about themselves.

They also know they haven’t beaten Cal in two seasons, including a 64-46 loss at Berkeley just two weeks ago.

“I feel like we’re coming together at the right time,” senior center Jason Washburn said after Wednesday night’s 69-66 opening-round win over USC. “This team is really starting to understand what we need to do to win basketball games against good, solid teams.

“We’re going up against a good defensive team with arguably the best player (Allen Crabbe) in our conference. We’re going to have to be even better than we were tonight. We’re going to have to take the fight to them.”

No doubt, Utah got some mileage out of a home sweep of the Oregon schools last weekend. They played loose and with confidence against the Trojans, twice building double-digit leads, then calmly delivering big plays each time USC began to mount a rally.

“That’s the growth of our team,” coach Larry Krystkowiak said. “We’re trying to get from Point A to Point B. We still have to learn how to win.”

Krystkowiak, who played college ball for Mike Montgomery at Montana, said the Utes will have to take their game up another notch against his mentor’s Cal squad.

“Not take anything away from USC,” he said, “but we’ve got to be a lot more physical and better defending the basketball against the team we face (Thursday) or it could be a little bit embarrassing for us.”

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The big tease ended for Cal basketball fans this afternoon.

UCLA survived a back-and-forth game with host Washington, winning 61-54 to secure the Pac-12 Conference championship and deny the Golden Bears an unlikely piece of the league title.

Cal needed losses by UCLA and Oregon on the final day of the regular season to steal a piece of the crown three days after losing 83-70 at home to Stanford.

Utah, which began the day 4-13 in Pac-12 play, accomodated the Bears by upsetting Oregon 72-62 in Salt Lake City. But UCLA won at Washington for the first time since 2004 to grab the outright championship.

UCLA (22-8, 13-5) will be the No. 1 seed for next week’s Pac-12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, matched in a quarterfinal game on Thursday at noon against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup between the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds.

Cal (20-10, 12-6) wins the tiebreaker to earn the No. 2 seed and will play Thursday at 6 p.m. against the winner of the Wednesday matchup of the Nos. 7 and 10 seeds.

The complete schedule for the Pac-12 tournament will be released later Saturday after the day’s final three games are played.

Cal entered the week riding a seven-game win streak and needing a win over Stanford plus one loss each by co-leaders Oregon and UCLA to gain a share of its second Pac-12 title in four years.

The Bears’ loss to Stanford seemed to end the drama, even as UCLA unexpectedly lost on the road to last-place Washington State. Then Oregon fell at Colorado on Thursday, keeping the suspense alive until Saturday’s games.

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Click here for my game story.

FINAL SCORE: Stanford 83, Cal 70. The Bears (20-10, 12-6) likely miss their chance to secure a Pac-12 co-title after an ugly thumping at the hands of the visiting Cardinal (18-13, 9-9) in the regular-season finale. Too much has to happen — two Oregon defeats and another UCLA loss — for the Bears to steal a piece of the crown. Afterward, Montgomery called his team’s defense “passive” after it had played so well during the seven-game win streak. Stanford shot 49 percent, including 9 for 17 from the 3-point arc. Crabbe and Cobbs each scored 24 points, but Cobbs turned the ball over eight times.

Cal already has clinched no worse than the No. 3 seed in next week’s Pac-12 tournament. Even if Arizona beat Arizona State on Saturday, creating a tie for third, the Bears win the tiebreaker.

If UCLA loses Saturday morning at Washington, Cal would pull into a two- or three-way tie for second, and would gain the No. 2 seed.

5:04 2nd H: A mini-melee that started with Crabbe wrestling Aaron Bright for the ball ended with six technical fouls — three on players from each team — and five ejections for leaving the bench, including on three assistant coaches.

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TIPOFF: 8 p.m. Wednesday at Haas Pavilion. TV/Radio: ESPN2/910-AM.

The Bears will honor three seniors playing their final home game in the Pac-12 regular-season finale against rival Stanford.

But will it also be the last appearance at Haas Pavilion for junior Allen Crabbe?

“I haven’t made a decision at all,” Crabbe said this week, when asked if he will enter the NBA draft this spring.  Whatever the decision I’m gong to make after the season, that’s between me and my family.

“Right now I’m focused on this Pac-12 tournament and the NCAA tournament.”

Crabbe entered the week as the conference scoring leader (18.4 points per game) and perhaps the favorite to capture Pac-12 Player of the Year honors.

He said before the season he wants to play in the NBA, but won’t leave until  he’s ready. His name has jumped in and out of various NBA mock drafts this season, even as the experts proclaim this to be a weak crop of pro prospects. The website NBAdraft.net currently projects him as the No. 20 pick — in the 2014 draft.

“Everybody’s going to have their opinion and throw it out there,” Crabbe said.

Everybody, that is, except his teammates and coach.

“It’s Allen’s decision … whatever he decides to do,” sophomore David Kravish said. “Obviously, I’d love to have Allen back.”

Coach Mike Montgomery used humor to sidestep the question of whether he believes Wednesday night will Crabbe’s final game at Haas.

“We’re going to have a home-game schedule next year,” he said in deadpan tones.

So you expect him back?

“I would think — he’s a junior.”

Stay tuned. 

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Talia Caldwell scored 22 points on 10-for-11 shooting and the No. 6 Cal women earned a first-ever share of the Pac-12 Conference title with a 78-50 win at Washington.

The Bears (27-2, 17-1) won their 15th straight game to capture a piece of the title with Stanford. Cal will receive the No. 2 seed into the Pac-12 tournament because Stanford has one more victory overall.

“I’m just so happy for this team and this program and the Cal administration who backed this sport when Cal was last years ago and said we’re going to make it a priority,” second-year Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “You don’t ever expect a moment like this but it was everything you would expect it to be.”

Among the congratulatory messages Gottlieb received after the game was one from Stanford coach Tara Van Derveer.

Gennifer Brandon had 12 points and 15 rebounds for Cal, Reshanda Gray scored 13 and Layshia Clarendon added 10.

The Bears tied a school record for overall victories in a season and finished the conference schedule 9-0 on the road.

This marks the first time since the 2003-04 season that Stanford has not won the regular season conference title outright. The Cardinal shared the title with Arizona in 2004.

Click here for my game story.

FINAL SCORE: Cal 62, CU 46. Bears win seventh straight — longest conference streak since 2003 — and ninth in 10 games. Cal now 20-9, 12-5 in the Pac-12 and has clinched a top-four spot, meaning it won’t play until quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Still just one game out of first place. Stats: Wallace with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Kravish 14 and 11, Cobbs 16 points, five assists and Crabbe 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Cal outscored CU 44-12 in the paint, outrebounded Buffs 46-36, blocked seven shots and held visitors to 23.1 percent (15 for 65) from the field, including 20.6 percent in the second half. Not a perfect game, but considering the Buffaloes have been the biggest thorn in their side, pretty close.

Update: Cal’s seven blocks boosts its season total to a school-record 138. The 1996-97 team swatted 135 shots.

Update II: Arizona provides Bears no help at UCLA. Bruins win 74-69 to move into tie for 1st with Oregon at 12-4, leaving Cal one-half game back, but alone in third at 12-5. Arizona drops to 11-6.

5:32 2nd H: A driving layup by Cobbs and a putback dunk by Kravish and Cal leads 48-39. Crabbe has four points and the Bears are up 9. Defense works.

7:13 2nd H: A 42-37 lead for Cal. Solomon is on the bench with four fouls — and he was playing well. Wallace revved up the crowd with a spectacular driving dunk with 9:11 left. New football coach Sonny Dykes sitting in the end zone with his wife and daughter. Good game.

11:42 2nd H: Back-to-back baskets in lane by Wallace — who has 10 points — and Cal leads 38-31. Cal defense still very good — Buffs shooting 27.9 percent.

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TIPOFF: 2 p.m. Saturday at Haas Pavilion. TV/Radio: ESPNU/910-AM.

The Bears certainly understand the opportunity in front of them.

“Let’s be honest,” junior guard Justin Cobbs said. “We know we have two games left. If we handle our business and get those two, the rest is out of our hands.”

That doesn’t mean it can’t happen for the Bears. They are one game out of first place, sitting at 11-5 in the Pac-12 standings, with Oregon and UCLA each perched at 12-4. UCLA faces a stiff challenge at home Saturday against Arizona, and Oregon must play at Colorado next week.

Arizona also is 11-5, and Cal owns the tiebreaker against the Wildcats by virtue of its win in their one meeting. Likewise, the Bears have the tiebreaker edge vs. Oregon, whom they beat twice.

The issue isn’t math or what is intellectually possible. The Bears get all of that.

They just have to hit the floor with a head of steam with they take in the dangerous Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday afternoon.

Allen Crabbe, asked to explain how the Bears have won six in a row and eight of their past nine, said, “More team unity … really taking pride in our defense. Losing gets old. I guess everybody just came together.”

Freshman guard Tyrone Wallace, who has played a bigger role this season than he probably expected, acknowledged this is all very exciting. 

“I know the job still isn’t done,” he said. “We’ve got two tough games. We lost to these teams. We’ve got to come out and play as well as we’ve played in this win streak.”

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Click here to read my game story.

FINAL SCORE: Cal 64, Utah 46. Bears win their sixth straight, their eighth in nine games. Improve to 19-9, 11-5 in Pac-12. They remain just one game out of first place. Colorado visits on Saturday afternoon. Utah falls to 11-16, 3-12 in conference play.

3:57 2nd H: This is over. Cal leads 55-36. Crabbe had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Cobbs has 12 points and seven assists. Wallace has 11 points. Utah shooting 26 percent.

10:15 2nd H: The Cal run reached 21-0 — with the Utes going 10:14 w/o a point. Bears now lead 47-31. Crabbe just limped off with a gimpy left ankle, but he’s standing on the sideline during the timeout and appears OK.

15:31 2nd H: Cal leads 38-24. Utah has not scored in 8 minutes, 40 seconds — since 4:11 remained in the first half. The Bears have outscored the Utes 19-0 since then. Utes are 0 for 11 shooting with 6 TOs during their drought.

HALFTIME SCORE: Cal 34, Utah 24. Cal ends half on 15-0 run and leads by 10. Utah shot 0 for 3 with five turnovers during Cal surge. Bears made final six FGs of half — three of them 3-pointers — and scored on nine straight possessions. Crabbe leads Bears with 10 points and seven rebounds. After starting 6 for 21, Bears are 12 for 27.

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TIPOFF: 6:05 p.m. Thursday at Haas Pavilion. TV/Radio: ESPNU/910-AM. 

Check out what happened Wednesday night in State College, Pa., and you’ll understand why playing Utah at home has Cal coach Mike Montgomery nervous.

Penn State, which was winless in the Big Ten, knocked off No. 4 Michigan 64-58, demonstrating once again that virtually anything is possible this season in college basketball.

This is no time for the Bears to lose focus against a seemingly overmatched opponent.

Winners of five in a row and seven of their past eight, the Bears are just one game out of first place in the Pac-12. They have three games left, all of them at home, and there is every reason to believe they can steal a piece of the title.

They even got some help Wednesday night in the form of USC’s 89-78 win over Arizona, knocking the Wildcats out of a tie for first place,

If this all has a familiar feeling, it should.

Cal entered the final three games a year ago, against these same three teams — Utah, Colorado and Stanford — with a chance to win the Pac-12 title. The Bears lost two of three and fell short.

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UCLA avenged an earlier loss to its cross-town rival with a 75-59 thumping of USC at the Galen Center to move into third place in the Pac-12 standings with a 10-4 record. Arizona and Oregon share first at 11-4.

Cal remains alone in fourth at 10-5.

Freshman Jordan Adams scored 20 points for the Bruins.