Basketball: Arizona State game string
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MORE POST-GAME: Cal shot 68 percent (15-for-22) in the second half, finishing the game at 58 percent. Cal had just eight turnovers. Randle shot 8-for-8 from the FT line, including 6-for-6 in the second half.
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FINAL SCORE: Cal wins 81-71. Bears improve to 13-2, 2-0 in the Pac-10. The 17th-ranked Sun Devils, who were off to their best start in 35 years, drop to 12-2, 1-1. Randle equaled his career-high with 26 points and had a career-best 10 assists. It was, obviously, his first career double-double. Christopher had 20 points. Kamp contributed six points and six rebounds. Gutierrez has played well defensively down the stretch. James Harden scored 26 points for ASU, but shot 9-for-22. Rihards Kuksiks and Jeff Pendergraph each scored 16.
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:50.4 2nd H: Randle just made two FTs and the Cal lead is 79-71. On the previous possession, Harden missed twice from 3-point range, the second time after twice pump-faking Jorge Gutierrez. The freshman didn’t go for it, and the shot missed.
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1:24 2nd H: ASU just called a 30-second timeout after Christopher scored on a acrobatic baseline drive for a 77-71 score. He has 20. Randle completed his four-point play earlier, but Pendergraph answered with two FTs for ASU.
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2:13 2nd H: Randle just hit a long 3-pointer from straight on and, after the timeout, will go to the FT line for one after being fouled by Ty Abbott. Cal leads 74-69. Harden scored for ASU on the previous possession, waltzing through the lane untouched and dropping in a layup. He has 26.
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3:45 2nd H: ASU just called timeout after Christopher scored his second straight basket, giving Cal a 71-67 lead. Harden is almost unstoppable right now for the Sun Devils. He has 24 points. Can drive the ball and has made his last two 3-point tries. Robertson, out since picking up his fourth foul with 12:10 left, is back in the game. So is Pendergraph for ASU, after sitting since 9:20.
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7:49 2nd H: Cal’s lead is 67-62. Gutierrez scored on a tough drive to the basket and, in the process, drew Pendergraph’s fourth foul, so the ASU big man went to the bench with 9:20 left. Harden hit a long 3-pointer on ASU’s next possession, cutting the margin to five points. He has 21 points. Randle now has 20 points and 10 assists, a career-high in the latter category. D.J. Seeley made his first appearance of the game after Robertson came out, and immediately hit a 3-pointer.
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11:14 2nd H: Cal’s lead is just 58-56 after a hook shot by Pendergraph with 11:40 left. Robertson is on the bench with four fouls. Randle has 18 points and eight assists. Harden has 18 points and eight rebounds for the Sun Devils. Pendergraph, who has 10 points this half, seems fine.
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15:36 2nd H: Consecutive 3-pointers by Robertson and Christopher — both in transition off feeds from Randle — have pushed Cal into a 50-45 lead. Pendergraph is playing with his right knee wrapped. ASU reports he has a minor sprain. He already has a dunk this half, but also has missed two point-blank shots.
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PENDERGRAPH UPDATE: The Sun Devils’ 6-9 senior is back on the court. He’s headed back onto the floor for the start of the half. So, apparently, he’s OK.
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SECOND-HALF WARMUPS: Both teams are on the floor and no sign of ASU’s Jeff Pendergraph. We’ll pass along an update as soon as we get it.
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HALFTIME: It’s even at 37-all. ASU outscored the Bears 11-2 over the final 3:17. Forward Rihards Kuksiks hit a wide-open 3-pointer off a feed from Harden with 3 seconds left to knot the score. Harden has 13 points and eight rebounds and Rihards has 11 points. Randle and Christopher each have 11 points for the Bears. Both teams shot 14-for-28 — 50 percent — in the first half. ASU played the last 4 1/2 minutes without forward Jeff Pendergraph, who appeared to do something to his right knee earlier. He went to the locker room to have it checked. One day after scoring a career-high 31 points at Stanford, Pendergraph sat out Friday’s practice with a sore left heel.
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3:17 1st H: ASU closed the gap to 29-26, but the Bears have scored six straight for a 35-26 lead. Christopher got the last two on a thunderous alley-oop dunk off a fastbreak feed from Randle. Randle and Christopher each have 11. Harden has 11 for ASU on 4-for-10 shooting and is going to the FT line for two shots.
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7:45 1st H: Cal’s lead is 29-19. The scoring run reached 16 points before Harden made two FTs with 8:52, pulling the Sun Devils within 10. ASU went nine possessions without scoring. Cal is doing a nice job at point of attack on Harden, and not leaving open 3-point shooters. Randle scored eight of the 16 points during the Cal run.
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10:20 1st H: Cal has scored 12 straight points and leads 25-17. ASU called timeout and the place is going a bit nuts. Randle has 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Christopher just scored on fastbreak off a missed drive to the basket by Harden.
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11:28 1st H: Cal leads 20-17, having scored seven straight points after trailing 17-13. The Bears is shooting 63.6 percent, including 4-for-6 from 3-pt. ASU has failed to score on five straight possessions, turning the ball over on four of them. Jorge Gutierrez has come off the bench and provided a nice lift. Harper Kamp has a basket and took a charge by James Harden.
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15:20 1st H: Cal leads 13-12. Both teams making everything they put up. Cal is 5-for-6 with 3-pointers by Christopher, Robertson and Randle. ASU is 5-for-8 and James Harden already has five points and two offensive rebounds. One concern for the Bears: They have zero rebounds after nearly five minutes.
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LINEUPS: Both teams are starting their usual lineups. For Cal, it’s Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Theo Robertson, Jamal Boykin and Jordan Wilkes. For ASU: Derek Glasser, Ty Abbott, James Harden, Rihards Kuksiks and Jeff Pendergraph.
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THIS SCORE JUST IN: An interesting day already in the Pac-10. UCLA struggled much of the afternoon before beating Oregon 83-74 in Eugene, and Oregon State just put the finishing touches on a 62-58 overtime upset of USC. It’s the Beavers’ first Pac-10 victory since the 2006-07 season, having gone 0-18 a year ago. The Beavers had lost 24 straight conference games. You think Craig Robinson could get some votes for mayor in Corvallis?
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RECORDS: Cal is 12-2 overall, 1-0 in Pac-10; Arizona State is 12-1, 1-0.
Posted on Sunday, January 4th, 2009
Under: Basketball, Gameday | 6 Comments »


