Arizona avenges loss in Berkeley, crushing Cal

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Stanley Johnson had 19 points and nine rebounds, Dusan Ristic scored 12 points and No. 7 Arizona avenged last season's loss in Berkeley by crushing California 73-50 on Saturday night.

The Wildcats (18-2, 6-1 Pac-12) overcame early foul trouble to their frontcourt to finish the first half ahead by 10. They came out of the break with another big burst, going ahead by 24 points and cruising to their fourth consecutive win.

It was a small slice of redemption for Arizona after Cal upset the top-ranked and undefeated Wildcats 60-58 on Justin Cobbs' last-second shot a season ago at Haas Pavilion.

The Golden Bears (11-9, 1-6) are far from that team now. They've lost six straight and eight of nine games, falling into last place in the conference.

Jordan Mathews scored 16 points, and David Kravish had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Bears, who lacked the bodies to match up against a deep and talented Arizona team.

The Wildcats outshot the Bears 49 to 43 percent and outrebounded them 31 to 25. They also showed off their depth, outscoring Cal's bench 24-0.

Cal was coming off an embarrassing 79-44 home loss to Arizona State — the second-worst home loss in school history — on Thursday in a battle of last-place teams in the conference. Wildcats coach Sean Miller warned his team not to take the Bears lightly, especially with what happened here last year.

Cal played its best game against Arizona last season. Making matters worse, the Wildcats also lost forward Brandon Ashley for the season in the game when he injured his right foot.

The Bears started strong under new coach Cuonzo Martin but are struggling so far in Pac-12 play.

Cal could hardly run its offense in the opening minutes as Arizona's smothering defense disrupted plays before they ever took shape. The Wildcats, though, had their share of miscues, including five consecutive turnovers that stalled its momentum.

Center Kaleb Tarczewski and Ashley also sat out much of the half in foul trouble.

The Bears briefly took the lead before Arizona regrouped, putting together a 14-2 run over the final four minutes of the first half sparked by their transition game. The Wildcats led 29-19 at the break and moved ahead 42-25 early in the second half.

Together, it was a 27-8 run between the end of the first half and the start of the second that put Arizona in control. Wildcats fans took over, too, with chants of "U-of-A!" that drowned out the home crowd.

About 19 people representing 15 NBA franchises were credentialed for the game, which was part of Coaches vs. Cancer week with coaches sporting sneakers and suits.

Golden State Warriors coach and former Wildcats standout Steve Kerr also was in attendance along with most of his coaching staff. Kerr's daughter, Maddy, is a sophomore on Cal's volleyball team.

TIP-INS

Arizona: The Wildcats improved to 6-5 in their last 11 games against Cal.

Cal: Kravish blocked one shot to match Michael Stewart's school record of 207 blocks from 1994-97. Kravish is one of four players in Pac-12 history with at least 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 200 blocks.

UP NEXT

Arizona: Host Oregon on Wednesday.

Cal: At Washington State on Thursday.