Cal falls hard in Seattle
SEATTLE (AP) -- Despite getting 24 points from junior guard Jorge Gutierrez, the Cal basketball team dropped its second straight conference game, falling to Washington, 109-77, Thursday night in Seattle. The Bears fall to 13-11, 6-6 on the season. The win snapped UW's three-game losing streak.
Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points and had nine assists to continue his personal dismantling of California that began last month and Matthew Bryan-Amaning added 18 points and nine rebounds.
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Alaska Airlines Arena was rockin' in the first home game since Jan. 22 for Washington (16-7, 8-4 Pac-10), which used a re-dedication to defense and getting into the lane on offense to move within 1½ games of idle Arizona for first place in the Pac-10.
The Huskies shot 57 percent overall -- after reaching 64 percent early in the second half. Their many drives into the lane opened wings for many open shots, and UW tied a team record for 3-pointers made by swishing 17 of 31.
The Huskies set a team record for points in one season against a conference opponent. They beat California (13-11, 6-6) 92-71 in Berkeley last month. Thomas had 27 points and 13 assists in that blowout.
This one was even more of a runaway, and it made last week seem like last decade for UW.
The Huskies made 20 of their first 32 shots and had a whopping 18 assists on 22 field goals, with just four turnovers, in the runaway first half that was among their most dominant 20 minutes of the season.
The 58 points were the second-most in any half this season, just off the 61 the Huskies scored against McNeese State in the season opener and against Texas Tech in early December.
Bryan-Amaning could be heard yelling "Get that out!" as he got the first of his two blocked shots in the roaring half. He had eight of UW's first 18 points, all inside, and 10 overall on 5 of 6 shooting in the half as Washington's guards internalized this week's message of getting the ball inside more instead of relying solely on 3-point shooting.
Not that they abandoned that. The Huskies made 10 of their first 16 attempts from deep in the opening half. Thomas made 3 of 5 from bonus range in the period.
Huskies dived for loose balls, swatted shots and played with far more energy than it showed in
Coach Lorenzo Romar loved the show -- especially after Justin Holiday ran up the sideline and dived to poke the ball away from a Bear and to Thomas across the floor. Thomas found Terrence Ross for an open 3, which like almost everything else in the half for the Huskies swished.
Cal called time out. Romar met Holiday, who was jogging to the bench. The coach bent his knees and wound up for a high-five so enthusiastic it appeared capable of slapping the skin off the senior's right hand.
Later, when UW's guards were so close to Cal's ball handlers 35 feet from the basket they forced a five-second call and another Bears turnover, Romar raised his right first to the ceiling of the arena and emitted a huge, satisfied roar.
Cal had three players reach double figures in scoring. Senior center Markhuri Sanders-Frison posted 13 points, while redshirt freshman Jeff Powers notched a career high of 13, drilling both three-pointers he attempted.
Gutierrez also paced Cal on the boards with seven. The Bears will try to get back on track in Pullman, Wash., when they face Washington State Saturday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum.
Cal played the final 29 minutes without freshman Allen Crabbe after a knee-to-head collision with Washington's Aziz N'Diaye.
BT UPDATE: Crabbe was diagnosed with a mild concussion.