LOS ANGELES -- Despite being down 8 points at halftime, despite trailing by as many 17 in the second half and despite playing without injured point guard Devin Askew, Cal managed to inject some drama into the final minutes Wednesday night at USC.

Credit a lot of that to veteran leader Jaylon Tyson, who scored a game-high 23 points and willed the Bears to within 4 points with a late steal, dunk and 3-pointer, but his final attempt from 3 hit the back iron to deflate the comeback hopes as the host Trojans closed out an 82-74 win at Galen Center.

Cal (4-10, 0-3 Pac-12) has had its share of competitive losses so far, and afterward coach Mark Madsen emphasized the positives that he saw from his team.

"I think it just shows the heart and the effort that the Cal Bears have. No matter what the adversity is, our guys are going to give that full effort, that fight, that energy, and we were able to scratch and claw and have a chance to almost cut it to a one-possession game. So, I'm proud of them," Madsen said. "Couple tweaks, it's a different ballgame."

Tyson finished 10-of-16 shooting, including 3 of 5 on 3-pointers, and added 7 rebounds for his ninth 20-point game of the season already.

Also driving the second-half rally were guards Keonte Kennedy (13 points, 3 of 5 on 3s), Rodney Brown Jr. (season-high 13 points off the bench, 3 of 6 on 3s) and Jalen Celestine (11 points). As for Askew, he played just 8 minutes off the bench last time out vs. Arizona State, and Madsen was vague about his status moving forward.

"We missed Devin Askew out there. The leadership, the ability to play-make, just a steady and calm influence," Madsen said. "Right now, we're awaiting additional information, but hopefully it's a short-term thing. But we'll know more in the coming week and weeks."