Grant Newell is one of three Bears to start all four games so far this season.
First Of Three Games In San Juan Capistrano During Thanksgiving Week
The California men’s basketball team will play away from home for the first time this season when it takes on UTEP in the semifinal round of the SoCal Challenge on Monday in San Juan Capistrano. Tipoff from The Pavilion on the campus of JSerra High School is scheduled for 9:30 pm PST on CBS Sports Network.
Cal (2-2) and UTEP (4-0) are two of the four teams in the SoCal Challenge Surf Division along with Bradley and Tulane, the latter two of which will face off in the first semifinal contest at 7:30 pm Monday. . The championship and consolation games will be played on Wednesday, and the Golden Bears will remain in San Juan Capistrano through the Thanksgiving holiday before facing San Diego State on Saturday at the same site.
GAME INFORMATION
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- Date and Time: Monday, Nov. 20 | 9:30 pm PST
FINAL TIME
A short-handed Cal dropped a 63-60 contest to Montana State at home on Thursday. The Bears are playing without a starting guard Devin Askew (foot) – who averaged 32.7 minutes per game through the first three games of the year – and beyond Jalen Celestine (foot), who scored 21 points in Cal’s season opener. Jaylon Tyson Cal almost wanted the comeback win, tying a career high with 27 points, including the Bears’ last 11.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
The Bears and Miners meet for the first time on Monday. Unbeaten UTEP scored 120 and 123 points in its first two games before defeating UC Santa Barbara 89-76 and Austin Peay 71-63 this past weekend to enter the SoCal Challenge at 4-0. The Miners are shooting 57.9% (150 of 259) from the floor so far this season. Cal graduate guard Keonte Kennedy – who has not played this season due to a hand injury – spent three seasons at and graduated from UTEP (2019-22). He averaged 11.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG in his two seasons for the Miners.
NOTEWORTHY
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- Fardaws Aimaq and Jaylon Tyson recorded two double-doubles each through four games this season. Only one other player in the Pac-12 – Keion Brooks Jr. of Washington – has tallied many double-doubles so far.
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- In his fifth of seven made 3-pointers in Cal’s 83-63 win over CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 13, Jalen Cone reached 300 for his career. He is second on the team with 15.8 PPG this season, with 13 of his 18 made field goals from deep.
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- Cal is outrebounding its opponents by 9.2 boards per game, including a plus-26 margin in the last two games.
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- After shooting 25-of-54 (46.2%) from 3-point range in its first two contests, Cal has limited its past two contests to just 25% (9 of 36) from behind. in the arch.
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- Mark MadsenThe Utah Valley team won the SoCal Challenge Sand Division title in 2021, defeating Nicholls State 74-63 in the title game.
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- Cal will play five of its remaining seven nonconference games away from the friendly confines of Haas Pavilion.
NEXT
Cal will face either Bradley or Tulane in the championship game (7:30 pm) or consolation game (9:30 pm) in the SoCal Challenge this Wednesday.
