ACC basketball: Cal uses late run, slows down Stanford freshman to snap losing streak to Cardinal

STANFORD – In a game filled with big swings, the California men’s basketball team held Stanford without a field goal for the final 7:41 to win 78-66 on Saturday night, breaking a five-game losing streak in the rivalry.

Chris Bell broke a 60-60 tie on a 3-pointer with 6:24 remaining to start the game-ending surge. Putbacks by DeJuan Campbell extended the lead, and a follow slam by Bell put the finishing touches on the victory for the Bears (15-5, 3-4 ACC).

Stanford (14-6, 3-4) had swept all three games last season and had won six straight in the series at Maples Pavilion.

Cal was led by a pair of players who were new to the rivalry. Graduate forward John Camden, who previously played at Delaware and Virginia Tech, had his first double-double of the season with a game-high 25 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Justin Pippin, a Michigan transfer, added 18 points and six assists while being the primary defender on Stanford freshman Ebuka Okarie.

Okarie, the nation’s seventh-leading scorer at 22.1 points per game, was held to 1 of 16 shooting and finished with 14 points.

“(Pippin) took that match-up very, very personally, very seriously,” Camden said. “I think he showed tonight he’s one of the best defenders in the ACC.”

Senior forward Lee Dort, Cal’s leading rebounder, limped off the court through the second half and didn’t return. Madsen did not have an update on Dort’s status after the game.

Both teams experienced cold streaks in the first half. Cal went almost seven minutes without a field goal as Stanford went on a 16-2 run to lead 29-13. Jeremy Dent-Smith hit 3 of 5 from long range in the first half to lead the Cardinal offense.

“We stayed composed, we stayed together,” Pippin said. “Basketball’s a game of runs, so we knew we were going to go on a run, they were going to go on a run. We were ready for anything.”

Soon after the Stanford football team came onto the court with The Axe to celebrate its win in the 2025 Big Game, it was the Cardinal’s turn to cool off. Stanford went nearly five minutes without a field goal, and Cal heated up by making five straight field goals, including consecutive 3s by Pippin.

A 3-point play by TT Carr put the Bears ahead with 1:01 left in the first half at 35-34, and a 3 by Campbell made it 38-34 at halftime as Cal finished the final six minutes on a 25-5 run.

The Bears remained hot after halftime, hitting 6 of their first 9 shots to take a 13-point lead at 56-43. However, Stanford switched to zone to get the Bears out of rhythm and became more aggressive at the basket. The Cardinal made seven straight free throws during a 10-0 run that tied the game at 60-60 with seven minutes remaining.

The Bears finally settled in against the zone to make the game-deciding run, while the Cardinal could never get comfortable. Stanford was limited to 27.3 percent shooting from the field – including 11 of 27 (40.7 percent) on dunks and lay-ups – and 19.4 percent from behind the arc.

“Bottom line you have to put the ball in the basket and we were unable to do so,” Stanford coach Kyle Smith said.

Both teams entered Saturday with identical 14-5 records and have followed similar paths, exceeding preseason expectations and positioning themselves to end long NCAA Tournament droughts.

Stanford, ranked 17th in the ACC preseason poll, also has two Top 20 wins – against North Carolina and No. 16 Louisville – and is the only team to beat current No. 24 Saint Louis.

“We see the headlines that Stanford’s on the bubble just like we are, so to get this head-to-head means a lot for us,” Camden said.

It was announced during the week that Cardinal senior forward Chisom Okpara, who is in the top three on the team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals, is out for the season with a leg injury, and Stanford wasn’t able to compensate for his loss on a night when its leading scorer was misfiring.

“We can’t rely on him to have 30-point nights every night,” junior guard Ryan Agarwal said. “Everyone knows he’s our best player, so the scout is going to be on him, and we as teammates have to help him. Today was an off night but I don’t think any of us is worried. He’s never too high or too low. He’s going to bounce back.”

Dent-Smith contributed 20 points, 12 above his average.

Saturday marked the first coaching win at Maples for third-year Cal coach Mark Madsen, who went 105-24 as a Stanford player from 1996-2000.

“I had a lot of friends in the stands,” Madsen said. “I’m extremely grateful for the relationships and time spent here at Stanford. That being said, I’m happy and excited to build something special at Cal. Go Bears.”

Madsen’s friends were part of a second straight sellout at Maples Pavilion, following Duke’s first-ever visit to Stanford last Saturday. It marked the first time the Cardinal had consecutive sellouts since hosting Washington and Washington State in 2008.