Cal 72, Notre Dame 71: A Finish That Shook Haas

5 min read

BERKELEY, Calif. — The ball left Dai Dai Ames’ hands with the season hanging in the air — then dropped cleanly through the net.

Dai Dai Ames drives up the court with 15 mins left in the first-half. Photo Courtesy of Morgan Garcia.

For a split second, Haas Pavilion held its breath. The officials waved it off. Then they huddled. Then they changed it.

Count it.

Ames’ late three — followed by a composed free throw moments later — capped a chaotic, emotional finish as Cal escaped with a 72–71 win over Notre Dame on Friday night, sealing it at the line after one final Irish miss.

It was the kind of ending that rattled nerves, flooded the floor with sound, and left both benches frozen in disbelief. For Cal, it was also a response — to a rough outing earlier in the week, to late-game questions, and to a stretch where execution had slipped when it mattered most.

“This is a close game. Could have gone either way,” head coach Mark Madsen said postgame. “Two good teams battling… an absolute battle.”

Why This One Mattered

This wasn’t just about one shot.

Cal entered the night coming off a bruising loss, one that Madsen described as leading to “brutal practices” and “brutal film sessions.” Against a disciplined Notre Dame team, the Bears were tested again as they were dragged into half-court possessions, forced into tough reads, and pushed deep into the final minute with no margin for error.

What followed was Cal’s cleanest stretch of composure all season.

Seven unanswered points. Zero field goals allowed in the final 3:10. Three total turnovers for the game.

And a closing sequence that finally matched the standard Cal has been preaching since October.

A Disjointed Start, Then a Shift

Notre Dame controlled early stretches, particularly in the opening minutes when Cal struggled to cover the perimeter and keep the Irish out of rhythm. Cal’s offense felt disconnected at times, and the defensive tags on ball screens came late.

“We weren’t really expecting them to be running those drag screens,” Justin Pippen said. “So having urgency early tags and getting out to the shooters… that was the energy.”

Cal stayed within striking distance, but it wasn’t clean basketball. The scoreboard stayed tight, even as the Bears searched for flow.

By the second half, that urgency finally arrived.

Cal began switching coverages, mixing defensive looks, and forcing Notre Dame to put the ball on the floor. The result wasn’t immediate separation — but it slowly tilted the game.

“We were changing defenses… not only in the last three minutes but probably the last six to eight minutes,” Madsen said.

Turning Point: The Final Three Minutes

Notre Dame did not score a field goal over the final 3:10.

That stretch defined the game.

Cal locked in defensively, closed out harder on shooters, and forced tougher shots late in the clock. On the other end, the Bears didn’t panic — even during a brief offensive drought of their own.

Then Ames took over.

Down late, he buried a deep three to swing momentum, then calmly stepped to the line after a foul on the ensuing possession. When his final shot was initially waved off, he stayed steady.

“I was going to be sick,” Ames admitted. “But they counted it… so everybody was happy.”

Seven points in the final seconds. Twenty-three on the night. And the only lead Cal needed.

“I just wanted to win the game,” Ames said. “Do whatever it took.”

Through an Alumni’s Eyes

Outside Haas Pavilion, as fans filtered toward Downtown Berkeley BART, longtime Cal alum Robert Bernal stood reflecting on a program he has followed — loosely at times — for more than four decades.

Bernal, who earned his economics degree from Cal in 1979, said he attended nearly every basketball and football game during his student years. Friday’s win, however, came during a quieter stretch on campus, with winter break thinning the student section.

“There weren’t a lot of students there,” Bernal said. “So there wasn’t a lot of energy. But the people that were there were there because they wanted to be there.”

Bernal admitted he doesn’t attend games often anymore, but said a friend convinced him to come Friday — and the opponent helped.

“I chose Notre Dame just because it’s a prestigious school,” he said. “I thought it would be entertaining.”

As the game tightened late, Bernal said he found himself bracing for a familiar outcome.

“It seemed like it was gonna be a typical Cal game,” he said. “I was waiting for the heartbreak. But they kept playing hard. They kept going at it.”

For Bernal, who remembers Cal basketball’s peaks and valleys dating back to the 1970s, that persistence stood out more than the final shot.

“It’s been more downs than ups in my lifetime,” he said. “So when you see them keep fighting like that — you notice.”

Execution Over Chaos

If there was one stat that defined Cal’s night, it wasn’t the shooting splits.

It was ball security.

Cal finished with just three turnovers against a Notre Dame defense that prides itself on discipline. Pippen logged 30 minutes with zero turnovers. The point guards stayed poised when the game begged for mistakes.

“That’s our best number of the year,” Madsen said. “But we’ve had a lot of single-digit turnover games. These guys have a tight handle. Great vision.”

That composure mattered late, especially after Cal ran out of timeouts and had to organize on the fly.

“You can work on all the plays you want,” Madsen said. “You have to have players that go out there and make the shot.”

Cal did.

Individual Efforts That Mattered

Ames led all scorers with 23 points, punctuating his night with the go-ahead three and final free throw.

Pippen added 14 points, including three threes that helped stretch Notre Dame’s defense when Cal needed space. Chris Bell chipped in 15 points, while Lee Dort controlled the glass with 11 rebounds, anchoring Cal inside.

The balance didn’t overwhelm Notre Dame — but it held steady when the game slowed.

And when the Irish missed their final look, Cal secured the rebound and the result.

Pulse Takeaway: Growth, Not Perfection

This wasn’t a flawless performance.

Cal didn’t start well. The offense stalled at times. The margin was razor-thin.

But this was growth.

After being “brutally honest” earlier in the week, Cal showed it could absorb pressure without unraveling. It showed it could defend late without fouling. And it showed it could trust its guards to make winning plays rather than safe ones.

“We show we can keep fighting in the game,” Pippen said. “The next step is starting the game with fight — not letting the punches in the mouth.”

On a night when chaos threatened to take over, Cal chose execution.

That matters.

What Comes Next

One game doesn’t redefine a season. But finishes like this can sharpen it.

Cal now carries forward a blueprint: defend with urgency, protect the ball, and trust the moment instead of fearing it. The Bears still need cleaner starts and more consistent offensive flow — Ames and Pippen both acknowledged that — but the closing identity finally matched the work behind the scenes.

As Madsen put it, this one “could have gone either way.”

It didn’t.

And inside Haas, that difference felt earned.

Justin Pippen falls down after being fouled late in the first-half. Photo courtesy of Morgan Garcia.