Cal clamps down early, pulls away late in 74–56 win over Columbia at Haas

4 min read

BERKELEY, Calif. — Cal didn’t need a hot shooting half to take control Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.

Cal’s Lee Dort goes up for a block as the Golden Bears defeat North Carolina in Haas. Photo courtesy of Morgan Garcia

The Golden Bears scored just 26 points before the break — the kind of number that keeps a game fragile. But Cal’s defense never let Columbia breathe, and the result was an unusual halftime reality: a 12-point lead built entirely on pressure, discipline, and rebounding.

By the end, that foundation turned into a convincing 74–56 win.

Senior forward John Camden described the approach simply.

“That was a point of emphasis for us going into it, was just to be super locked in defensively… We had a really good defensive first half… and then we got their rebounds, too. So just defensive rebounding was a big emphasis for us.”

Columbia finished with 15 turnovers and shot 4-for-17 from three. Cal matched the Lions with 34 rebounds, which kept the game from turning into a track meet. Cal steadily tightened the screws until Columbia’s possessions became work.

Head coach Mark Madsen said it’s the central theme of this group: discomfort.

“Our focus really as a theme this year is we want to make people uncomfortable,” Madsen said. “We want to make people uncomfortable in the post. We want to make handlers uncomfortable.”

Justin Pippen and Dai Dai Ames were at the center of that pressure, repeatedly getting into ball-handlers and forcing Columbia into tougher decisions. Even when Cal’s offense felt stuck early, the defensive floor stayed steady.

Turning Point: Cal’s second-half execution flips the game

The separation came after halftime, when Cal’s offense finally caught up to the effort.

Ames led all scorers with 21 points, and Cal finished with 14 assists after recording only three in the first half. The Bears also did damage at the line, shooting 79% on free throws compared to Columbia’s 50%. And in a game where pace and control mattered, Cal protected the ball: six turnovers total.

“We was running the right offense,” Dai Dai Ames said. “Shots weren’t falling, so we just stayed with that and shots eventually fell.”

Madsen pointed to decision-making and spacing as the product of habits — and guards who care about it.

“We work on taking care of the ball,” he said. “Justin Pippen is unbelievable at taking care of the basketball… It’s very difficult to take the ball away from Dai Dai.”

As Cal’s shots started dropping, the game stopped feeling delicate. The Bears pushed the lead as high as 21 and closed without letting Columbia make it interesting late.

A more connected Cal — and a louder Haas

Both players and coaches framed the last two games as a step toward a more complete version of Cal.

Asked how the team is better now than it was three or four weeks ago, “I say more connected,” Dai Dai said. “The more we play with each other, the more we practice, the more reps we get… I feel like we get closer every time.”

Madsen emphasized urgency, describing high-level basketball as something that punishes any brief lapses.

“You can never take your foot off the gas pedal.”

That urgency showed up — but so did a clear willingness to critique what still isn’t clean. Madsen said he was disappointed by second-half communication and transition breakdowns, taking responsibility and calling it “absolutely inexcusable.” The growth is real, he said, but it isn’t finished.

Still, the environment Sunday felt like part of the story.

“The fan support, the attendance tonight was phenomenal,” Madsen said. “Student section almost full… Our student section tonight was 10 out of 10. And it’s only going to get better going into conference play.”

Outside Haas, that student energy showed up in a different way too. Zoe, a Cal senior who’s attended games “pretty much my whole life,” said this season feels different.

“This has been the coolest season I’ve experienced,” she said. “Not at all, ever.”

Her father, Rory — a Cal graduate — summed up his message to current students: “Just be grateful… take advantage of the opportunities, and explore things on campus… Don’t just focus on your major.”

Pulse Takeaway

This game was a reminder that Cal’s best version doesn’t depend on perfect offense.

A 12-point halftime lead with only 26 points isn’t something you stumble into — it’s what happens when defense travels, rebounding stays sharp, and the group stays composed. The second half showed the other side: when the ball starts moving and the shots begin to fall, Cal has enough structure to turn control into separation.

With conference play ahead and Haas starting to feel louder, Sunday looked like Cal finishing the year’s early stretch with the right kind of momentum: grounded in defense, confident in identity, and increasingly connected.