The California Golden Bears couldn’t quite finish the job on Wednesday night, falling 63-61 to Florida State at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee. It was a game that felt like two different stories - one told in a sluggish first half, the other in a gutsy, near-comeback second - but ultimately, Cal came up just short in the second leg of their three-game road trip.
Coming off a high from their double-digit rivalry win over Stanford on January 24, the Bears looked poised early. They jumped out to a 14-8 lead in the opening 10 minutes, moving the ball well and showing the kind of energy you’d hope would carry over from a big win. But that early spark didn’t last.
Without big man Lee Dort in the lineup, Cal turned to Milos Ilic to start in his place. Ilic has been a steady presence when it comes to ball movement, but the size mismatch in the paint quickly became a problem. Florida State took full advantage, pounding the ball inside and flipping the momentum midway through the first half.
The Bears hit a wall offensively late in the first period, making just one of their final seven shots before halftime. That cold stretch, coupled with Florida State’s ability to get downhill and finish at the rim, opened up a 13-point Seminole lead by the break. Cal’s offense sputtered - John Camden went 1-for-5 from the field, Justin Pippen 1-for-4 - and the Bears had no answer for the Seminoles’ inside attack.
Turnovers were another key issue. Cal coughed the ball up eight times in the first half, four of which came off Florida State steals. That translated into 10 points off turnovers - a number that loomed large in a two-point game.
The paint battle told the story early: Florida State outscored Cal 16-4 inside in the first half. Simply put, the Bears were getting beat where it mattered most.
But credit to Mark Madsen’s squad - they didn’t fold. The second half was a different ballgame.
Cal came out swinging, trimming the deficit to single digits within minutes. Even as Florida State kept attacking the paint, the Bears held strong on the glass and limited second-chance opportunities. And when Cal started to find their rhythm from deep - thanks in part to Pippen and Chris Bell heating up - the momentum began to shift.
With under eight minutes to go, the Bears had clawed back to within six. Then came the sequence that nearly flipped the game on its head: DJ Campbell drove with purpose, kicked it out to Camden in the corner, and the junior buried a three to cut the lead to two.
Florida State answered with a bucket and a foul, but missed the free throw. Pippen responded with a wing three to keep it close.
Suddenly, the Bears were within striking distance. Pippen and Camden - both of whom struggled in the first half - combined for more than 20 points in the second, showing poise and resilience when Cal needed it most.
Then, with under five minutes to play, Campbell converted a reverse layup and added the free throw to bring the Bears within one. Moments later, a Camden steal led to a Pippen layup that gave Cal a 59-58 lead - their first since the opening minutes of the game.
But the lead was short-lived. Florida State’s Robert McCray V answered with a lay-in to put the Seminoles back on top. From there, it was a battle of nerves.
Florida State’s AJ Swinton had a chance to stretch the lead at the line with under 45 seconds left but missed both free throws. Still, the Seminoles held a one-point lead and the ball with 31 seconds to go. A missed three led to a critical offensive rebound, and Lajae Jones split a pair at the line, giving Cal one last shot.
Down 63-61 with the clock winding down, Ames drove the wing and kicked it out to Pippen, who had a clean look from beyond the arc. It was a good shot - the kind you live with - but it didn’t fall. Ballgame.
In the end, Cal’s shooting numbers weren’t pretty - 34 percent from the field, 36 percent from deep - but they rebounded well and showed plenty of fight. The problem was the hole they dug in the first half, driven by turnovers and an inability to stop Florida State inside.
This one stings. Not just because it was close, but because it came against a Seminoles team still searching for its first home ACC win of the season. Cal had momentum coming in, and despite a gutsy second-half push, they couldn’t quite complete the comeback.
The Bears will look to regroup quickly as they wrap up their road trip. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that this team doesn’t quit. But in a tight game on the road, you can’t afford to spot your opponent 13 points at the break - not when every possession counts.