Nojus Indrušaitis gave Cal exactly the kind of finishing touch it needed in Westchester.
The Pittsburgh transfer buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left Friday night, lifting the Golden Bears to a 60-59 exhibition win over Loyola Marymount after a game that was messy almost everywhere else. Cal had spent much of the night misfiring from deep, going just 1-for-21 from 3-point range, and the Bears were still trailing late before Indrušaitis stepped in and changed the outcome.
Cal then handled the final defensive stand, forcing a missed layup at the rim to close it out.
Afterward, coach Mark Madsen praised Indrušaitis and the rest of the group for finding a way to finish.
“NoJo is a consummate professional,” Madsen told Bear Insider after the unofficial season-opening win. “He works on his game every day.
"He works on his craft. He nailed the 3. We're going home with the win.”
For all the late drama, the game itself was a slog. Cal shot 19-for-59 overall, good for 32.2%, and never really found a rhythm offensively. Center Lee Dort was the lone Bear to shoot better than 50%, finishing with 11 points while going 3-for-3 in the paint and 5-for-6 from the line.
Still, the Bears left with a result they could live with.
“It’s a great win,” Madsen said. “We had so many players step up.
Jake Wilkins had a huge and-1. You had Nojus knocking down the 3.
The assistant coaches did a phenomenal job …”
Wilkins, the son of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins, made his presence felt with 11 points and five rebounds. Madsen said the Georgia transfer showed the most athleticism on the roster. Michael Cooper also gave Cal useful production, finishing with 12 points and emerging alongside Indrušaitis as one of the Bears’ better options as both a driver and shooter.
Madsen said the Bears were slow out of the gate but found more life after halftime.
“We started out very flat,” Madsen said. “But then we ramped up the energy in the second half. That was great.”
Now Cal turns to its next tune-up at Oregon State on Oct. 24. After that comes the regular-season opener at Haas Pavilion on Nov. 2 against Adams State.
In Other News...
Cals QB Outlook Just Shifted At A Crucial Time
Cal got a significant boost under center heading into Saturdays home game against No. 21 Wake Forest, with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolotele upgraded from questionable to probable. The quarterbacks status suggests he is likely to return after missing last week with a concussion, a timely shift for a Bears offense that needed clarity at the position as it prepares for a ranked opponent.
The rest of the availability report brought a mixed bag for Cal. Running back Adam Mohammed was downgraded to doubtful, while safety Kingston Lopa moved up to probable, giving the Bears a better look on defense even as the backfield remains unsettled. Wake Forest also got encouraging news of its own, with wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive end Langston Hardy upgraded to probable. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Brings A Major Depth Question Into Berkeley
Wake Forest is heading into Berkeley with its injury report carrying plenty of weight, and California has reason to keep an eye on it. The Demon Deacons have six players listed as out, leaving their depth thinner than usual in spots that matter most, especially up front where line rotations can shape both protection and the run game. For a Cal defense that will be watching how the visitors handle pressure, the availability of the players listed as probable could end up being part of the early-game story.
Among the names to watch are wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive lineman Langston Hardy, both listed as probable heading into the matchup. Wake Forest will need to sort through personnel issues on both sides of the ball, and that makes the health of those key contributors even more important as the week unfolds. If the Deacons can patch together their offensive and defensive fronts, theyll give themselves a chance to keep the game manageable, but the margin for error is already looking slim. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Heads Into Wake Forest With One Huge Question Unsettled
Cals trip to Wake Forest comes with the usual midseason questions, but one stands above the rest: who takes the first snap at quarterback. In a Q&A preview with Jake Curtis, the expectation is that Chase Sagapolutele would be the choice if he is cleared to play, giving the Golden Bears a clearer path into a game that already asks plenty of them on the road. The discussion also pointed to Cals defensive identity, one built on aggression and frequent pressure, with inside linebacker AJ Tuitele and tight end Taimane Purcell among the names to keep an eye on.
The intrigue, though, is how that style holds up against an opponent that can force a defense to prove it can do more than blitz. Cal has leaned into a disruptive approach, but the next test is whether that energy travels when Wake Forest starts probing the edges and challenging the Bears to stay disciplined. If Sagapolutele is available, the offense gets a stabilizing presence, but the larger issue is whether Cal can pair that with a cleaner defensive showing in a matchup that could reveal a lot about where this team really stands. [Read more 🡒]