California Edges Miami in Wild Finish Behind Camden’s Career Night
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - In a game that had all the makings of a February thriller, California men’s basketball showed poise, grit, and just enough late-game execution to escape Coral Gables with a statement win. The Bears clawed out an 86-85 road victory over Miami, closing with a flurry in the final four minutes to snatch a game that had been teetering on the edge all afternoon.
John Camden led the charge with a season-high 26 points, hitting big shots early and late to keep Cal in the fight. Justin Pippen, meanwhile, turned in one of his most complete performances of the year, scoring 17 points and dishing out a career-best eight assists. With the win, Cal moves to 16-6 on the season and 4-5 in ACC play, while Miami slips to 17-5 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
This one was a back-and-forth battle from the jump. The lead changed hands six times in the first 11 minutes, and both teams came out firing.
Cal’s early 10-0 run gave them a brief cushion, but Miami never let the Bears get comfortable. By halftime, it was a one-point game-Cal up 45-44-after a half filled with sharp shooting and fast-paced exchanges.
Miami shot a blistering 61 percent in the first half, while Cal wasn’t far behind at 55 percent. The Hurricanes also held a slight rebounding edge, 15-12, heading into the break. But Cal’s offense kept humming, and when things got chaotic in the second half, the Bears stayed composed.
The second half saw the foul count skyrocket and the tempo slow as both teams spent long stretches at the free-throw line. Still, the intensity never dropped.
Cal trailed for much of the second half, but the turning point came with just under four minutes to play. Dai Dai Ames dropped five points in a 20-second burst-including a clutch three after a Camden steal-to push Cal back in front, 82-81.
From there, it was a scramble. Miami briefly reclaimed the lead with a three-point play at the 1:56 mark, going up 85-84.
But Cal had one more push left. Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut came up with a massive block on the defensive end, then followed it with a putback bucket to give the Bears an 86-85 edge with 57 seconds left.
Miami had a final look after calling timeout with 5.8 seconds remaining, but the shot bounced off the rim, and Cal walked away with a gutsy road win.
Cal finished the game shooting 49.1 percent from the field and knocked down 10 threes. Miami was even more efficient overall at 56.9 percent but only connected on four shots from deep.
The game was a parade to the free-throw line-65 total attempts-with Cal going 24-of-32 and Miami 23-of-33. The Hurricanes also won the rebounding battle, 32-28, but the Bears made the plays that mattered most down the stretch.
Camden’s 26 points led all scorers, and he got plenty of help. Pippen’s 17 came with pinpoint passing, Chris Bell added 16, and Ames chipped in 14, including that huge go-ahead three. Miami countered with 24 points from Malik Reneau, 16 from Shelton Henderson, 14 from Tre Donaldson, and 12 from Ernest Udeh Jr.
The first half was a track meet. The score tied or changed hands multiple times in the opening minutes, with Chris Bell knocking down back-to-back threes to give Cal an early 10-8 edge.
Miami responded with a 9-0 run to jump ahead 19-12, but Cal answered right back. Mantas Kocanas drilled a three, and Pippen converted a three-point play to tie it at 22.
That sparked another 10-0 Cal run, capped by Camden’s free throws and a dunk off a dish from Milos Ilic. Camden kept pouring it on, scoring in the paint and hitting a late first-half three to give Cal a 45-39 lead before Miami closed the gap just before the break.
The second half opened with a whistle-heavy stretch-nine fouls in the first few minutes-and Miami took advantage to edge ahead 50-48. Camden responded with his third three of the game, but Miami kept applying pressure, using a 5-0 burst to build a 55-51 lead. TT Carr’s three-point play kept Cal within striking distance, and even after Miami pushed the margin to nine, Cal didn’t blink.
Despite foul trouble-both Ilic and Kocanas fouled out within 30 seconds-Cal kept grinding. Ilic threw down a dunk before exiting, and Pippen scored in the paint to cut it to 79-77. That set the stage for Ames’ free throws, Camden’s steal, and the go-ahead three that flipped the game on its head.
Then came Dut’s late-game heroics-first the block, then the putback-and a final defensive stand that sealed a win that could carry weight as the Bears push deeper into ACC play.
Up Next: Cal heads home for a pair of ACC matchups at Haas Pavilion. The Bears host Georgia Tech on Wednesday and then face Clemson next Saturday.
Notables:
- John Camden’s 26 points marked his season high and his seventh 20-point game of the year.
- Camden has now scored in double digits 16 times this season.
- Justin Pippen’s 17 points and eight assists set a new career high in dimes.
- Chris Bell hit double figures for the 16th time this season.
- Dai Dai Ames reached double digits for the 19th time, leading the team in that category.
- This was Cal’s first-ever game played at Miami.
The Bears showed resilience, depth, and a knack for delivering in the clutch. With momentum on their side, they return to Berkeley looking to turn this road win into a launching pad for the stretch run.