BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Justice Sueing scored a season-high 23 points, Paris Austin added 15, and California rallied to defeat San Diego State 89-83 on Saturday night.
The Bears (3-5) ended a two-game losing streak and beat the Aztecs (5-4) for the second straight time. Last season they upset the San Diego State 63-62 in San Diego on Dec. 9, 2017.
Grant Anticevich had 13 points and six rebounds, both career highs, for Cal. Darius McNeill added 13 points, and Matt Bradley had 11.
“I think it shows the potential in us,” Sueing said.” Going forward this is a real good statement for us.”
Jalen McDaniels scored 20 points for the Aztecs. Jeremy Hemsley scored 19 points and moved from 22nd into a tie for 18th on San Diego’s all-time scoring list with 1,188 points. Jordan Schakel scored 14 and Devin Watson 13.
“Offensively, what more can you do?” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “We scored 83 points, but we can’t give up 89. We were on them, but not close enough. We made a lot of big mistakes defensively. There’s all sorts of stuff we need to work on. When you play well enough offensively and your defense lets you down, it’s frustrating. Back to the drawing board, that’s all we can do”.
Anticevich had played a total of three minutes in Cal’s previous five games before playing 13-plus Saturday as Cal’s first big man off the bench, behind 7-foot-3 Connor Vanover, who made his first start of the season.
“It feels terrific, especially getting such a great win for the team,” Anticevich said.
It was 68-all with 7:52 to play, but the Aztecs went on a 10-3 run to build a 78-71 lead with 3:57 left. But Cal roared back to build an 83-80 edge with 1:11 left as Austin hit a 3-point shot and Andre Kelly scored from inside.
San Diego State tied it 83-83 on Schakel’s 3-pointer with 45.5 seconds left, but Bradley drilled a 3 with 25 seconds left, putting Cal up 86-83.
“We definitely didn’t overlook them,” Schakel said of the Bears. “They came out and played well, and we just didn’t get the job done.”
Bradley came off the bench for the first time this season, with Vanover starting in his place as Bears coach Wyking Jones wanted a bigger lineup, but he delivered the biggest shot of the game.
“We just trusted each other,” Sueing said. “Matt hit a huge shot at the end. We all trusted him because he’s one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.”
BIG PICTURE
San Diego State: The Aztecs shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range but managed to lose a second straight game for the first time this season, following a 73-61 loss to the University of San Diego at home.
California: The Bears, who were coming off a 79-60 loss at home to San Francisco on Wednesday, avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Bears’ 13 made 3-pointers were their most since hitting 16 against Arizona in March 2009.
UP NEXT
San Diego State: The Aztecs return home to face Cal State Dominguez Hills, a Division II team, at Viejas Arena on Wednesday.
California: The Bears will conclude a three-game home stand against Cal Poly at Haas Pavilion on Saturday.
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