There’s no way to overstate the impact senior guard Jaylon Tyson had on Cal’s comeback from 20 points down to beat Colorado 82-78 on Wednesday night at Haas Pavilion.
Before we move forward with five other reasons the Bears got it done, let’s dissect what Tyson did:
— He scored a career-high 30 points, including 23 in the second half when he made all eight of his field-goal attempts and was 5-for-5 on free throws as the Bears fought back from a 14-point hole to complete their biggest comeback in 15 seasons.
— He scored in a variety of fashions: Four driving layups (including one that became a three-point play), two emphatic driving dunks, a 2-point mid-range jumper and three 3-pointers. He was 7 for 10 inside the arc and 7 for 7 from the foul line.
— He contributed five rebounds and two assists, including one of each during the sequence that gave Cal the lead for good. After Jalen Cone missed a 3-pointer with the score tied at 70-all and about 2 1/2 minutes to play, it was Tyson who corralled the offensive rebound. And it was Tyson who fed a wide-open Cone, who didn’t miss a second try from beyond the arc,
Coach Mark Madsen called Tyson one of the best players in the country.
And while that’s a subjective statement, this much is concrete: In five Pac-12 games, the 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 23.4 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 58 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the foul line.
Here are five more reasons the Bears won their second straight Pac-12 game, improving to 6-10 overall, 2-3 in conference play:
— Cone found his rhythm: When he’s on, Cone’s perimeter shooting changes everything for the Bears. But after making seven 3’s three times in the Bears’ first nine games, he was just 7 for 32 from deep the previous four outings and 1 for 6 in the first half against the Buffaloes. But the Northern Arizona transfer made 3 of 6 in the second half as the Bears wound up converting 14 of 30 from deep.
— Getting to the rim: The Bears were outscored 22-4 in the paint in first half and at one point were shooting 3 for 19 on 2-point attempts. But they went inside after halftime, scoring 14 points in the paint to balance their perimeter shooting.
— The bench delivers: The Bears’ reserves outscored their CU counterparts 16-2, including eight points (and four rebounds) from Grant Newell and seven points from freshman Rodney Brown Jr. But contributions from the bench went beyond scoring. The Bears were plus-12 during the 8 1/2 minutes that 6-10 Penn transfer Gus Larson was on the floor. Larson put up just one point but he effectively wrestled with 6-11, 265-pound Eddie Lampkin Jr., and he had a pair of blocked shots.
— Season-low turnovers: The Bears committed 19 turnovers in a game twice this year and averaged 13 through their first four Pac-12 games. The five giveaways they had vs. Colorado (just 2 in the second half) were the fewest they’ve totaled in nearly two years.
— Efficient and prolific: While the defense tightened in the second half, the offense flowed. The Bears’ 56 second-half points were more than Cal managed in 14 full games a year ago. The Bears scored at an efficient pace of 1.75 points per possession in the second half.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!