With 7:30 left in the first half, the crowd at the half filled Hass Pavilion may have been wondering why Cal only had a 3-point lead against an outclassed Dartmouth team. A 19-6 run put those worries to bed as The Golden Bears cruised to a 98-62 victory.
PG Jerome Randle tied a season high with 8 assists and could have easily broken it but Cal starters sat most of the second half. Coach Mike Montgomery cleared the bench and the reserves only increased the lead. The only one not to score was 7-foot-3 freshman Max Zhang who took a nasty spill in the first half and didn't return.
Coach Montgomery understands that the conference schedule is going to more of a challenge for his team.
When asked if he was pleased with the teams 10-2 start he said, "We're typically going to see better athletes and better numbers in the league. There will be a lot of close games, and we're going to have to make plays. So it's really hard to say."
Game Notes
Jordan Wilkes is showing a great touch from the line going 5 for 6. If he can develop the inside game that he shows flashes of, it will prove to be a big asset in Pac-10 play.
Jorge Gutierrez continues to be the scrappy contributor that every team needs. His defense and capability as a strong finisher is something that every team could use.
Guard Jerome Randle seems to be able to take over a game at will. It will be interesting to see how he does against stiffer competition.
The Cal Bears student section seems to have a man-crush on Sophomore Guard Eddie Miller. The Antioch, CA native had his named chanted for the entire 7 minutes he was in the game and he did not disappoint. He went 3-3 from the field including one from downtown. Coach Montgomery might want to think about moving him up in the rotation.
Cal remains unbeaten at home this season (8-0). The Bears improved to 10-2.
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