Double Dip Domination of Danish for Golden Bears

Nice alliteration, right? But behind the alliteration, what’s said is true; the Golden Bears took on the Danish national team and took them down twice, and the second one was not a close game by any means. These games marked the end of the basketball portion of the trip, and the team will head back to Berkeley on Monday.
The first game was the closer of the two, with an 81-73 decision going in Cal’s favor. Robert Thurman, and I’ll admit I never thought I would type this, led the team with 21 points. Jorge Gutierrez made a triumphant return with 13 points, and Justin Cobbs, Christian Behrens, and David Kravish all scored 10 points.
The second game against the Danish was a close on at the half, but an overpowering fourth quarter showing buoyed by the strong play of Kravish, who ended up with 14 points and 7 boards. The strong play led to a dominating 95-78 victory, one that featured plenty of strong play from youngsters. They only led by 6 at the half, so it was largely strong finishing that won the game. Both Richard Solomon and Harper Kamp missed the game, but it appeared to be precautionary and not a sign of anything more serious. Solomon got his eye scratched and had to avoid contact for a week, so nothing serious here.

More Analysis, Stats, and Info After The Jump

I didn’t get to watch either game, and I don’t know if there’s any video, so I’m taking any impressions I do have from stats. Robert Thurman is certainly making a strong case for being the first big on the bench, and while he’s not a 21 point per game scorer he’s certainly making strides from where he was last year. I don’t think he’ll be the human victory cigar this year, at the very least. Allen Crabbe was quiet, but in a way it’s a good thing; this team doesn’t need Crabbe to score 20 to win every game, and we know they can do that now. Kravish also appears likely to make an impact, and with those two making their cases the playing time of Bak Bak is in a bit of jeopardy. Plenty can change still, and it will be interesting to see.
The trip is over, the games have been played, and the Bears are headed home. I’d classify it as a successful trip, with plenty of youngsters getting their chance to shine and show what they can do. With Kamp and Gutierrez back on the court at times against the Danish, those concerns are gone, which is a very, very good thing. Hopefully the season is just as successful as the trip. Go Bears!