Jan 5, 2003
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
BERKELEY, Calif. - Joe Shipp had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and BrianWethers added 16 points as California made two big rallies in the second halfto beat Stanford 72-59 Saturday night in the Pac-10 opener for both schools.
Amit Tamir scored 11 points for the Golden Bears (8-2), who pulled away latein their second straight win over their archrivals. Cal snapped a 10-gamelosing streak to the Cardinal last season - its longest losing streak in arivalry dating to 1911.
Shipp, the Bears' senior scoring leader, had 12 points in the second half asCal broke open a close game in the final 12 minutes with an impressive seriesof plays on both ends. Stanford (9-4) managed just two field goals in aneight-minute stretch as the Bears remained unbeaten at home this season.
Josh Childress had 15 points for the Cardinal, whose four-game winningstreak was snapped. Julius Barnes had 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting, and RobLittle added 12 points and seven rebounds before fouling out.
In their 240th meeting, Cal and Stanford played a remarkably even game untilthe final minutes. Neither team led by more than seven points in the firsthalf.
But Cal made a 12-2 run midway through the second half, beginning and endingon big baskets by freshman center David Paris, the son of former NFL linemanBubba Paris.
The Bears stretched their lead to 60-47 before Stanford made a 10-2 run ofits own, but Cal closed the game with a 10-2 run. Freshman guard RichardMidgley, making his second career start, made a beautiful bounce pass throughtraffic for Wethers' rally-capping layup.
With former Cal stars Sean Marks, Sean Lampley and Al Grigsby in attendance,Haas Pavilion was sold out for the first time this season with 11,877 noisyfans. Cal is 6-0 at home this season and 37-4 over the past three.
At the first timeout, Cal students paraded the Axe through Haas Pavilion.The Golden Bears reclaimed the coveted football trophy with their victory overStanford in the 105th Big Game six weeks earlier.