With the California Golden Bears playing on the road against the Washington Huskies a few days after losing Richard Solomon for the season due to academic ineligibility, it was clear they were going to need an unexpected Bear to step up and perform big time.
In came backup big man Robert Thurman, and the Bears got just what they need. Thurman had a season-high 16 points and seven rebounds, and it was enough to lead Cal to a 69-66 victory over UW. Cal led nearly wire-to-wire over Washington, and Thurman was the beneficiary of many passes from the Cal players who found the holes in the UW defense.
Allen Crabbe had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Justin Cobbs contributed 14 points, and Jorge Guteirrez added 9 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. With the Stanford loss to Washington State, Cal is now alone in first place in the Pac-12 heading to a crucial Saturday afternoon contest in Pullman against the Cougars.
To discuss Cal basketball, head to the California Golden Blogs. To talk about Washington basketball, check out UW Dawg Pound.