Golden Nuggets: Cal sweeps the state of Oregon!

Wow.

The first half of Cal's game against Oregon State involved the Beavers shooting almost perfectly, ending with Cal down by double digits. But the Bear will not die, with Mike Montgomery leading the team to victory.

It took Cal less than six minutes to erase a 10-point halftime deficit.

The Bears scored 18 points on their first 11 possessions of the half, going in front 53-52 when [Tyrone] Wallace scored on a putback of his own missed free throw with 14:09 left. [David] Kravish had three baskets during the run and [Justin] Cobbs scored seven points.

Oregon State led by as many as 14 points on the way to a 45-35 halftime lead.

Check out some quotes from the Bears:

"We didn't compete in the first half," Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. "We looked very tired. We were just flat. We didn't look mentally engaged."

...

"Did I expect [this kind of start]? No. Am I surprised? No," said reserve forward Jeff Powers, whose second-half play was key to Cal's comeback. "People don't give us the credit we deserve sometimes. We're a force to be reckoned with. The conference is going to take notice."

...

"It's big," Cobbs said. "It shows you we're a team. We have depth this year. We can go 8, 9 deep and when Jabari (Bird) and Ricky (Kreklow) return, we can go 10, 11. It shows you what a team is really made of. I'm proud of these guys."

Cal has kicked off the season in stunning fashion:

The win is the Bears' fourth-straight and improved their overall record to 12-4 with their fourth-straight win.

Cal has now opened up Pac-12 play 3-0 for the first time since 2009 and won its first three conference road games for the first time since 1957.

Cal Athletics

• At the end of the fall athletics season, Cal finishes 13th in the Men's Capital One Cup thanks to strong performances by Men's Soccer and Men's Water Polo!

Women's Water Polo

• Kelly McKee blogs about the start of Water Polo season
• The Golden Bears kicked off the season with a win over Pacific (The school, not the whole ocean. Yet.)

Swimming and Diving

• Peter Cyr placed fourth in the three-meters board of the Bruin Diving Invitational
• Anne Kastler finished second in the one-meter board at the Bruin Diving Invitational
• Four Bears on the women's team placed in the finals for the three-meter board at that event
• The Pac-12 Networks' broadcast team will include Calympians Nathan Adrian and Natalie Coughlin

Women's Basketball

• No. 19 Cal won a nerve-wracking game against no. 17 Colorado (coverage by CalBears.com, SFGate)

Men's Basketball

• Allen Crabbe (who watched the Bears' victory over Oregon) has embraced his humbling experience with the Portland Trailblazers

Sunny and @allencrabbe !!!!!! pic.twitter.com/7mGfr4t0nB

— Brittany Boyd (@adifferent1five) January 10, 2014

• Jordan Mathews' brilliant performance in the Oregon win placed him fourth on the list of most points per game in a Pac-12 road game, tied with Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Volleyball

• Buy your tickets now for the Cal Volleyball Banquet

Tennis

• Cal has begun work on upgrading the Hellman Tennis Complex

Men's Gymnastics

• The Bears are starting 2014 with a new coach, a new structure, and the Big Meet against our most hated rival, which unfortunately ended in defeat

Women's Gymnastics

• The Pac-12 Networks spoke with Alicia Asturias, the first Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week from Cal in over ten years

Football

• ESPN's Pac-12 Blog is grading Cal's season—offense, defense, special teams, and overall—and the grades are fantastic!
• K Vincenzo D'Amato will play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
• Unfortunately, thieves broke into WR DeSean Jackson's home in South Philadelphia, stealing over $300,000 in cash and jewels
• Taking a look at RB Marshawn Lynch's iconic Beast Quake run
• Another Seahawk, Brandon Mebane, has been flying under the radar despite his stellar play
• Lynch & Mebane (Seahawks) eliminated DL Cameron Jordan & OL Brian de la Puente (Saints) while RB Shane Vereen & DL Andre Carter (Patriots) eliminated Andrew Luck (Colts). The only team standing in the way of a Bear earning a Super Bowl ring is the accursed Harbaugh (49ers)