Golden Nuggets: A Game of Laser Tag May Have Helped Cal Defeat Colorado

After the Bears' recent three-game losing streak, there was plenty of discussion about how to fix a team that appeared to be on life support. I'll have to double-check the post-game threads, but I don't think anyone offered laser tag as a solution. Fortunately Monty knew exactly what the team needed.

Did laser tag keep California’s Tournament hopes alive? Maybe, and maybe not, but it certainly had a bearing on how the Bears came out on Saturday, downing Colorado in overtime, 66-65, in the regular season finale.

"I didn’t finish last," said Bears head coach Mike Montgomery of Thursday’s team-building outing, which was then followed by a team-only meeting that was centered on, as the players said, ‘Team, team, team.’

"That honor went to Jabari Bird," Montgomery continued. "I’m glad he was there. He moves too slow. Easy target."
...

"I felt as though we just came together as a team," said senior Richard Solomon. "We took some time off and got together as a team. We had a little discussion and I think that really helped. It was just a whole different team here, we were all just playing together, playing collectively. I think that’s what got it done for us tonight."

Hopefully the NBA scouts don't get tape of Bird's performance on Thursday.

General

• How's this for a #ThrowbackThursday? The UCBerkeley instagram account posted a 62-year-old picture of five Nobel prize winners: Edwin McMillan, Glenn Seaborg, John Northrop, Ernest Lawrence, and William Glauque.

• How can you make a Southwest Airlines flight even better? Add the Cal band.

Lacrosse

• The Bears could not hold off UC Davis' rally as Cal lost 8-7 to the Aggies.

Gymnastics

• Cal was narrowly edged (196.150-196.075) by host Kentucky in a triangular meet.

Golf

• Keelan Kilpatrick is tied for 8th after the second round of Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters.

Tennis

• The 16th-ranked Bears lost 5-2 to no. 9 Stanford in the Big Slam.

Water Polo

• Freshman Roser Tarrago scored an impressive six goals in the Bears' 12-10 victory over no. 10 San Jose State.

Swimming and Diving

• PAC-12 CHAMPIONS! A week after the women's team won the Pac-12 crown, the men's team brought home its second consecutive title.

Baseball

• Cal opened the Cal Baseball Classic with a 5-10 loss to Tulane.

Basketball

• The women's team was eliminated in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals by Washington State.
• NCAA.com names six players to watch heading into the NCAA Tournament; Reshanda Gray is among them.
• The men's team earned a possibly NCAA-bid-saving victory with a 66-65 OT win over Colorado.
• Jorge Gutierrez is Mashable.com's new favorite basketball player, and I'm sure he's winning the hearts of countless NBA fans.

Football

• Defensive line coach Fred Tate has decided to follow Art Kaufman to Cal.
• Uncle Ted looks at the CB position heading into spring practices. The cupboard isn't exactly full for Art Kaufman and Greg Burns.
• Ron Rivera is among this year's Pac-12 Hall of Fame candidates.
• Pacific Takes ranks the top Pac-12 DBs of the BCS era. Syd Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha were honorable mentions while Deltha O'Neal and Daymeion "I can intercept a North Korean cruise missle" Hughes made the cut.