California Golden Bears Edge Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a Nail-Biter at Haas Pavilion

The California Golden Bears secured a narrow victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a final score of 72-71. This win brings the Golden Bears' record to 1-0, while the Fighting Irish fall to 0-1.

First Half

The first half saw both teams battling for dominance, with the Fighting Irish taking an early lead. The Golden Bears struggled initially, trailing by 4 points at halftime with a score of 31-27 in favor of ND. Despite their efforts, California's shooting accuracy was slightly off as they managed only 41 percent from the field.

Second Half

In the second half, California came out strong and turned up their offensive game. Dai Dai Ames led the charge for the Bears with his impressive scoring ability, contributing significantly to their comeback. The team improved their shooting percentage and took advantage of fast break opportunities to outscore ND by 5 points in this period.

Key Performances

Dai Dai Ames was instrumental for California, showcasing his skills with crucial plays that kept his team in contention throughout. His performance was complemented by Justin Pippen's solid contribution on both ends of the court. On defense, Lee Dort made his presence felt under the basket with key rebounds that limited Notre Dame's second-chance opportunities.

For Notre Dame, despite falling short in this encounter, they had notable performances from several players who kept them competitive until the final moments. Their bench contributed significantly with 25 points but ultimately could not overcome California's late surge.

The game featured multiple lead changes and ties that kept fans on edge until the very end—a testament to both teams' determination and skill level during this intense matchup.

As part of our post-game report on California Golden Bears vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish review: The next challenge for Cal awaits as they prepare to face Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on January 7th at 9:00 PM EST. Fans can catch all action live on ACC Network TV broadcast.

Stay tuned for more updates and share your thoughts about this exciting match!