Nov. 20, 1999
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Junior forward Sean Lampley led five players in double figures with 26 points as California advanced to the championship game of the Top of the World Classic with a 95-70 victory over Houston Saturday night.
The Bears (2-0) will play the winner of Saturday's late Oklahoma-George Washington game Sunday at 2 p.m. PT. The game will be televised live nationally by Fox Sports Net.
In addition to Lampley, who just missed his career high of 28 points, freshman Joe Shipp had 14 points, freshman Nick Vander Laan 12, and freshmen Brian Wethers and Donte Smith 11 apiece.
The Bears, who beat TCU, 91-83, Thursday, scored more than 90 points in back-to-back games for the first time since November 1995.
Against Houston, Smith nailed a three-pointer 18 seconds into the contest and Cal never looked back. The lead quickly grew of 13 at 18-5 on a layup by Lampley. Houston cut its deficit to seven at 21-14, before the Bears went on an 18-3 run to effectively put the game away.
Lampley finished with 19 points in the first half, and the Bears led by 29 points at intermission (53-24). Cal shot 54.1 percent from the floor in the opening half and held the Cougars to just 25.0 percent (7-28).
In the second half, the Bears led by as many as 36 points (73-37) and were able to empty their bench the final five minutes.
For the game, Cal made 54.3 percent from the field and outrebounded Houston, 50-31. Lampley again paced the way with 12 boards, while Shipp added nine and Vander Laan six.
"I thought Lampley stepped up in the first half with his poise and confidence," said Cal head coach Ben Braun. "He really creates a presence inside and secures the frontcourt for us. As a whole, I thought the team gained a lot of confidence with our play on defense, and that led to a good performance on the offensive end."
The victory puts Cal in position for its first preseason tournament title (other than its own Golden Bear Classic) since the Bears captured the Lobo Invitational at New Mexico in 1975.
Cal also extended its winning streak to seven games - the longest current string in the country. The Bears ended last year on a 5-0 run en route to the National Invitation Tournament crown.
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