BERKELEY, California — The Northwestern State men's basketball team went shot-for-shot with California for much of the afternoon, but saw the Golden Bears pull away late in a 79–70 decision Saturday at Haas Pavilion.

Despite the outcome, head coach Rick Cabrera praised his team's effort against one of the nation's toughest home environments.

"A lot of my guys fought," Cabrera said. "I thought they fought for 40 minutes. I'm disappointed we didn't get the win, because I thought we should have won the game. But they hit some big shots off our mistakes, and that's what good teams do. They're 10–1 now, and they won the game when they had to."

The Demons (2–8) and Golden Bears (10–1) were deadlocked at halftime, 37–37, in a highly competitive opening 20 minutes that featured nine ties and 14 lead changes.

Neither team led by more than six points in the first half.

California struck first behind an early 3-pointer from John Camden, but NSU quickly settled in behind aggressive play from Izzy Miles and efficient interior scoring from Omar Adegbola and Willie Williams.

Adegbola knocked down a 3-pointer at the 9:28 mark to give the Demons their first lead, and Micah Thomas followed with a triple to push NSU in front 22–18.

Miles continued to attack in transition, scoring seven points in a three-minute stretch as Northwestern State built a 26–20 advantage.

Cal answered late, however, closing the half with a surge highlighted by back-to-back triples and a buzzer-beating layup from Dai Dai Ames to send the teams into the locker room tied.

Cabrera said the performance reinforced the team's growth and competitive identity.

"We're getting better every day," Cabrera said. "We're starting to get some continuity and a good feel. It's not a talent issue. If you compete and play hard, good things will happen. It doesn't guarantee a win, but it puts you in position to win, and that's what we did."

The second half remained tightly contested, with Northwestern State repeatedly answering Cal runs.

Thomas opened the half with a three, Landyn Jumawan connected from deep, and Miles buried consecutive 3s to help NSU regain momentum. A fast-break alley-oop dunk by Chris Mubiru with 12:19 remaining gave the Demons their largest lead of the night at 58–53.

Cal responded with timely perimeter shooting and second-chance opportunities, reclaiming the lead midway through the half. Jumawan drained a 3 at the 7:25 mark to put NSU back in front 65–62, but the Golden Bears answered with a decisive 17–5 run over the final seven minutes.

"We just didn't get the stops we needed late," Cabrera said. "A lot of their 3s in the second half came off mistakes where we didn't guard correctly. They're a great shooting team, but if we're in the airspace on the catch, they don't get those looks. We've got to be locked in defensively for 40 minutes."

Camden scored 10 of his game-high 25 points during the closing stretch, including a dunk and multiple free throws, while Ames added a late 3-pointer to seal the outcome. Cabrera acknowledged Camden's impact after the game.

"He's a heck of a player," Cabrera said. "He shoots it with elite confidence, has a quick release, and knows his spots. With guys like that, you've got to be there on the catch. If you give good shooters even half a second, that's all they need."

Northwestern State shot 45.1 percent from the field and an efficient 45.8 percent from three-point range, finishing 11-of-24 from deep. The Demons went 13-of-15 at the free-throw line and totaled 16 bench points.

Cal matched NSU's shooting efficiency but gained an edge on the glass, outrebounding the Demons 34–27 and scoring 16 second-chance points.

Miles delivered a career performance, leading the Demons with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

"Izzy's put together back-to-back strong offensive games," Cabrera said. "We've always known he has that ability. If he can sustain that, we can be one of the better teams in the league. He looked like he could have played for them tonight, and that's a great sign."

Thomas finished with 13 points and five assists, Jumawan added nine points and four rebounds, and Williams anchored the interior with eight boards.

Cabrera said the recent road stretch has accelerated the team's development heading into conference play.

"These games help us not be intimidated by atmospheres," Cabrera said. "We've been on the road a lot, and that prepares you for league play. Now we've got to take care of business at home. It feels like we've been on the road for a century, so it'll be exciting to get back."

NSU wraps up non-conference play at home Dec. 20, as Southern-New Orleans visits Prather Coliseum for a 1 p.m. tip.