Larry Brown Sports

Cal picked up a crucial 76-68 win over USC on Sunday night, but the team’s come-from-behind victory after facing a 15-point deficit in the second half has taken a back seat to a more controversial discussion.

During a timeout in the second half, Cal head coach Mike Montgomery became frustrated with junior guard Allen Crabbe and let him know about it by giving him a stern, two-handed shove to the chest. Montgomery says he was trying to get Crabbe’s head in the game, but many people thought the physical contact crossed the line.

“He had no expression,” Montgomery told reporters after the game, via The Dagger. “Mentally, he just needed a wakeup call.”

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How is it possible to score five points in 20 minutes of a basketball game?  I still can’t believe it actually happened, but as LBS contributor Danny Lee pointed out, Cal scored only five points in the first half against Notre Dame on Friday.  That has to be as ugly as it can possibly get.

As for the numbers: how does 2 for 25 from the floor sound, including 0 for 8 on three-pointers?  Now I didn’t watch the game but — if my logic serves me correctly — at least one of the made field goals was a layup.  If Cal hit zero threes and managed five points, that means there had to have been a three-point play because of a foul which likely came on a layup, right?  Wow.

Naturally, Notre Dame won the game.  Let’s not be fooled into thinking that means they played well, however.  The Irish took a 21-5 lead into halftime after shooting 9 for 32 from the floor, including 0 for 13 from three-point range.  For those who are keeping count, that’s a combined 11 for 57 and 0 for 21 from beyond the arc for the teams.

Your final score: Notre Dame 57, Cal 44 in a game that both coaches will certainly want to forget.