Justin Pippen scored 24, including 19 in the second half, as Cal edged SMU 73-69 despite 15-point efforts from Boopie Miller and Corey Washington.
If you like late-game drama, Haas Pavilion delivered. Justin Pippen took over down the stretch Wednesday night, pouring in 19 of his 24 points in the second half to push California past SMU, 73-69, in a pivotal ACC matchup.
The Golden Bears improved to 20-8 overall and 8-7 in conference play, while SMU slipped to 19-9 (8-7 ACC).
Pippen wasn’t perfect from deep - he missed eight of his 10 three-point attempts - but he attacked when it mattered.
After SMU briefly grabbed a 67-64 lead with under two minutes left behind a personal 9-0 burst from Corey Washington, Pippen responded like a closer. He buried a mid-range jumper, then calmly drained four straight free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.
Cal also got a big night from Chris Bell, who knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. John Camden added 14, and Lee Dort chipped in seven points and 10 rebounds as the Bears overcame being outrebounded 44-33.
SMU had its chances. The Mustangs entered the game as one of the ACC’s top offensive teams, averaging 86.8 points per contest and shooting 50 percent from the field.
They controlled the paint (32-24 edge) and dominated second-chance points (16-6), fueled by 13 offensive rebounds. But 14 turnovers proved costly against a Cal squad that committed just eight.
Boopie Miller extended his remarkable scoring streak to 35 consecutive games in double figures, finishing with 15 points.
The senior guard now has 1,884 career points, ranking among the NCAA’s active leaders. Jaron Pierre Jr. added 14 points, pushing his career total to 2,077, while Washington and Samet Yigitoglu contributed 15 and 11, respectively.
SMU even strung together multiple momentum-shifting runs, including an 11-0 surge early in the second half and Washington’s late nine-point blitz. But every time the Mustangs punched, Pippen countered.
In a game featuring nine ties and relentless swings, execution in the final two minutes made the difference.
Now SMU heads to Stanford looking to rebound, while Cal prepares to host Pittsburgh with fresh confidence. In late February, every possession matters - and Pippen made sure Cal owned the final ones.