California Gains Share of First With Victory

Lineup changes were ahead for both California and Oregon after the Bears’ 97-72 Pacific 10 Conference victory Saturday at Berkeley.

Cal (10-4 overall) shot 60% from the field to move into a tie for the Pacific 10 lead with UCLA at 5-1--the Bears’ best conference start in 32 years.

Cal’s all-conference forward Tremaine Fowlkes will be back for Thursday’s game at Washington State, prompting some moves that should make a good team coming off its best game of the season even better. Fowlkes has been serving an NCAA-imposed suspension since the start of the season. He averaged 13.7 points and 6.7 rebounds as a freshman.

Fowlkes joins a lineup that features freshman Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who made nine of 11 shots and had 24 points--one less than his Pacific 10-leading average.

Jelani Gardner, who probably will be shifted from forward to the backcourt where started last season, had one of his better games of an erratic season with 18 points. Guard Ed Gray provided his usual consistent scoring off the bench with 21 points.

But it was Abdur-Rahim who drew praise from Oregon Coach Jerry Green. “He’s just a pro player hanging around in college for some time,” said Green.

The Oregon starters, who didn’t have a double-figure scorer and shot a combined 25%, may not be hanging around as a unit for long. Guard Kenya Wilkins and forward Kyle Milling combined for four-of-17 shooting and 12 points--14 below their season average--as the Ducks (9-7, 2-3) lost their third game in a row.

“We’re looking at some possible lineup changes,” Green said. “If these older guys can’t get it done, we’ll have to look down the line.”

Green needn’t look farther than reserve freshman guard Terik Brown, who made seven of 11 three-point shots for 23 points.

Stanford 84, Oregon State 51--Guard Dion Cross made four three-point shots in a game-opening 18-2 run for the Cardinal (10-4, 4-2) at Palo Alto. Cross finished with 18 points. Oregon State (3-11, 1-4) had only player score in double figures, guard J.D. Vetter (11).