Slightly Better Result for Cal

As moral victories go, this one will just have to do for the California Bears, who lost to Stanford by 51 points the last time they played and only lost by 26 on Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion.

Let’s see, given that rate of improvement for Cal, Stanford is looking pretty vulnerable in, say, about 2003.

Stanford began its third week as the nation’s top-ranked team and clearly felt comfortable with the whole situation, if you go by the Cardinal’s 84-58 wipeout before a sellout crowd of 7,391.

At 16-0 overall and 5-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference, Stanford has beaten cross-Bay rival Cal eight consecutive times and this one was one of the most overpowering, not counting their meeting last February, a 101-50 obliteration.

Mike Montgomery, the Stanford coach, had his lines ready for a quick recital once he hit the locker room door.

“We played well,” he said.

Yes, there’s nothing like a 26-point blowout to make a coach happy and Montgomery was in a particularly jolly mood afterward.

“I’m a little surprised at the margin, or whatever,” he said. “But it’s hard to play against us, especially when we’re at home and confident.”

Not to mention focused. As usual, Casey Jacobsen led the way with 19 points, most of them from the outside. Meanwhile, where you find the heavy lumber, Jarron Collins pounded the Bears under the basket with 18 points and six rebounds.

It was close for a half. Cal forward Sean Lampley went up against a Stanford defense that did not double-team him, but he managed only 14 points, nearly five below his average. Lampley had eight points at the half and Stanford led, 42-28.

After that, the only question was whether the Cal cheerleaders, during their routine, heard the Stanford student section sing “Who Let the Dogs Out.” A three-point bomb by Jacobsen, two Jacobsen free throws after he was fouled on a breakaway following a steal, then Jarron Collins’ power move inside for a basket and suddenly Stanford led, 51-32.

When Jacobsen drove the lane and scored with 12:13 to play, Stanford’s lead was 60-34 and garbage time began. About the only time the Cardinal struggled at all was with most of the starters on the bench and the Bears applying full-court pressure.

Still, Cal got no closer than 18 points the rest of the way.

Ben Braun, the Cal coach, had an inkling it wasn’t going to be a great night for him as he walked past the Cardinal players during the pregame warmups.

“Casey Jacobsen shot an airball and it hit me right in the face,” Braun said. “He sure didn’t shoot any after that.”

They are a hard group to please, this undefeated Cardinal team, which didn’t feel it played anywhere near its best and still won in a walk. Point guard Mike McDonald said he felt the team was a step off all game. Ryan Mendez said no one really shot the ball all that well.

Braun said he didn’t really notice any of that.

“You name your poison playing that team,” he said. “You try to shut them down from the perimeter and the Collins twins and [Curtis] Borchardt work you over inside. You choose to clog up the middle and they score from outside. Stanford just makes you work harder for everything you get.”

As is standard in the Cal-Stanford matchups, there were a few, brief instances of unsightly behavior, a few coarse words, but nothing serious. McDonald said he was hardly surprised.

“They trash talk, they do a lot of chap stuff,” McDonald said. “But, hey, if that’s the only way they can beat us, more power to them. They don’t like us at all.”

Lampley said he likes the Stanford players just fine. He just wishes it was easier to beat them. He said he thought the Bears came out lax, maybe even scared. Whatever they were, Braun knew what they were when they left.

“Beaten,” he said.