Surging California Wins Again, 85-83

California lost three of its first five Pacific 10 games this season, but with the second half of the conference schedule underway, the Golden Bears are one of the hottest teams in the league.

Behind a season-high 24 points from Marquise Kately and 20 from Richard Midgley -- all in the second half -- California beat Arizona State, 85-83, Saturday at Berkeley, the Golden Bears’ third straight victory and fifth in their last six games.

Combined with No. 12 Arizona’s loss to No. 2 Stanford earlier in the day, the victory moved California (11-9, 7-4) into second place in the conference.

Ike Diogu scored a game-high 33 points for the Sun Devils (8-12, 2-9), who missed a chance to win when Kevin Kruger’s rushed three-point attempt fell short at the buzzer.

Midgley made two free throws to give Cal an 85-78 lead with 1:34 to play, but Wilfried Fameni’s three-pointer and Jason Braxton’s layup pulled the Sun Devils close at 85-83 with 53 seconds left.

The Sun Devils got the ball back on a turnover, but could not get a clear shot and had to settle for Kruger’s hurried attempt.

Oregon 81, Oregon State 74 -- The Ducks (11-6, 6-4) overcame a second-half deficit to beat the Beavers for the 11th consecutive time at McArthur Court in the 320th meeting between the in-state rivals.

Oregon State (8-12, 2-8) has lost six in a row but won the previous game with the Ducks, 90-81, in Corvallis on Jan. 10. That win ended a nine-game Oregon winning streak in the series.