January 28, 1999

Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. - Eddie House hit a key three-pointer with 2:51 left and Arizona State made four free throws in the final 25 seconds to lift the Sun Devils to a 69-66 victory over Cal Thursday, sending the Bears to their ninth consecutive loss at Wells Fargo Arena.

With the win, ASU improved to 12-8 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-10, while Cal fell to 12-6 and 3-5.

The Bears jumped out to a lead in the opening minutes of the contest, going up 11-5 on a three-point play by guard Geno Carlisle. After ASU got within 16-15, Cal went on a 12-3 run, keyed by six points from Sean Lampley, to grab a 28-18 lead with 8:16 left.

The Sun Devils closed to 33-31 before Thomas Kilgore hit a jumper at the buzzer, giving the Bears a 35-31 advantage at the break.

In the second half, ASU broke a 40-40 tie on a three-pointer by Kenny Crandall. The Sun Devils extended their lead to seven points at 52-45 before Cal began to chip away. And when Carl Boyd made a pair of free throws with 6:09 left, Cal led, 57-56.

ASU moved back in front for good at 60-59 on a layup by Chad Prewitt with 4:39 to go. Neither team could score for the next 90 seconds, but when ASU's Mike Batiste grabbed an offensive rebound and fed it to House in the left corner, House drained the three for a 63-59 ASU advantage.

After ASU's lead reached 65-59, Cal scored the next four points on a jumper by Carlisle and two Kilgore free throws to make it 65-63. Bobby Lazor made two free throws for a 67-63 ASU lead with 25 seconds left, before Carlisle sank a three-pointer with six seconds left to make it 67-66.

House was fouled with four seconds to go and he made both free throws. Cal's attempt at a last-second shot never got off and the Bears failed to win at ASU for the first time since 1990.

"I was pleased with our first half effort," Cal head coach Ben Braun said. "In the second half, there was a two-minute stretch where we gave up offensive rebounds and fast breaks, and they took advantage and got to play with a little bit of a cushion.

"We did not pressure in the second half. We gave up three offensive rebounds in the first half, then 10 in the second. That's big. We can't give up second chance opportunities."

Carlisle led Cal with 18 points, while Kilgore had 15 and Boyd 14. The Bears, though, were plagued by making just 11-of-20 free throws in the second half.