Dai Dai Ames and John Camden did all the scoring in a game-opening flurry, California ran up a 15-point halftime lead and the Golden Bears recorded a third straight nonconference men’s basketball win with a 93-65 romp over Cal State Fullerton in Berkeley on Monday night.
Ames finished with a game-high and season-best 24 points and Camden added 16 for Cal (3-0), which has played all three of its games at home.
Landon Seaman, who had totaled 20 points in his first two games for Fullerton (1-2), came off the bench to pace the Titans with 20.
Camden nailed a 3-pointer on Cal’s first possession and Ames followed with three straight from deep, propelling the hosts to a 15-7 advantage less than three minutes into the contest. Ames had nine points and Camden six in the burst.
Camden hit another from beyond the arc and Justin Pippen chipped in with one of his own before halftime, allowing Cal, in 20 minutes, already to set a season-high for 3-pointers with six while taking command at 42-27.
The closest the Titans could get in the second half was 10.
Ames shot 6 for 7 on 3-pointers and Camden 3-for-10, helping Cal connect on a season-best 36.7% (11-for-30) from deep. The Golden Bears hadn’t made more than five 3-pointers in either of their first two games, shooting a combined 10-for-44 (22.7%).
Ames had never previously made more than four 3-pointers in a game while playing one season apiece for Kansas State and Virginia.
Pippen aided the Cal cause with 14 points and game-highs in rebounds with nine and assists with six, while Lee Dort had eight rebounds to complement seven points and two blocks. Chris Bell added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Seaman shot 9 for 14 for Fullerton, but his teammates went a combined 18-for-55. The Titans connected on just six of their 29 3-point attempts (20.7%), with KJ Garris adding two to the total in the game’s final 39 seconds.
Joshua Ward was Fullerton’s top rebounder with eight to complement 12 points.
