Dai Dai Ames buried a 3-pointer and completed a controversial four-point play with a free throw with 5.5 seconds remaining Friday night, delivering Cal a 72-71 Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball victory over Notre Dame in Berkeley, Calif.
Cal (13-2, 1-1) trailed 69-65 before Ames, who had been 2 of 7 from deep previously, nailed a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to get the hosts within one.
Braeden Shrewsberry countered with two free throws to increase the Notre Dame lead to 71-68 with nine seconds remaining, but the Golden Bears again put the ball in Ames’ hands and he drilled a 25-footer as he was being fouled by Logan Imes.
The referee closest to the play immediately indicated the basket would count, but after consultation, the officials overruled the initial call, saying Imes’ foul had come before the shot.
While Notre Dame celebrated the reversal and Cal protested the decision, the refs got together one more time and changed course again, reverting to the initial call, which tied the game and sent Ames to the foul line.
After his successful free throw, the Fighting Irish (10-5, 1-1) had a shot at the win, but Shrewsberry misfired on a straight-away 3-pointer, allowing Cal to hold on.
Immediately after the shot clanged off the rim, Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry, Braeden’s dad, charged at one of the referees as the official was making his way off the court. Notre Dame assistant coaches and players prevented the coach from getting to the ref.
Ames finished with a game-high 23 points for the Golden Bears, who led 63-58 with 5:43 remaining before going almost the next 5 1/2 minutes without scoring.
A pair of 3-pointers by Cole Certa highlighted a 11-2 run that gave Notre Dame its 69-65 advantage heading into the final dramatic 16 seconds.
Justin Pippen added 15 points and Chris Bell had 14 for Cal, which had opened ACC play with a home loss to No. 16 Louisville on Tuesday. Lee Dort grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Shrewsberry finished with five 3-pointers and a team-high 21 points and Jalen Haralson added 17 for Notre Dame, which led by 12 in the first half as it sought a two-game California sweep, having won at Stanford on Tuesday. Certa notched 16 points.
Notre Dame’s Carson Towt was the game’s leading rebounder with 15.
