Pac-10 Commissioner Thomas C. Hansen’s sitting right behind me, discussing how difficult it was to get tickets to Cal-Stanford at Haas Pavilion in February. I’m actually looking at the “Fire Pac-10 Commissioner Thomas C. Hansen” page … I hope my tiny 12-inch screen is entirely covered by my 185-pound frame, or things might get a bit awkward here in the media room at HP Pavilion, San Jose.

The game tipped off as if it were going to be a cake walk for the Bears, but there wasn’t anything sugary about the last couple minutes. Cal more or less outplayed Oregon in every aspect of the game—with Natasha Vital’s near-triple-double outshining senior Ducks guard Taylor Lilley’s swan song and the Bears’ posts bumpin’ and grindin’ a backpeddling Oregon like it’s a high school prom party—and the disparity was somewhat expressed by the marginal lead throughout the game. However, as Boyle said all year, it takes the little things, and Cal’s sinking just 13-of-28 from the stripe allowed an overmatched Ducks squad to stick around.

Still, the Bears were excellent shooting the ball and their scoring was the most balanced as it had ever been. Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton posted 15 apiece, while Vital and Alexis Gray-Lawson notched 14 each. Lauren Greif’s 0-for-5 night was probably a “statistical outlier” (a phrase my editors didn’t allow me to use in a print article), and the senior nevertheless had a significant impact on the game with seven boards, which tied the team high.

Cal has become quite consistent in putting away teams its supposed to beat—Washington … shh—and today was no different. The Bears played with a lot of swagger, but if there was a bone to pick, they could’ve adopted a more killer of an instinct. Good teams reach big leads; great teams keep the noose stiff.

Lastly, as hard as the two teams brought it today, the mascots were in a class of their own. That ESPN feature on the Oregon Duck during the Cal football team’s 31-24 screamer was typical ESPN production (i.e., contrived and unnatural), but the Duck remains a must-see live act. From air-humping the unknowing referee to joining the cheer routine at halftime, the Duck pretty much stole the show during every lull in action.

Oski, in response, did not disappoint. A picture’s worth a thousand words (big ups to my boy and girl Alan Wong and Laura Arnold for these digs):

Oski was teaching them kids how to dirty dance all evening. Or maybe it was the other way around, I don’t know. Kids these days. Anyway, here’s the live blogging; the length suffered considerably because the wireless connection was getting cut off. In reverse chronological order:

3:07 p.m.: Gray-Lawson sinks multiple free throws in the final few seconds, and the Bears seal the deal, 67-60. Good evening, everyone.

3:03 p.m.: Gray-Lawson sinks both, but Chapdelaine’s prayers are answered on the other end. Oregon’s desperation three puts them within two with 15 seconds left.

3:01 p.m.: Oregon gets a quick bucket, and the count is 60-57, Cal, with 23.6 ticks remaining. The Ducks foul, but the Bears are in the double bonus.

3:00 p.m.: Guard Kaela Chapdelaine draws crucial charge, but the Ducks return the favor with a turnover of their own. With Cal leading 59-55, Gray-Lawson can ice the game with two free throws. She gets one.

2:55 p.m.: In one of the more physical games in recent memory, Oregon has crawled back to within three. Cal still holds the advantage, 57-54. 1:33 left. Both teams have three players with three or more fouls.

2:53 p.m.: Bears lead 57-51, with two free throws coming up for Hampton.

2:29 p.m.: The wireless connection has been terrible down here. Cal leads 46-36, as the two sides have been trading baskets for a while. Cocks just sunk a three to put the Ducks to within seven.

2:15 p.m.: Alexis Gray-Lawson with her first field goal. Bears lead 36-28.

2:02 p.m.: Halftime hits—first, Cal showed greatness during the first 10 minutes of the polarized half, but the Ducks were able to finally hit their … layups and climb back to make it a game. The Oregon cheerleaders are quite the distraction when you’re trying to write up a quick brief. Anyway, the Bears would lead by double digits had they not shot 22% from the stripe (2-for-9). They’ve created a good balance between their inside and outside games, but Cal has particularly (and expectedly) dominated in the paint. Hampton is playing possessed, and Walker is operating efficiently, sinking 3-of-4 from the field with three boards and three assists. In the frontcourt, Vital’s been stellar dumping off into the oft-crowded post as well as shooting the rock (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-3 3PT). Unless the Bears decide to all of a sudden turn cold, it doesn’t look like Oregon has much of a chance (or game plan) on stopping Cal when it has the ball. Like I said, crowding the post hasn’t worked out too well because Vital’s been uncanny with the dumpoffs, and the Bears’ duo inside are a combined 8-for-12. Not too many teams can beat Cal when that happens.

1:59 p.m.: Four kids are currently participating in the Pac-10 Build-a-Burger competition midcourt. Why do adults feel the need to put kids through these kind of things? The four kids are dressed as burger buns, and whoever grabs the cheese, patty, etc. first and makes a human sandwich wins. They didn’t announce a prize.

1:57 p.m.: Cal closes the quarter still leading 31-26. But after beginning the quarter on a 16-0 Bears run, I think it’s fair to say that the playing field has been leveled at the break.

1:49 p.m.: Oregon pushes the run to 17-6. Bears still lead 23-17. Ducks close to four on the ensuing possession, but Kelsey Adrian ends Cal’s drought with a three.

1:43 p.m.: Alright … now it’s a run. Ducks embark on a 10-2 rally. The band goes back to playing Steve Austin’s theme. That is incredible, still, but may I add they should start the song with a cymbal crash.

1:41 p.m.: Oregon band continues to impress with its rendition of “All Right Now,” the de facto Stanford fight song, with the Oregon Duck on cowbell.

1:40 p.m.: I believe Oregon is shooting better from beyond the arc than on layups.

1:39 p.m.: Ducks on a 5-2 run … except it’s not really a run.

1:36 p.m.: Oregon claims its first bucket of the evening, as Cal blows the shutout. Yeah, I said “blow.” Is that a negative statement? Am I portraying the team in an unfair light? I don’t think so; the Bears are absolutely dominating at this point.

1:34 p.m.: Hampton, being quite the bully down low, sinking 4-of-6. Vital’s got four assists, and the Bears lead 16-0. Yawn.

1:32 p.m.: The crowd was ordered to a danceoff by the announcers during the timeout. To quote my mate Gerald Nicado, who is seated to my right hand, “Ew.”

1:31 p.m.: If you’re interested, the Ducks still haven’t scored. 0-for-9 with 11:59 remaining.

1:28 p.m.: Bears are still pitching a shutout, leading 8-0 with 13:36 remaining. Oregon guard Micaela Cocks is standing right in front of me, facing away, as I type. The Oregon band should play Kevin Drew’s “Backed Out on the…” whenever she scores. I’d be floored.

1:25 p.m.: Now the Oregon band is playing a mashup of “Kashmir” and “Final Countdown.” To think they couldn’t top Steve Austin.

1:24 p.m.: Oregon, meanwhile, missed its first seven shots.

1:22 p.m.: Natasha Vital dishes a pass over the defense to Devanei Hampton, who starts the game 2-for-3. The courtside angle is quite good.

1:18 p.m.: The Cal Rally Committee sent one guy. Daily Cal sent four.

1:14 p.m.: The Oregon band is playing Stone Cold Steve Austin’s entrance music. What a start to the day. Joining you live from HP Pavilion, San Jose!