2:59 p.m.: AGL went for the kill with a three-pointer, but the Bears fall short in a 60-58 heartbreaker. Good evening, everyone.

2:58 p.m.: 4.3 seconds left. Cal ball. 60-58, Stanford. It’s as big as it gets. (Click here to read more…)

I kind of didn’t half believe the type of crowd that the Cal women’s basketball team was going to get for its matchup with No. 7 Stanford. But as I sit here in press row with just over 40 minutes before tipoff, I’m in awe.

There has to be already the Bears’ season average sitting in the Haas Pavilion stands. The team just got a rousing ovation as they left the court for its final talk before the game.

There are a lot of kids here, but what can you expect for a women’s hoops game? That’s its main draw.

To give you the scope of the magnitude of this game, columnists from the San Francisco Chronicle and from the San Jose Mercury-News are here. Also, I just passed by a sign reserving a seat for Pac-10 Commish Tom Hansen. Everyone is sending their big guns to this game.

People have bought into the hype of today’s contest. (Click here to read more…)

So one game isn’t enough information to make solid predictions about the rest of the season. All right. Then let me just say that I had a good feeling watching the Cal baseball team beat Kansas State 5-1 today, even though the wind was freezing and the Wildcats fan base was acting like they had never seen anyone paint corners quite like Tyson Ross. (Click here to read more…)

When the season began, coach Diane Ninemire said she was not worried about losing her lone senior Alex Sutton.

Sutton was undoubtedly the leader of a young Bears squad in 2007 and was the only player elected to the All Pac-10 second-team. But Ninemire had something up her sleeve: the addition of two talented freshman in Valerie Arioto and Sanoe Kekahuna. (Click here to read more…)

If there’s one thing I’ve learned while covering the Cal rugby team, it’s that coach Jack Clark takes his sport very seriously.

Rarely does he show expressions of joy on the sideline, and rarely does he praise his team’s effort—even in blowout victories.

All of that was different Wednesday against British Columbia. (Click here to read more…)

The NFL Combine starts tomorrow, and if you have the NFL Network, you can watch live coverage as hundreds of scouts taking notes on hundreds of NFL hopefuls as they run, jump and lift their way into a better draft spot.

Seven Cal football players received invites to Indianapolis. DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins obviously headline the group, but also attending the week-long camp is tailback Justin Forsett, tackle Mike Gibson, safety Thomas DeCoud, punter Andrew Larson and tight end Craig Stevens.

Of course, Jackson is the starling of the group, ESPN’s Todd McShay says that the diminutive wideout has the most to prove this week. (Click here to read more…)

If you like watching Cal rugby, stay in Berkeley. The Bears aren’t going anywhere — for awhile, at least.

Cal’s four-match home stand at Witter Rugby Field was extended to seven when the squad scheduled a March 1 tilt against New Mexico.

The Bears had hoped to face Belmont Shore that day, but the 2007 Rugby Super League champion declined the invitation.

Before March 1? Cal continues one of the toughest stretches of its schedule, with matches against British Columbia in the World Cup Series on Wednesday afternoon and No. 4 Utah on Saturday.

The home stretch continues through March 9 against Texas A&M.

As for the Lobos, I’ll give them one thing. They’ve got guts.

There seems to be quite a bit of space between No. 1 Cal and every other rugby team. More specifically, the space between the Bears and No. 3 Saint Mary’s grew substantially Saturday when the former outsted the Gaels, 78-22, at Witter Rugby Field.

The 22 points by the Gaels — 17 in the first half — were the most allowed by Cal this season. Coach Jack Clark and several of the players were not exactly happy about that.

Maybe British Columbia will be the tough non-league competition the Bears hoped for against 2006 Rugby Super League champion OMBAC. The 2008 World Cup Series begins Wednesday afternoon at Witter Rugby Field. See you there!

Ryan Anderson thought he was held when he turned the ball over 7:46 left in the game Thursday against Arizona. His frustration boiled out.

“Ref, open your eyes man,” he yelled, pleading for any calls.

The officials did not bail him out at the McKale Center. Facing the same issues he has faced through the last few weeks, Anderson had trouble finishing near the basket with the Wildcats doubling-down and forcing other Cal players to beat them.

“It’s different playing when it’s the second half of the Pac-10,” Anderson said. “I just have to fight harder.”

(Click here to read more…)

I love mock drafts, for any sport. I love the NFL mock draft this year, especially since this may be the last year in awhile where we all see a former Cal football player get picked in the top 20.

Don Banks over at SI.com still thinks that DeSean Jackson is going to join former Cal great Marshawn Lynch in Buffalo. I guess Marv Levy still loves to rekindle his old Cal connections.

But how great would it be to see former-oft-injured Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards sling the ball to Jackson every Sunday? I’m sure Edwards his licking his chops because in his four years with the Card, he never got a chance to throw to anyone like D-Jax.