Pittsburgh Panthers Defeat California Golden Bears 72-56
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 4:00 PM ET · Haas Pavilion
Pittsburgh Panthers 72, California Golden Bears 56, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.
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Quick answers
Who won Pittsburgh Panthers vs California Golden Bears?
Pittsburgh Panthers beat California Golden Bears 72-56 at Haas Pavilion on February 28, 2026.
Who was favored in Pittsburgh Panthers vs California Golden Bears?
California Golden Bears were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -325 (about 76% implied). The underdog won.
In a decisive victory, the Pittsburgh Panthers defeated the California Golden Bears 72-56 at Haas Pavilion on February 28, 2026. This result marks a significant win for Pittsburgh, who had previously lost to California in their only prior meeting during the 2025 season, where they fell 74-86. The Panthers, now with a record of 12-18, improved their standing while California dropped to 20-10.
Pittsburgh's recent form has been challenging, with a record of 2-8 in their last ten games, including a current losing streak of one game. They have averaged 63.9 points scored and allowed 73.0 points during this stretch. In contrast, California had been performing well, boasting a record of 7-3 in their last ten games and a winning streak of three games leading into this matchup. The Golden Bears averaged 78.5 points scored and allowed 77.1 points during their recent games.
At home, California had a record of 4-1 in their last five games, while Pittsburgh struggled on the road, going 0-5 in their last five away games. This disparity in home and away performance was evident in the game, as California struggled to keep pace with Pittsburgh's scoring.
The odds for the game, provided by DraftKings, indicated California as the favorite with a spread of -6.5. The total for the game was set at 143.5, with both the over and under priced at -110. California's moneyline was -325, while Pittsburgh's was +260, reflecting the market's expectations of a California win.
In terms of injuries, the block did not provide specific details, but the performance of both teams could have been influenced by their respective lineups.
The game conditions were typical for a late February evening, and the atmosphere at Haas Pavilion was charged as fans anticipated a strong showing from the home team. However, Pittsburgh's defense and execution proved too much for California, as they managed to control the pace of the game.
As the game progressed, key moments included Damarco Minor's free throws that helped extend Pittsburgh's lead in the second half. Minor's performance was crucial, as he consistently converted from the charity stripe, contributing to the Panthers' scoring efforts.
Overall, viewers witnessed a solid performance from Pittsburgh, who capitalized on California's defensive lapses and managed to secure a comfortable victory.
Odds
| Book | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | CAL -6.5 | 143.5 o -110 / u -110 | Pittsburgh Panthers +260 · California Golden Bears -325 |
Leaders
- PointsDai Dai Ames11California Golden Bears
- AssistsJustin Pippen4California Golden Bears
- ReboundsMilos Ilic9California Golden Bears
- PointsNojus Indrusaitis16Pittsburgh Panthers
- AssistsOmari Witherspoon6Pittsburgh Panthers
- ReboundsBarry Dunning Jr.12Pittsburgh Panthers
Recent form
California Golden Bears
Last 10: 7-3Streak W378.5 scored · 77.1 allowed per game4-1 at home
- W73-69vs SMU MustangsFeb 26
- W72-66vs Stanford CardinalFeb 21
- W86-75at Boston College EaglesFeb 14
- L100-107at Syracuse OrangeFeb 12
- L55-77vs Clemson TigersFeb 8
- W90-85vs Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsFeb 5
- W86-85at Miami HurricanesJan 31
- L61-63at Florida State SeminolesJan 29
- W78-66at Stanford CardinalJan 25
- W84-78vs North Carolina Tar HeelsJan 17
Pittsburgh Panthers
Last 10: 2-8Streak L163.9 scored · 73 allowed per game0-5 away
- L67-75at Stanford CardinalFeb 26
- W73-68vs Notre Dame Fighting IrishFeb 21
- L65-79at North Carolina Tar HeelsFeb 14
- L54-70vs Duke Blue DevilsFeb 11
- L67-86vs SMU MustangsFeb 7
- L47-67at Virginia CavaliersFeb 4
- L52-63at Clemson TigersJan 31
- W80-76vs Wake Forest Demon DeaconsJan 27
- L72-81vs NC State WolfpackJan 24
- L62-65at Boston College EaglesJan 22
Standings
| Team | Overall | Games behind | In conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 35-3 | - | 17-1 |
| Virginia | 30-6 | 2 | 15-3 |
| Miami | 26-9 | 4 | 13-5 |
| North Carolina | 24-9 | 5 | 12-6 |
| Clemson | 24-11 | 5 | 12-6 |
| Louisville | 24-11 | 6 | 11-7 |
| NC State | 20-14 | 7 | 10-8 |
| Florida State | 18-15 | 7 | 10-8 |
| California | 22-12 | 8 | 9-9 |
| Stanford | 20-13 | 8 | 9-9 |
| Virginia Tech | 19-13 | 9 | 8-10 |
| SMU | 20-14 | 9 | 8-10 |
| Wake Forest | 18-17 | 10 | 7-11 |
| Syracuse | 15-17 | 11 | 6-12 |
| Pittsburgh | 13-20 | 12 | 5-13 |
| Notre Dame | 13-18 | 13 | 4-14 |
| Boston College | 11-20 | 13 | 4-14 |
| Georgia Tech | 11-20 | 15 | 2-16 |
Box score
| Stat | Pittsburgh Panthers | California Golden Bears |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | 26-56 | 23-54 |
| Field goal % | 46 | 43 |
| Three-pointers | 7-21 | 5-22 |
| Three-point % | 33 | 23 |
| Free throws | 13-16 | 5-7 |
| Free throw % | 81 | 71 |
| Rebounds | 34 | 29 |
| Offensive rebounds | 9 | 7 |
| Defensive rebounds | 25 | 22 |
| Assists | 14 | 9 |
| Steals | 11 | 8 |
| Blocks | 3 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 16 |
| Team turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Technical fouls | 0 | 1 |
| Technical fouls, total | 0 | 1 |
| Flagrant fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Points off turnovers | 18 | 17 |
| Fast-break points | 9 | 3 |
| Points in the paint | 30 | 32 |
| Fouls | 14 | 16 |
| Largest lead | 16 | 0 |
| Lead changes | 0 | 0 |
| Time in front | 98 | 0 |
How the scoring went
- 1st Half32-26Damarco Minor makes 15-foot jumper
- 1st Half34-26Barry Dunning Jr. makes 0-foot tip in layup
- 2nd Half37-26Damarco Minor makes 28-foot three point jumper (Omari Witherspoon assists)
- 2nd Half37-29Chris Bell makes 23-foot three point jumper
- 2nd Half37-31Dai Dai Ames makes driving layup
- 2nd Half39-31Roman Siulepa makes 0-foot dunk
- 2nd Half41-31Cameron Corhen makes 0-foot tip in dunk
- 2nd Half41-33Lee Dort makes 0-foot dunk (Justin Pippen assists)
- 2nd Half41-34Lee Dort makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half43-34Roman Siulepa makes driving layup
- 2nd Half43-35Milos Ilic makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half43-36Milos Ilic makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half45-36Barry Dunning Jr. makes layup (Omari Witherspoon assists)
- 2nd Half45-38Milos Ilic makes layup (John Camden assists)
- 2nd Half45-40John Camden makes 1-foot dunk
- 2nd Half45-42John Camden makes 10-foot turnaround jump shot
- 2nd Half47-42Cameron Corhen makes 9-foot floating jump shot (Macari Moore assists)
- 2nd Half47-44Justin Pippen makes driving layup
- 2nd Half50-44Nojus Indrusaitis makes 27-foot three point jumper (Damarco Minor assists)
- 2nd Half52-44Cameron Corhen makes 11-foot floating jump shot (Omari Witherspoon assists)
- 2nd Half54-44Nojus Indrusaitis makes 1-foot dunk
- 2nd Half54-46Dai Dai Ames makes driving layup
- 2nd Half56-46Omari Witherspoon makes layup
- 2nd Half56-48Lee Dort makes 1-foot dunk
- 2nd Half58-48Nojus Indrusaitis makes driving layup
- 2nd Half58-50Dai Dai Ames makes driving layup
- 2nd Half58-51Dai Dai Ames makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half60-51Barry Dunning Jr. makes layup
- 2nd Half62-51Cameron Corhen makes layup
- 2nd Half65-51Nojus Indrusaitis makes 23-foot three point jumper (Cameron Corhen assists)
- 2nd Half65-53Lee Dort makes layup
- 2nd Half65-54Lee Dort makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half66-54Damarco Minor makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half67-54Damarco Minor makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half68-54Damarco Minor makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half69-54Damarco Minor makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half69-56Justin Pippen makes 21-foot jumper
- 2nd Half70-56Damarco Minor makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half71-56Omari Witherspoon makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half72-56Omari Witherspoon makes free throw 2 of 2
Win probability
Above the line favours California Golden Bears, below favours Pittsburgh Panthers.
Venue
- Haas PavilionBerkeley, CA
- Attendance5061
- OfficialsSean Hull, Ron Groover, Clare Simmons
Elsewhere
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- Men's NCAA basketball 2026-27 Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings
- Transfers, recruits and roster moves for key men's NCAA basketball teams
- Michigan 5-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. (knee) to miss season
- With $6.5 million left on deal, UCLA fires AD Martin Jarmond