Dai Dai Ames Erupts for Career High 29 as California Holds Off Georgia Tech 90 to 85

Berkeley, California -- Dai Dai Ames delivered a career night Wednesday as California survived a late collapse and closed out a 90 to 85 win over Georgia Tech at Haas Pavilion in a breaking update that reshaped both teams’ Atlantic Coast Conference outlooks.

Ames scored a career high 29 points on 9 of 13 shooting, setting the tone early and providing the offensive anchor California needed after surrendering a double digit second half lead. The Golden Bears improved to 17 and 6 overall and 5 and 5 in ACC play, steadying their position near the middle of the conference standings. Georgia Tech fell to 11 and 12 overall and 2 and 8 in league play, dropping its third straight game and sixth in its last seven.

John Camden added 15 points for California, while Chris Bell scored 14 and Justin Pippen finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in one of his most complete performances of the season. Milos Ilic contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds as the Bears dominated early tempo and spacing before being tested late.

California opened the game with a 7 to 0 burst just over two minutes in, highlighted by back to back baskets from Ames and a three point play by Ilic. The Bears carried that momentum into halftime, building a 43 to 29 lead through efficient shooting and transition scoring. Ames extended the margin to 15 points with a three pointer 42 seconds into the second half, marking California’s largest lead of the night.

The latest timeline shifted sharply as Georgia Tech responded with a 20 to 3 run. Kam Craft scored eight straight points during the surge, and Akai Fleming’s layup with 14 minutes and 37 seconds remaining gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead at 51 to 49. Fleming led Georgia Tech with 19 points, 15 coming after halftime, while Chas Kelley III added 15. Craft and Jaeden Mustaf scored 14 points apiece, and Baye Ndongo recorded 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists before exiting late.

Fleming nearly completed the comeback by scoring eight consecutive points, including two three pointers, to cut the deficit to 80 to 77 with 1 minute and 8 seconds remaining. California answered at the free throw line, converting 10 of 12 attempts in the final 48 seconds to seal the outcome, a critical factor in what this means for the Bears’ closing reliability.

Georgia Tech faced additional concerns late as Ndongo suffered an apparent noncontact injury to his left leg moments before fouling out with 43 seconds remaining. Mouhamed Sylla missed the game with an ankle injury, and Peyton Marshall was sidelined with a right thumb issue, further thinning the Yellow Jackets’ rotation and impacting interior depth.

From a broader ACC perspective, California’s ability to survive despite losing control of a large lead reflects both growth and remaining volatility under head coach Mark Madsen. The Bears showed improved late game execution at the line, an area that has decided multiple conference games this season. For Georgia Tech, the loss underscores ongoing challenges in converting strong second half runs into wins, particularly with a short rotation and mounting injury concerns.

Next steps arrive quickly. Georgia Tech travels to Stanford on Saturday as it looks to stabilize its season and evaluate Ndongo’s status.

California remains home to host Clemson on Saturday, a matchup that will test whether the Bears can carry this momentum into a pivotal stretch of ACC play.