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Richard Midgley hit his first six shots and scored 21 points as California coasted past Columbia 85-66 in the opening round of the Office Depot Golden Bear Classic on Saturday night.
Leon Powe added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Bears (4-4), who will face Air Force in the tournament's championship game Sunday. The Falcons beat Prairie View 59-46 earlier Saturday to advance.
Matt Preston scored
14 to lead Columbia (2-6).
Columbia started off hot, hitting five of its first eight 3-pointers. Jeremiah
Boswell's two free throws put the Lions up 21-20 with 7:40 to go in the first
half.
But Midgley and Ayinde Ubaka hit back-to-back 3-pointers that sparked a 23-8 California run to close out the half, putting the Bears in front 44-28. Midgley had 16 points at halftime.
California never trailed in the second half.
After shooting just 19 percent and averaging 5.4 points in the Bears' first five games, Midgley has hit 59 percent and averaged 13 points in the last three.
Cal shot 61 percent (14-of-23) in the first half and made 12-of-17 free throws. Columbia shot only 35 percent and went to the line only five times, making four.