Cal men hold on to beat Georgia Tech; Santa Clara extends winning streak, takes WCC lead

Dai Dai Ames scores career-high 29 points as Bears win; Broncos move into first place in conference

Feb. 5, 2026 at 12:47am

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The Cal men's basketball team defeated Georgia Tech 90-85 behind a career-high 29 points from Dai Dai Ames. Meanwhile, Santa Clara extended its winning streak to seven games and took over first place in the West Coast Conference with a 71-56 victory over Pacific.

Why it matters

The win keeps Cal in the hunt for a postseason berth, while Santa Clara's surge to the top of the WCC standings sets up an exciting finish to the conference race.

The details

For Cal, Ames scored 29 points and was supported by strong efforts from John Camden, Chris Bell, and Justin Pippen. Georgia Tech made a late push to cut the deficit to 3 points, but the Bears hit their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. In the Santa Clara game, four Broncos scored in double figures, led by Jake Ensminger's 13 points. The win, combined with Gonzaga's loss, moved Santa Clara into first place in the WCC.

  • The Cal-Georgia Tech game was played on Wednesday, February 5, 2026.
  • The Santa Clara-Pacific game was also played on Wednesday, February 5, 2026.

The players

Dai Dai Ames

A key player for the Cal men's basketball team who scored a career-high 29 points in the win over Georgia Tech.

Jake Ensminger

The leading scorer for Santa Clara with 13 points in the Broncos' win over Pacific, which moved them into first place in the WCC standings.

Mark Madsen

The head coach of the Cal men's basketball team, who praised Ames' leadership and impact on the program.

Akai Fleming

The leading scorer for Georgia Tech with 19 points, 15 of which came in the second half as the Yellow Jackets made a late push.

TJ Wainwright

The leading scorer for Pacific with 13 points in the loss to Santa Clara.

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What they’re saying

“To have a leader like Dai Dai Ames in this program is such a great thing for Cal basketball. You got to see him score close to 30 points, but what you don't see is the leadership in the locker room — just the greatness of spirit of who he is, and just the fact that all he wants to do is win. He wants to make his teammates better, and he was outstanding.”

— Mark Madsen, Cal head coach (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

The victories by Cal and Santa Clara demonstrate the strength of college basketball in the Bay Area, with both teams positioning themselves for potential postseason berths as the regular season winds down.