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Ethridge on the California win: what stood out after the final buzzer
The final buzzer sounded in Berkeley, and the Cougs walked off the floor with an 80-58 loss to Cal. That score is what it is, cold, decisive, and the kind of opener that makes you wince a little. But Gubi Ethridge came away from that game seeing something worth talking about, and that is why we listen to him. What stood out after the buzzer wasn't the final margin. It was the way this team fought through the cold start. The Cougs fell behind by double digits in the second quarter, and that is a hole no one wants to dig in week one. But Ethridge pointed to the moments where the offense found its rhythm, where the defense held its ground against a Cal squad that came ready to play. It wasn't pretty, but it was real. You can build on real. This is year two under Coach Riley, and it started the same way year one did: with a loss. That stings. But the promise of a clean slate is still there, even if the first game didn't go our way. We wrote about that in "Year two under Riley starts the same way as year one: a loss," and it is worth a read if you want the full picture of what this team is carrying into the season. For now, take Ethridge's read for what it is: a coach who saw his team get punched and still found the thread worth pulling.
