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In the box score, it does not look very impressive. The nation’s No. 12 team barely beat Murray State in what was supposed to be an easy home victory to start the season.

However, Cal looked just fine. The Racers of Murray State played a terrific game on the road in Berkeley last night and its hats off to them.

The game plan for Murray State was to deny the outside shot and for a while it worked quite well. After leading the nation with a 42.7 percentage from three-point land last season, it was clear in last night’s opening game that Cal may have to find other ways to score.

After a close first half, the Golden Bears extended the lead well into double-digits in what appeared to be the end of a solid performance for Murray State. However, the Racers climbed right back into the thick of things only to be beat out by the clock and a 2-3 possession deficit in the waning minutes.

Sophomore Ivan Aska led the way for Murray State with 17 points and was joined in double figures by teammates B.J. Jenkins and Danero Thomas.

With expectations in the Pac-10 and national scene at their highest point in many years, the Golden Bears may not have showcased what they would have wanted to in their season opener.

As expected, however, Cal was led by their playmakers Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher. Randle finished with a team-high 18 points and was 10-11 from the free throw line. Christopher chipped in with 13 points.

Theo Robertson and Jamal Boykin also played well offensively for the Golden Bears, each finishing with 14 and 12 respectively.

Although they could not fully run away with it, the Golden Bears picked up the shaky win and will look to stay on track come Wednesday.

California will take on Detroit on Wednesday at 11:00 PM as part of the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, while Murray State will look to pick up their first win of the season on Saturday again Missouri-St. Louis.

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