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McDermott Scores 34 As No. 16 Creighton Beats Cal

BERKELEY (CBS/AP) — Doug McDermott had a season-high 34 points and nine rebounds with more than a dozen NBA scouts watching, and No. 16 Creighton ran its winning streak to four games with a 74-64 victory against California on Saturday night.

Gregory Echenique added 10 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Bluejays (10-1).

McDermott, averaging 22.7 points coming in, posted his seventh straight game with 20 or more points and became the first Creighton player with consecutive 30-point games since Bob Harstad in 1990. It was McDermott's third 30-point effort this season.

McDermott scored 18 of his points in the first half and shot 6 for 8 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers and offered quite a show for all the scouts in the building — primarily in attendance to see him.

In a matchup featuring the nation's top two scoring juniors, McDermott outshined Cal's Allen Crabbe, the Pac-12 scoring leader who was held to 14 points after coming in with a 21.9 average.

Cal guard Justin Cobbs scored a late layin and crashed into the support and was down briefly, then came out holding his head. Cobbs finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Crabbe missed his first 11 shots from the floor and grew increasingly frustrated after an offensive foul early in the second half before hitting an eight-footer at the 16:53 mark for his first field goal. He missed again the next time down.

After Crabbe's basket with 11:49 remaining pulled Cal within 46-43, McDermott hit the first of three straight 3s by the Bluejays as they pulled away.

Cal (6-3) lost its third in a row following a 6-0 start and second straight against a ranked opponent at Haas Pavilion. The Golden Bears were beaten 76-75 on a buzzer-beater against No. 21 UNLV last Sunday. They have three remaining nonconference games before the start of Pac-12 play at UCLA on Jan. 3.

Creighton showed few signs of being travel weary out West, going 25 for 61 from the floor and building off a 77-61 victory at home against Akron last Sunday in which McDermott scored 30 points and had a career-high six 3-pointers.

The Bluejays' lone loss was an 83-70 defeat to Boise State on Nov. 28.

Creighton played again without reserve guard Josh Jones, who is scheduled for a procedure Tuesday to restore a normal heart rhythm after he passed out before a Dec. 6 game at Nebraska.

Cal missed its initial nine shots before Robert Thurman's layup at the 16:16 mark and began the game 2 for 15. Each team was 0 for 4 from long range in the opening 8½ minutes.

Crabbe was 0 for 9 in the first half and 6 for 26 overall — including 0 for 8 from long range — while facing constant pressure and a hand in his face. He missed a breakaway layup going to his left with 18 seconds remaining in the first half as Cal trailed 34-29 at the break.

A moment of silence was held before the national anthem for the victims of Friday's deadly attack at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school.

The game attracted more than a dozen NBA scouts, with 15 NBA personnel credentialed in all. General managers Bob Myers of the Golden State Warriors, Dell Demps from the New Orleans Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder's Sam Presti attended.

Cal won the previous two meetings between the schools, but they hadn't played since the 1987-88 season. Creighton coach Greg McDermott lost at Cal in December 2009 while coaching Iowa State.

The Bluejays improved to 4-11 all-time in road games against current members of the Pac-12 Conference.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)

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