Game-winning layup attempt rolls off the rim as Miami falls to Cal

The Miami Hurricanes fell to the California Golden Bears 86-85 in a back-and-forth battle decided in the final seconds at Watsco Center on Saturday afternoon.

With nine seconds left and Cal leading by one, Golden Bears guard Nolan Dorsey missed both free throws, igniting the crowd of 6,513 as Miami gained one final possession with 5.8 seconds left

On the ensuing play, Timo Malovec inbounded the ball to Shelton Henderson, who drove to the lane and went up for a contested layup.

The true freshman’s attempt rolled off the front of the rim and into the hands of John Camden, who secured the rebound as time expired to seal Cal’s one-point victory.

“John Camden came up with the biggest rebound of the night,” Cal head coach Mark Madsen said after the game. “He was a huge part of this win.”

The Golden Bears (16-6, 4-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) entered Saturday having gone 5-5 over their last 10 games, with notable wins over North Carolina and Stanford but blowout losses to Duke and Virginia. Cal has been inconsistent since conference play began, winning just three of its first eight league games.

Camden, a Delaware transfer forward, played a pivotal role in the win. He scored a season-high 26 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including four three-pointers.

The forward has now scored 20 or more points in three of Cal’s last four games and led the team in scoring throughout the contest.

Miami guard Tru Washington missed the game for personal reasons. The New Mexico transfer, known for his defensive presence, was clearly missed by the Hurricanes.

Miami entered the game ranked in the top 30 nationally in defensive rating at 99.3 and had allowed more than 80 points just once this season. Against Cal, the Hurricanes surrendered a season-high 86 points.

“We gotta play better,” Miami guard Tre Donaldson said when asked about head coach Jai Lucas’ message to the team following the loss.

With 8:49 left in the second half, Malik Reneau drove to the basket for a layup, giving UM its largest lead of the day at 74-63.

The Golden Bears hung around, chipping away at every chance they got.

With 3:41 left and Cal trailing by two, Dai Dai Ames pulled up from the right wing, nailing a three and giving the Golden Bears their first lead since halftime.

Miami responded, as Reneau converted an and-one opportunity to put the Hurricanes back on top, 85-84.

Reneau bounced back in the second half after scoring just four points in the opening period. The Indiana transfer finished with 20 second-half points on 5-of-5 shooting and went 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.

On the next possession, Reneau blocked Ames’ shot, but Manyiel Dut Dhiaukei battled for the rebound and scored the putback, giving Cal the lead with 57 seconds remaining.

After a fast-paced, high-scoring first half, the second half slowed considerably and featured frequent stoppages. The teams combined for 15 fouls in the first half and 29 in the second.

Miami and Cal shot a combined 57% from the field in the opening half, totaling 99 points.

Both offenses started hot. In the first five minutes, Cal went 4 of 6 from the field, while Miami responded by hitting six of its first eight shots, capped by a Henderson jumper to tie the score at 12.

Despite the loss, Henderson turned in an efficient performance. The freshman forward from Bellaire, Texas, scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting.

As Cal’s offense cooled briefly, Miami capitalized with a 9-0 run, highlighted by a Malovec and-one play to take a seven-point lead.

The Golden Bears responded with a surge of their own. A DJ Campbell three-pointer capped a 15-2 run, giving Cal a seven-point advantage with less than five minutes remaining in the first half.

Miami closed the half strong, hitting four consecutive shots to trim the deficit to one at the break.

Miami (17-5, 6-3 ACC) will head north on Feb. 7 to take on the Boston College Eagles (9-12, 2-6 ACC).

This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 10:08 PM.