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Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

Who Needs Tryptophan*? Cal And Notre Dame Are Playing Basketball

While most sane people gave their undivided attention to the Iron Bowl this afternoon and evening, I’ve had one eye on the Old Spice Classic semifinal between Cal and Notre Dame.

This decision has me seriously considering institutionalizing myself.

The reason: the two teams combined for the worst scoring half since the shot clock was instituted in the 1985-86 season, combining to score 26 points, topping (lowering?) the total of 28 points South Carolina and Mississippi managed in the first half of their January 8, 2003 contest.

Update: Actually, Wisconsin and Manhattan scored a total of 27 in the first half of their quarterfinal yesterday, a record so new, it’s not in any books yet (and never will be).

Notre Dame managed to put 21 on the board, which means Cal now has one dubious record of its own. That’s for the fewest points scored in a first half, five. They missed the fewest points scored in any half by just a single point. So, 2008 Savannah State Tigers, you can rest easy tonight.

The Golden Bears don’t have to worry about setting any futility records in the second half. They’ve already scored 18 points in the second half, meaning they’ve passed the shot clock-era record for fewest points in a game (20).

* It turns out that Cal vs. Notre Dame is actually a better sleep aid than this amino acid found in turkey. Unless you happen to eat a staggering amount of turkey.

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