The Cal Men’s Basketball Foreign Tour got off to a disappointing start Tuesday as the Bears’ scheduled first exhibition game was canceled shortly after it started due to multiple arena roof leaks.
The Golden Bears were scheduled to face the Chinese national team, but with water leaking through the roof of The One Ball facility in Noisy-le-Grand, France, the match could not be played. This exhibition match will not be rescheduled, leaving Cal with just two matches on their European tour.
Cal’s games against Spirou Basket in Charleroi, Belgium, Thursday (August 18) and against Bayer Giants Leverkusen in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday (August 20) remain as scheduled.
However, the cancellation of the game against the Chinese national team was a disappointment. The Bears were originally scheduled to face Vanves GPSO on Tuesday, but a schedule change was made so that Cal could face the Chinese team, which would have presented a challenge for Cal’s team.
The game against the Chinese team has started. But rainwater seeped onto the basketball court shortly after the contest began, and it was determined it was unsafe to play. Another court at the facility was also deemed unsafe.
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The Bears were looking to gain experience against quality competition, and most players, with the exception of Jalen Celestine, were available. Celestine, the Bears’ leading scorer, will miss the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery in the spring.
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Cal Coach Mark Fox Cover Photo by D. Ross Cameron, USA TODAY Sports
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