LAS VEGAS _ Cal had a nightmare moment Friday in the opening minute of its Pac-12 tournament semifinal game against fifth-ranked Oregon.
Leading scorer Jabari Bird got knocked in the head and had to leave the game at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.
The 6-foot-6 senior didn't return as Oregon held on for a 73-65 victory to reach the final against the winner of Arizona-UCLA.
With Bird unable to perform fifth-year senior Grant Mullins stepping into the spotlight to terrorize the Ducks. The Canadian scored 23 points while making seven of eight shots _ five from beyond the arc. His only miss came in desperation with 12 seconds left.
Now comes the agonizing wait. The Bears (21-12) hope to appear in the NCAA tournament for the first time since losing to Syracuse in the second round in 2013. Even with the tournament expanded to 68 teams, Cal might not get the call Sunday when the brackets are announced.
But the Bears' season won't end as they should get invited to play in the National Invitation Tournament, March Madness' consolation prize.
"The goal is to be an NCAA tournament team and I think we're that, but for us, it's coming to win the Pac-12 tournament and then in the process become an NCAA team," Cal coach Cuonzo Martin said after his team defeated Utah in the quarterfinals.
Cal has struggled against the league's three top-10-ranked schools going 0-6 against Arizona, Oregon and UCLA.
The Bears lost twice to Oregon (29-4) in the regular season, including a 68-65 defeat Feb. 22 at Berkeley after leading by 10 with five minutes left.
With Bird on the bench Cal freshman Charlie Moore scored the game's first eight points to stun a team wearing uniforms as bright as a field of mustard greens.
But Oregon didn't blink in stopping the Bears from gaining any more ground. Still the favored Ducks couldn't solve Cal's hot hand. The Bears made 5 of 9 from beyond the arc with Mullins converting all three of his 3-pointers. Moore added two as both guards scored in double figures by the intermission.
With Oregon star Dillon Brooks misfiring (1 for 9 at the half) it took Oregon's Tyler Dorsey to keep the Ducks in it. The sophomore made all three of his long shots to end the half with 13 points. Oregon answered Cal's accurate shooting by making 50 percent of their 3 pointers.
The Ducks didn't lead until 6:25 left in the half when Jordan Bell made the second of two free throws. But Mullins put Cal ahead again with a 3-point shot from the corner after Stephen Domino's crushing block.
Oregon finally looked like the tournament's top-seeded team in the final minutes when Dorsey made a score-tying jumper. On the other end, Cal's 7-1 center Kingsley Okoroh was blocked in an awkward attempt at a layin. The miscue led to Dorsey's 3-pointer.
After a Rabb foul, fifth-year guard Dylan Ennis made it 36-31 for the Ducks' biggest lead.
Oregon had a chance to end it there when Bell swatted away Don Coleman's shot on a drive with seven seconds left.
But the 6-9 forward then fouled Rabb underneath just before the break. Cal's star sophomore converted both free throws to cut Oregon's lead to 36-33 at halftime.
Oregon suddenly found itself in trouble when Brooks picked up two quick fouls in the second half. One of the country's best small forwards left the game with 18:02 left with four fouls.
Cal closed to 40-37 over the next 1{ minutes but Dorsey kept the pressure with another jumper as the Ducks went on a 9-2 run without their star.
Oregon couldn't shake the Bears with Mullins' shooting. The Ducks clung to a two-point lead with 44 seconds until Ennis made a driving layup and drew the foul. He made the free throw with 22.6 seconds left for a 70-65 leads.
