Jon Brockman does not take losing well. Especially when it means that the other team was able to be more physical than his team. With that in mind, Brockman made sure it did not happen last night against California.

After getting out-rebounded by the Bears at their last meeting, Washington dominated the boards and rode the big men to a necessary win, 79-71.

"The refs let us play a little bit," Brockman said. "That's perfect for me because I love the physical part of the game. It's the way basketball should be played."

In the style of basketball he relishes, the Husky captain went to work on the smaller Cal forwards. At the end of the first half he had hauled in nine rebounds - five in the first five minutes. In the second half, his scoring took over, and at one point, Brockman scored seven consecutive points, helping the Huskies expand their lead to seven.

In the end, Brockman had a game-high 22 points and tied his career-high of 14 rebounds.

"He was really big," said Justin Dentmon of Brockman's performance. "Coach told him that they couldn't guard us in the post. Jon showed them that they couldn't guard us in the post."

Dentmon also had a part in sealing the victory for the Huskies, hitting six free throws in the final minutes of the game and ending up with 12 points and five assists.

After Cal's Ryan Anderson and Ayinde Ubaka hit back-to-back 3-pointers, it was Dentmon who kept the Huskies out front with four consecutive free throws.

Anderson — after scoring 19 points against Washington in the first game — was slowed by the UW defense in the first half, contributing only five points in the opening frame. But he came up big for his club in the second, scoring 12 of his 17 after the half.

Anderson was not the only one to have difficulties in the first half, as the game stood at 37-36 at intermission. Both teams were unable to find a rhythm in that first 20 minutes, and at one point, shared a 2:25 scoring drought ended by a two-point bucket from Artem Wallace.

The difference in the game came at the outset of the second half, when the Huskies were able to hold California scoreless for the first 5:07 of the period.

"We just said that we were going to take care of the ball," Dentmon said. "We were going to be aggressive without being tentative."

Washington was able to utilize the advantage it had in the post, and did not relinquish the lead after retaking it with 10:29 remaining in the first half.

Aside from Brockman, Spencer Hawes also contributed down low for Washington. The freshman center scored 16 points off the bench and added five rebounds in the win.

Coach Lorenzo Romar was proud of the effort his big men put forward, both on the glass and scoring baskets. Part of that, he said, was due to the leadership of his captain.

"When it's all said and done there is a good chance [Brockman] could be the best leader I have ever been around," Romar said. "As you see, his motor out there on the floor, it never stops. He never stops. Anyone that has not been a leader, that is one of the hardest things to do, because you can never take time off. He is constantly trying to get guys to rally up. It's not a rah-rah fake type of leadership either - it is his heart and soul."

Reach reporter Justin Chartrey at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.