Pacific-10 Conference rules forbid coaches to criticize officials, so Washington State basketball coach Kevin Eastman made it a point to avoid getting specific.

That meant he didn’t name names or give out home phone numbers of those who officiated Cal’s 71-67 men’s basketball victory over WSU before a sellout Harmon Gym crowd of 6,578 on Saturday. To the delight of reporters, however, that’s where the restraint subsided and the post-game press conference began.

“Any questions about that travesty?” Eastman asked, without provocation. So, coach, what were you so unhappy about?

“I think that was rather obvious,” Eastman replied. “I think there were certain people on the floor that wanted certain things done.”

By “certain things,” Eastman was alluding to many of the 24 fouls called against his Cougars - including one that prompted Eastman to earn a technical foul for arguing. He was also alluding to a call that wasn’t made, the one that kept Isaac Fontaine from going to the foul line with 7 seconds left and Cal leading 69-67.

Bears guard Ed Gray had just missed two foul shots, setting up a fast break that ended with Fontaine driving to the basket in an attempt to convert the game-tying layup. Gray, who had hustled back on defense, stripped the ball as Fontaine began to elevate.

It was unclear whether Fontaine was fouled. Eastman insisted he had been. Later, Fontaine cleared things up.

“I was going to the basket and Ed Gray blocked my shot,” he said.

WSU (14-9 overall and 6-8 in the Pac-10) faces Arizona and Arizona State this week at home, and ends the regular season at USC and UCLA. And while several tough calls went against the Cougars on Saturday - Eastman said his players “played their heart out and the outcome was taken out of their hands” - WSU can also look within. Especially if it ends up, say, one quality road victory from making the NCAA tournament.

Three transgressions proved particularly costly:

Eastman’s technical foul with 4:02 left sent Gray to the line, and the junior made 1 of 2 free throws to stretch Cal’s lead to 60-56.

Trailing 62-59 with 2:28 left, Mark Hendrickson missed two free throws.

With 1 second remaining on the shot clock, WSU post Tavares Mack allowed Bears forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim to convert Jelani Gardner’s in-bounds pass into a lay-up that made it 64-59 with 1:52 left.

There were other factors, of course, such as the six turnovers committed by Donminic Ellison and four by Fontaine.

“On the other side of the ledger,” Eastman added, “Cal played hard - real hard - and they’re good.”

Abdur-Rahim was better than good, posting game highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds.

WSU was in foul trouble throughout. Hendrickson, Fontaine and Carlos Daniel each had three first-half fouls, severely limiting the Cougars’ options. Hendrickson, averaging 16.3 points and 9.9 rebounds, was held to 13 points and six rebounds.

According to Eastman, Hendrickson was effective only “when he got through the holds, punch, kick and had a chance to look at the basket. But I guess the angles were bad.”

To his credit, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Hendrickson had four second-half assists, neutralizing the double-teams of Abdur-Rahim and Michael Stewart by finding open teammates. Two assists went to Mack for easy baskets, and the others resulted in 3-pointers for Shamon Antrum and Fontaine.

Mack and Antrum led WSU with 17 points apiece, with Antrum making five 3-pointers.

Cal led 31-25 at halftime. The Cougars rallied early in the second half and took a 34-33 lead with three quick 3-pointers - two by Fontaine, one by Antrum. They had stretched the lead to 51-45 with 7:43 left, after Hendrickson’s tough interior defense resulted in transition baskets for Ellison, Antrum and Daniel.

Abdur-Rahim and Gardner each scored 10 points in the final 6:59, however, and third-place Cal (15-8, 9-5) won its second straight. Afterward, Cal coach Todd Bozeman sympathized with Eastman and WSU.

“I feel for Kevin Eastman,” said Bozeman, whose team had beaten Washington on Thursday without three players whom he had suspended for unspecified reasons. “Washington State is definitely an NCAA Tournament-caliber team. I’m just proud of my guys. It has been a tough week and a good week all in one.”

California 71, Washington State 67

Washington State (14-9) - Daniel 3-4 0-0 6, Fontaine 5-9 0-0 12, Hendrickson 5-8 3-7 13, Ellison 1-5 0-0 2, Antrum 6-12 0-0 17, Mack 8-11 1-1 17, Scott 0-2 0-0 0, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-51 4-8 67.

California (16-8) - Abdur-Rahim 10-18 5-7 25, Duck 2-5 0-0 5, Gonzalez 1-2 0-0 2, McQueen 1-8 0-0 3, Gray 5-13 6-9 16, Gardner 4-5 2-4 13, Marks 0-1 0-0 0, McGruder 0-0 0-0 0, Fowlkes 2-4 1-2 5, Stewart 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 25-56 16-24 71.

Halftime-Cal 31, Washington St. 25. 3-Point goals- Washington St. 7-15 (Fontaine 2-2, Ellison 0-2, Antrum 5-10, Scott 0-1), Cal 5-15 (Duck 1-3, McQueen 1-6, Gray 0-3, Gardner 3-3). Fouled out-Daniel, Hendrickson. Rebounds-Washington St. 27 (Daniel 8), Cal 31 (Abdur-Rahim 11). Assists-Washington St. 16 (Ellison 6), Cal 13 (Gray and Gardner 3). Technicals-Washington St. coach Eastman. Total fouls-WSU 24, Cal 13. A-6,578.

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