Photo: Steve Kroner/The Chronicle Photo: Steve Kroner/The Chronicle

USF’s rare instance of playing host to Pac-12 schools on consecutive nights ended in a split for the Dons.

After losing 71-67 to Arizona State on Tuesday night, USF rebounded by putting away Cal 76-64 on Wednesday evening.

“It was very difficult,” USF head coach Todd Golden said about the Pac-12 double. He said he tried to make sure his players “were full of confidence, but I was worried about tonight, for sure. …

“I was just concerned that we’d have a little bit of a hangover … but I thought our starters did a great job defending early in the game.”

The Bears (5-3) led 1-0. That was their lone lead of the game. It took Cal more than 6½ minutes to hit a field goal.

And when Remu Raitanen buried a 3 with 8:40 left in the half, USF (8-2) owned a 25-10 advantage.

The Bears responded by outscoring the Dons 22-9 the rest of the half to go into the locker room down only 34-32.

The Dons hit seven 3’s after intermission to take control. After the game, a reporter suggested to Cal head coach Mark Fox that his team’s defense had been inconsistent.

“I don’t know if I would agree with you (that) it was inconsistent,” Fox responded. “I thought it was poor consistently in the second half.”

USF got 20 points and eight rebounds from center Jimbo Lull. He went 7-for-10 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the line.

Raitanen added 15 points, including nine in a key late sequence.

Guard Kareem South led the Bears with 20 points. Matt Bradley added 11. Bradley, a sophomore guard, entered Wednesday leading the Bears in scoring at 18.3 points per game. He did not start because of what Fox termed a minor disciplinary matter.

Cal was down 65-56 after Andre Kelly scored from inside with a little more than five minutes remaining.

Then Raitanen took control. He scored all of USF’s points in a 9-2 run that iced things. The 6-foot-9 forward converted a three-point play and knocked home two from beyond the arc.

Fox said USF’s experience — and his team’s lack thereof — contributed to the Dons’ victory.

“I thought was an advantage for them,” Fox said, “and the fact that we’re still trying to figure things out and have a ways to go there was evident.”

Fox is in his first season as the Bears’ head coach. They won only eight games in each of the previous two seasons.

That fact didn’t prevent Golden from enjoying the win.

“Obviously, they haven’t great success recently, but they’re going to get really good really soon,” Golden said. “Coach Fox does a great job. …

“I am genuinely excited. This is a great win for us. … As long as I’m here, I’ll always be excited when we are able to win that game.”

Briefly: The Bears face Santa Clara at the Leavey Center on Saturday afternoon. The Dons are off until they play at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 14. … USF beat Cal 79-60 in Berkeley last December.

Steve Kroner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: skroner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveKronerSF