California Golden Bears Athletics
Friday, November 18
Berkeley, CA
11:30 AM
California
vs
UC Riverside
Photo by: Ariel Nava
Cal Hosts UC Riverside in School Haas Rock
11/16/2016 9:27 PM | Women's Basketball
Friday, Nov. 18 | 11:30 AM PT | Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, Calif.
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BERKELEY - The California women's basketball team looks to improve to 3-0 on the season, hosting UC Riverside at 11:30 AM at Haas Pavilion. The game marks the third annual "School Haas Rock", an educational event targeted towards elementary and middle school-age children in the Bay Area.Friday's game will be the seventh meeting all-time between the Golden Bears and Highlanders. Cal has won the last four meetings in the series, including a 64-58 victory at last season Haas Pavilion.
Cal is off to a 2-0 start for the third consecutive year, beating Saint Mary's on the road to start the 2016-17 campaign before a 73-58 win over Santa Clara on Monday night.
Sophomore Asha Thomas leads the Bears to start the season, averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 three-pointers per game. Classmate Kristine Anigwe - the near-consensus National Freshman of the Year last season - leads the team in rebounding and had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Bears' come-from-behind win over the Broncos.
UC Riverside is 1-1 to start the season. The Highlanders defeated San Diego State at home, 72-44, before falling to USC, 67-49, Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Senior Simone DeCoud leads the Highlanders in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Tickets to Friday's game can be purchased by calling 1-800-GO-BEARS (462-3277) or visiting the CalBears.com ticket page. Those fans unable to attend in person can follow along via live stats, live stream, or on twitter at @CalWBBall for updates throughout the game.
A LOOK AT THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside is coming off a loss Wednesday night in Los Angeles, falling to USC 67-49. The Highlanders led early in the game but were outscored 33-21 in the second half, as the Trojans capitalized on 29 Highlander turnovers.
The Highlanders prevailed in their season opener, with a 72-44 win over visiting San Diego State last Friday. Portland State transfer Lauren Holt had a game-high 22 points, 13 of which came in the first quarter.
The Highlanders are coached by John Margaritis, now in his 13th season with the team. Margaritis earned Big West Coach of the Year honors last season after leading the Highlanders to a 23-9 record and their first postseason appearance since 2011, reaching the WNIT. UC Riverside returns three starters from last season and was picked to finish second by the media and third by the coaches in the Big West preseason poll.
In last season's meeting with the Bears, the Highlanders led 32-30 at halftime before Cal battled back, winning 64-58 behind 20 points from Courtney Range. Asha Thomas (16 points) and Kristine Anigwe (10) also scored in double-figures for the Bears.
LAST TIME OUT
The Bears used a strong second-half performance on Monday night to defeat Santa Clara, 73-58, at Haas Pavilion. Cal trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter but benefited from a balanced effort offensively, with four different players scoring in double-figures: Kristine Anigwe, Mikayla Cowling, Asha Thomas, and Penina Davidson.
Anigwe registered her 15th career double-double and finished the night with 10 rebounds and 20 points, 13 of which came in the second half. It was Anigwe's 12th career game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, tied with former UConn star Breanna Stewart for the fourth-most such games by any player over the last two seasons. Anigwe has now scored in double-figures in 32 of her 33 career games.
Cowling put together an impressive all-around performance, finishing with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. It was Cowling's third career 15-5-5 game. Thomas continued her hot streak from beyond the arc, finishing with 13 points on 4-7 shooting from 3-point range, while Davidson added a season-high 12 points and went 3-4 from the floor in the third quarter.
SCHOOL HAAS ROCK
Friday's game marks the third annual "School Haas Rock". The late-morning game attracts thousands of elementary and middle school children from the Bay Area, and incorporates educational lessons into the normal game program.
"This is one of my favorite games of the year," said head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. "Kids from our community get to see our powerful young women playing basketball, while also experiencing a college campus. For me as a coach, there is no greater feeling than to have thousands of screaming kids watching our girls do what they love. They are going to have an experience that allows them to think they can be whatever they want to be."
NEXT UP
The Bears will continue their five-game homestand on Sunday, hosting CSU Bakersfield at 2 p.m. on Sunday. As part of Big Game week, fans can get into Sunday's game free of charge by presenting their ticket stub from Saturday's Cal-Stanford football game. Tickets Sunday are also $1 for children 17 and under, in Cal's first "Kids' Day" of the 2016-17 season.
2016-17 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Season, group and single-game tickets for the 2016-17 women's basketball season are now on sale. Season tickets start as low as $25 ($1.47 per game, 17 games) for youth and seniors and $75 ($4.41 per game, 17 games) for adult general admission tickets. Single-game tickets are available starting at $5 for youth and seniors and $8 for adults, while flex and partial plans are also available purchase. For more information, call the Gold Standard Sales and Service line at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277) or visit the CalBears.com ticket page.
JOIN THE JOURNEY: THE RETURN OF THISISCALBASKETBALL.COM
Cal's one-of-a-kind multimedia fan site, ThisIsCalBasketball.com, is back for its sixth season and once again features an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the personalities behind the Cal women's basketball's roster. Visitors to ThisIsCalBasketball.com can get an in-depth look at the personalities behind the jerseys, from action and portrait photos to bio videos and conversations between current players and alumnae.
STAY POSTED
Keep up-to-date on the latest Cal women's basketball news by following the Bears on social media. View behind-the-scenes photos and videos and learn more about Cal and its student-athletes on Twitter (@CalWBball), Instagram (@CalWBball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWBball).
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