Balanced Offense Leads Bears Past Westmont

BERKELEY – A balanced offensive effort saw California prevail against Westmont College 87-48, in an exhibition game Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.

Sophomore forward/center Kristine Anigwe went 10-for-12 from the field, leading all players with 20 points as the Golden Bears had four different scorers reach double-figures.

Fellow sophomore Asha Thomas got Cal off to a hot start, scoring seven of her 15 total points in first quarter as the Bears opened the game on a 17-5 run.  

Freshmen Jaelyn Brown and Celeste 'CJ' West also impressed in their Haas debuts. Brown, a 6'1" guard from Murrieta, Calif., had 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while West added ten points and seven boards in just 16 minutes of action. Fellow freshman Mi'Cole Cayton provided a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor, finishing with four assists and three rebounds.

"I think we have a really good blend of our returning players setting the tone and the freshmen coming in and doing their thing," said head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. "The difference this year is that we have three really talented freshmen coming in and they have some people to help them along the way."

That balance was on display late in the second quarter, when the Warriors closed the gap to three points. But Brown, West, and junior Mikayla Cowling powered Cal to a 10-0 run, helping the Bears take an 11-point lead into the locker room.

The Bears carried that momentum into the second half, outscoring Westmont 26-9 in the third quarter. Anigwe, the only underclassman named to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference team, scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half. Overall, Cal outscored Westmont in the paint, 32-12, and turned 19 Westmont turnovers into 32 points.

Cal's defense frustrated the Warriors all afternoon, holding Westmont to just 23 points in the second half and 2-of-22 shooting (9.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Bears will be back in action this Friday, opening the regular season on the road against Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. A charter bus for fans will be making the trip to Moraga, with seats available still available.