California
Washington
1/25/2017 11:16 AM | Women's Basketball
BERKELEY – The Cal women's basketball team looks to build off Sunday's win over Arizona, taking on No. 7 Washington on Friday at 6 p.m. PT in Seattle. The Huskies are tied atop the Pac-12 standings with a 7-1 record in conference play and are 19-2 overall on the season. The Huskies beat the Golden Bears 75-65 in last season's matchup in Berkeley and have won three of the last five meetings between the teams overall.
Friday's game features the two of the top scorers in the Pac-12 in Washington guard Kelsey Plum and Cal center Kristine Anigwe. Plum leads the nation in scoring, averaging 31 points per game this season, and is the only player in Pac-12 history, male or female, to scored 3,000 career points. Anigwe is second in the conference in scoring with 22.3 points per game this season and is the only player in the country averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Cal is coming off a 71-60 victory over Arizona on Sunday, which snapped the Bears' three-game home losing streak. The Bears were led by sophomore point guard Asha Thomas, who scored 17 of her career-high 24 points in the second half. Thomas bested her previous mark of 22 points set in last season's loss to the Huskies. The East Oakland native was one of four Cal players in double-figures in Sunday's win, as the Bears also received double-digit scoring from Anigwe (14 points), Mikayla Cowling (10 points), and Mi'Cole Cayton (10 points).
Washington, who reached the Final Four last season for the first time in program history, is coming off an 87-44 win over Washington State on Sunday, in which senior forward Chantel Osahor set a Pac-12 single-game record with 30 rebounds. The 7th-ranked Huskies are undefeated at home this season and have a 13-game home winning streak dating back to last year.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday night's game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks, with Kate Scott and Mary Murphy on the call. Fans can also keep up with the action by tuning in to the Huskies radio stream or following online with live stats and @CalWBBall on Twitter for updates throughout the game.
A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES
The 7th-ranked Huskies enter Friday's contest tied atop the conference standings with a 7-1 record, their lone loss coming to Oregon State on January 1. Since that defeat, Washington has won five straight, including an 84-77 win over Washington State on Sunday afternoon. Senior forward Chantel Osahor had a Pac-12 record 30 rebounds in the win over the Cougars, while also chipping in 20 points.
Osahor leads the nation in rebounding, averaging 14.7 rebounds per game, while classmate Kelsey Plum leads the nation in scoring, averaging 31.0 points per game. Plum is the only player in Pac-12 history, male or female, to score 3,000 career points and is currently 324 points away from breaking Jackie Stiles' NCAA career scoring record. As a team, the Huskies lead the conference in both scoring (87.3 points per game) and field goal percentage (48.0 percent).
Head coach Mike Neighbors is in his fourth season as head coach of the Huskies, leading Washington to its first Final Four appearance in school history last season. The seventh-seeded Huskies were the lowest seed to reach the Final Four since Minnesota did so in 2004, also as a seven-seed. Despite a 29-point performance from Plum, Washington fell to Syracuse, 80-59, in the National Semifinal game.
On Monday, the NCAA Selection Committee released the first of three regular-season top-16 rankings in seed order for the 2017 NCAA Tournament, with Washington coming in as a two-seed and the No. 6 team overall. The Huskies were picked to finish third in both the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' and Media polls.
LAST TIME OUT
Cal sophomore point guard Asha Thomas scored a career-high 24 points on Sunday afternoon as the Golden Bears snapped their three-game home losing streak with a 71-60 win over Arizona at Haas Pavilion. Thomas scored 17 of her game-high 24 points in the second half as Cal erased a six-point deficit to earn its first conference home win of the year.
Thomas scored or assisted on 17 of Cal's 19 third-quarter points and missed just two shot attempts in the entire second half, going 3-4 from the floor and 9-10 from the foul line. Thomas - the Pac-12 leader with a 2.74 assist-to-turnover ratio - dished out four assists with only one turnover while also going 3-5 from beyond the arc.
The 11-point win was a balanced offensive effort for the Bears, who had four players score in double-figures for the first time since a double-overtime loss to Arizona State on January 1. Sophomore center Kristine Anigwe had 14 points, eight rebounds, and dished out a season-high three assists while Mikayla Cowling and Mi'Cole Cayton both chipped in 10 points apiece.
NEXT UP
The Bears continues their tour of the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, facing Washington State at Noon PT. The Cougars are 8-11 on the season and 3-5 in Pac-12 play. Washington State upset then-No. 9 UCLA, 82-73, on January 6, their second in a string of three consecutive conference victories. However, hampered by injuries, the Cougars have lost three straight in conference play. June Daugherty's squad hosts No. 10 Stanford on Friday before Sunday's tilt with the Bears.
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.
REBOUNDS FOR RAMA
Rama N'diaye, a member of the Cal Women's Basketball team from 2006-2011, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer this past July at the young age of 29. As a result of the side effects of her treatments, Rama has not been able to consistently work and therefore has sustained significant financial hardship.
It is our goal as a Cal Family to help support Rama in her fight against Breast Cancer emotionally, spiritually and financially. We've introduced Rebound for Rama to allow our extended Cal Family to participate in that end goal, once again proving that our support extends well beyond the hardwood. Donations may be made based on the number of total rebounds that the current Cal team secures over the course of this season or as a flat rate.
Rama and several members of her family will be in attendance on February 12, when the Bears host Colorado at 3 p.m. PT in their annual Play4Kay game.
Visit www.pledgeit.org/ReboundsForRama to learn about Rama's fight and please consider joining us in this effort.
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).
