BERKELEY – Coming off a double-overtime loss to No. 18 Arizona State on Sunday afternoon, the Cal women's basketball team (13-1, 1-1 Pac-12) looks to return to its winning ways, hosting No. 16 Oregon State (13-1, 2-0 Pac-12) at 6 pm PT on Friday night. It is the first home game in nearly a month for the Golden Bears, who are ranked No. 20 in the latest AP Poll. Oregon State has won the last three meetings between the teams, though the Bears lead the overall series, 38-31.
Cal went 1-1 on the opening weekend of Pac-12 play, beating Arizona 74-64 on December 29 before falling short in Sunday's thriller against the Sun Devils. Junior forward Penina Davidson had a standout trip, registering her first career double-double against the Wildcats and scoring a career-high 19 points the following game against Arizona State. Sunday's loss snapped Cal's 13-game win streak, the second-longest in program history. Senior forward Courtney Range had a team-high 17 points against Arizona while sophomore center Kristine Anigwe, the fifth-leading scorer in the nation at 23.4 points per game, had back-to-back double-doubles for the Bears.
No. 16 Oregon State is 13-1 on the season and went 2-0 in the opening weekend of Pac-12 play, with wins over Washington State and No. 9 Washington. The Beavers have won 10 straight following a 74-73 home loss to Marquette on November 22 and currently lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.5 points per game. Oregon State has claimed at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title each of the last two seasons and reached the Final Four last year, falling to UConn in the National Semifinal. Sydney Wiese, the Pac-12's all-time leader with 307 career three-pointers, leads the team in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network. Anne Marie Anderson and Joan Bonvicini will be calling the game, which can also be heard live on KALX 90.7FM Berkeley. Fans can also follow the action through live stats and @CalWBBall on Twitter for updates throughout the game.
A LOOK AT THE BEAVERS
Two-time defending Pac-12 regular season champion Oregon State is 13-1 on the year and a perfect 2-0 in Pac-12 play, highlighted by a thrilling 73-70 win over No. 9 Washington on Sunday in Corvallis. The 2016 Pac-12 Tournament champions are on a 10-game winning streak and have won 17 of their last 18 games in Pac-12 play, the lone loss coming at Stanford on February 26, 2016.
Senior guard Sydney Wiese, the Pac-12's all-time leader with 307 career three pointers, leads the team in scoring with 16 points per game, and had a game-high 26 points against the Huskies. Junior center Marie Gulich is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. As a team, the Beavers lead the Pac-12 and rank 14th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.5 points per game.
Head Coach Scott Rueck, a finalist for the 2016 Naismith National Coach of the Year, is in his seventh season at Oregon State, leading the Beavers to the program's first Final Four appearance last season. The Beavers went 32-5 last season and earned a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual national champion UConn, 80-51, in the National Semifinals.
Oregon State was picked to finish fifth this year in both the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls. Both polls had Cal finishing sixth.
LAST TIME OUT
The Bears overcame an 11-point first quarter deficit but the comeback fell short, falling at No. 18 Arizona State, 72-62, in double-overtime Sunday afternoon in Tempe. Cal was outscored 12-2 in the second overtime period, after outscoring the Sun Devils, 13-10, in the fourth quarter to force extra time. The loss snapped the Bears' 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in program history and the best start to a season in Cal women's basketball history.
Junior forward Penina Davidson had a career-high 19 points and added nine rebounds for the Bears. Davidson also matched her career-bests in three-pointers (3), steals (3), and blocked shots (3), while dishing out two assists. Despite battling foul trouble for most of the night, sophomore center Kristine Anigwe posted her fourth consecutive double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Asha Thomas and Courtney Range also scored in double-figures, though the Bears were held to a season-low 62 points.
NEXT UP
Cal continues its homestand on Sunday, hosting Oregon at 1 pm PT at Haas Pavilion in the second annual Snow Day in the Bay. The event will feature more than 3,000 gallons of snow, a face painter, games, and activities for all ages. Sunday is also the first Cal Kids' Day of conference play, with $1 tickets for children age 17-and-under and an autograph session following the game.
Oregon is 11-4 on the season and 0-2 in Pac-12 play, falling to No. 9 Washington and Washington State at home this past weekend. The Ducks face No. 10 Stanford on Friday evening. Walnut Creek-native Sabrina Ionescu is the Ducks' second leading scorer, averaging 13.0 points per game as a freshman. Oregon went 9-9 in conference last season, splitting both meetings with the Bears, and was picked to finish seventh in both the preseason Pac-12 Media and Coaches polls.
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.
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).
