BERKELEY – For the second consecutive season, the Cal women's basketball team opened conference play in victorious fashion, beating USC, 76-64, on Friday night at Haas Pavilion. With the win, Cal (10-2, 1-0 Pac-12) extends its win streak to seven in a row and has now won its last three meetings against the Trojans (10-2, 0-1 Pac-12). Junior center/forward Kristine Anigwe had 16 points and 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season while senior Penina Davidson finished with 15 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. Classmate Mikayla Cowling added 13 points and five assists for the Bears, while sophomore Jaelyn Brown had 10 points off the bench. 

USC forward Kristen Simon led all scorers with 20 points and added 11 rebounds while guard Minyon Moore added 14 points for the Trojans on 5-9 shooting from the floor.

With the win, Cal improves to 5-2 in Pac-12 openers under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, including a perfect 3-0 mark when opening conference play at home.

Riding a three-game home winning streak, Cowling got the Bears going early, starting the game 4-4 from the floor and scoring nine of her 13 total points in the first quarter alone. After averaging just 6 points per game through Cal's first eight games of the year, Cowling has now scored in double-figures in four consecutive games, averaging 16 points per game over that stretch.

Cowling's energy helped the Bears pull away late in the first quarter. Cal went on an 11-2 run from late in the first quarter to early in the second, taking a lead they would never relinquish. The Bears defense locked down in the second quarter, outscoring USC, 17-10, in the period and holding the Trojans without a field goal for over four minutes.

The Bears took a 36-27 lead into the locker room as Anigwe made her presence felt all over the court. The unanimous Preseason All-Pac-12 selection grabbed eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half and showcased her ability to score in a variety of ways. Anigwe, who entered the game with just one made three-pointer in her career, went 3-3 from beyond the arc while also dishing out a season-high three assists to go with two steals. After being held to just two points in Cal's road win at Kentucky, the two-time Honorable Mention All-American responded with 16 points on the night for her third double-double of the season. Anigwe now has 33 career double-doubles, tied for 13^th among all active players in Division I, and has posted a double-double in 13 of her 36 career games in Pac-12 play.

Cal continued its strong play right out of the locker room, opening the third quarter on a 7-2 run. Freshman point guard Kianna Smith, who went scoreless in the first half, went 2-3 from three-point range in the third quarter as Cal led by as many as 17 points midway through the period. But as the Bears battled foul trouble and went cold from the floor, USC was able to capitalize, closing the third quarter on a 12-3 run.

The Trojans were able to cut the Bears' lead to 52-56 with 7:50 left to play before Davidson took over. The senior from Auckland scored 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter, including nine consecutive points for the Bears to extend Cal's lead back to double-digits. Davidson has now scored in double-figures in four of her last five games and added seven rebounds for the Bears, including three offensive boards in the fourth quarter.

Brown sealed the deal for the Bears down the stretch, going 4-4 from the foul line over the final 1:03 of the game. The sophomore guard had 10 points for the Bears in her fourth double-digit outing of the season, as Cal's bench outscored the Trojans, 18-0.

Cal will be back in action on Sunday, with hosting No. 11 UCLA (9-3, 0-1 Pac-12) at 11 a.m. PT. The New Year's Eve matchup will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with $1 tickets available for all ages. The top-20 showdown will be a rematch of last season's matchup at Haas Pavilion, in which the Golden Bears upset the 13^th-ranked Bruins, 80-77. UCLA is coming off a 76-65 loss to Stanford earlier Friday night at Maples Pavilion.

For more information and updates on the team, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWBball), Instagram (@CalWBball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWBball).