No. 20 Cal vs No. 11 UCLA
Sunday, Dec. 31 | 11 AM PT | Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, CA | Pac-12 Networks
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BERKELEY – While the ball doesn't drop until midnight, the Cal women's basketball team will start the New Year's Eve celebrations early, tipping off against UCLA on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT at Haas Pavilion. Coming off a 76-64 win over USC on Friday night to open Pac-12 play, the 20th-ranked Golden Bears (10-2, 1-0 Pac-12) look to keep their seven game win streak alive and complete the upset over the Bruins (9-3, 0-1 Pac-12), who are ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press Poll. Tickets are $1 for all ages, with free t-shirts available for the first 1,200 fans in attendance.
Sunday's game will be the 73rd meeting all-time between the Bears and Bruins, in what has become one of the most exciting matchups in the Pac-12 over the last few seasons. Four of the last five meetings between the teams have been decided by six points or fewer, including an overtime win for the Bruins in the 2016 Pac-12 Tournament and a 108-104, double-overtime victory for the Bears at home on December 21, 2015. Cal won last seasons' meeting at Haas Pavilion, upsetting the then-13th-ranked Bruins, 80-77, as five different players scored in double-figures for the Bears. Cal has capitalized on home court advantaged as of late, winning its last six meetings with UCLA in Berkeley and nine of the last 12 meetings between the teams overall.
One of only two AP Top-20 matchups in Division I this weekend, both the Bears and Bruins will be looking to bolster their résumés. Cal is 0-2 against ranked teams this season, with losses to top-ranked Connecticut and No. 23 Missouri. The Golden Bears are looking for their first win over a team ranked 11th or better in the AP Poll since knocking off 10th-ranked Arizona State in the 2016 Pac-12 Tournament and have a chance at their first 2-0 start in Pac-12 play since the 2014-15 season.
The Bruins have split their two games against ranked foes this season, beating No. 3 Baylor, 82-68, on November 18 before suffering a 78-60 loss to No. 1 UConn on November 21. UCLA will be looking to bounce back from a 76-65 loss at Stanford on Friday night in which the Cardinal led wire to wire.
Sunday's matchup also features three of the five players named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team. Cal center/forward Kristine Anigwe leads the conference in rebounding and ranks third in scoring at 16.9 points per game. Anigwe is coming off a 16-point, 13-rebound performance against USC in which she went 3-3 from beyond the arc, while also dishing out a season-high three assists. UCLA is led by seniors Jordin Canada and Monique Billings. The 2017 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Canada leads the conference with 4.2 steals per game this season and had 20 points, seven steals, and six assists in the loss to the Cardinal. Billings, a 6-4 senior from Corona, California, is tied for the conference lead with six double-doubles on the year.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Sunday's game against the Bruins will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with Mary Murphy and Kate Scott on the call. The New Year's Eve matchup can also be viewed on the Pac-12 live stream, with live stats also available. Fans can receive additional in-game updates and behind-the-scenes information by following the Bears social media accounts (Twitter: @CalWBBall, Instagram: @CalWBBall).
LAST TIME OUT
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. 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.
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. 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.
A unanimous Preseason All-Pac-12 selection, Anigwe grabbed eight of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half and showcased her ability to score in a variety of ways. The 6-4 junior entered the game with just one made three-pointer in her career, but went 3-3 from beyond the arc while also dishing out a season-high three assists to go with two steals. Anigwe posted 16 points on the night for her third double-double of the season and the 33rd of her college career.
Davidson scored 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter, as the Bears matched their season-low with just 12 turnovers and shot a season-best 85 percent (17-20) from the foul line.
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
Picked first in the 2017 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll, UCLA is looking to level its conference record at 1-1 after falling to Stanford, 76-65, in Friday's Pac-12 opener at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal led from the start and held the Bruins to just 31.3 percent (23-74) shooting from the field, handing UCLA its second road loss of the season. Canada led UCLA with 20 points while Billings, Kennedy Burke, and Japreece Dean also scored double-figures in the loss.
Ranked as high as fifth in the AP poll this season, UCLA opened the season at 7-1, including an upset win over third-ranked Baylor on November 21. Following a loss to No. 1 Connecticut, the Bruins rattled off four consecutive wins before falling at Oklahoma State, 87-82. Sunday's game against Cal will wrap up a five-game road trip for the Bruins, who are 2-2 this season playing on the road.
The Bruins are once again led by the senior tandem of Canada and Billings. One of the top point guards in the nation, Canada leads the conference in steals (4.6 steal per game), while also ranking in the top-10 in points (14.8 PPG), assists (6.4 APG), and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.7 A/TO). Billings is averaging 14.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while leading the conference with 3.7 offensive rebounds per outing. Junior guard Kennedy Burke is also averaging double-figures for the Bruins with 11.7 points per game and had 17 points in last season's matchup with the Golden Bears.
Now in her seventh season in Westwood, head coach Cori Close returns four starters and eight letterwinners from last season's squad which went 25-9 and finished fourth overall in the Pac-12 standings. The Bruins earned a four seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season, falling to Connecticut in the Regional Semifinal.
UP NEXT
Cal will play its first games on the 2018 calendar year on the road, heading south for games against Arizona State and Arizona. The Golden Bears will square off against the Sun Devils (10-3, 2-0 Pac-12) on Friday, January 5, before heading to Tucson for a January 7 meeting with the Wildcats (4-8, 0-1 Pac-12). The Bears will be looking to bounce back after dropping both meetings with Arizona State last season, including a 72-62 double-overtime loss in Tempe on January 1, 2017. Cal opened Pac-12 play with a 74-64 win at Arizona last season and completed to sweep of the Wildcats with a 71-60 win in Berkeley on January 21. Both road contests will be carried live on Pac-12 Networks.
2017-18 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Season, group and single-game tickets for the 2017-18 women's basketball season are now on sale. Season tickets start as low as $40 ($2.67 per game, 15 games) for youth and seniors and $80 ($5.33 per game, 15 games) for adult general admission tickets. Single-game tickets are available starting at $4 for youth and seniors and $5 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 seventh 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).