No. 24 Cal vs Washington
Friday, Jan. 12 | 8 PM PT | Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, CA | Pac-12 Networks
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BERKELEY – Coming off a road split in Arizona, the California women's basketball team returns to Haas Pavilion this weekend, tipping off a two-game homestand. Part of the annual Alumna Weekend, the Golden Bears (11-4, 2-2 Pac-12) will square off against Washington (6-9, 0-4) on Friday at 8 p.m. PT, in a game that will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks. Cal is ranked No. 24 in the latest AP poll and is coming off a 53-51 road win over Arizona on Sunday. The Huskies remain winless in conference play after falling to Colorado, 66-61, its last time out.
Led by a balanced offense, the Bears are 2-2 to open conference play, with both losses coming to Top-25 opponents. Junior forward/center Kristine Anigwe leads the team in scoring with 16.6 points per game and is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 8.8 rebounds per game. A two-time honorable mention All-American, Anigwe is one of five players averaging at least nine points per game this season for the Bears. Senior guard Mikayla Cowling had a game-high 19 points in Sunday's win over Arizona, connecting on a career-best five three-pointers, while Asha Thomas put up 25 points in a narrow road loss at No. 25 Arizona State. Freshman point guard Kianna Smith dished out 10 assists in Sunday's win over the Wildcats while senior forward Penina Davidson is averaging career-bests in both scoring (9.0 points per game) and rebounding (7.2 rebounds per game).
The Bears will look to build on this balance and the momentum from Sunday's win on Friday night, facing a Huskies squad that has had the upper hand in the series as of late. Washington has won the last two head-to-head meetings between the schools and leads the all-time series, 46-22. However, the Huskies return just one starter from last season's squad that handed the Bears a 90-67 defeat in Seattle and reached the Sweet Sixteen. Washington is 0-4 to start conference play but boasts one of the most active defenses in the conference, ranking second in the Pac-12 at 10.6 steals per game.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's game against the Huskies will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with Anne Marie Anderson and Julianne Viani on the call. The matchup can 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
Trailing by 10 points midway through the third quarter, the Golden Bears battled back with an impressive second-half surge to down Arizona, 53-51, on Sunday afternoon at the McKale Center. Senior guard Mikayla Cowling led the Bears with 19 points, connecting on a career-best five three-pointers as the Bears completed their largest come-from-behind victory of the season. With the win, Cal snapped its two-game losing streak and earned its fourth consecutive win over the Wildcats.
Freshman point guard Kianna Smith dished out a game-high 10 assists to go with eight points and just three turnovers in 40 minutes of action, while Penina Davidson had a team-high nine rebounds.
Down by seven at halftime, Cal used a 12-0 run midway through the third quarter to reclaim control of the game. Cowling, who had just two points in the first half, poured in 17 points in the second half on 5-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Bears also received a boost off the bench from Mo Mosley, who matched her career high with three steals. Jaelyn Brown made her first career start for the Bears, replacing Thomas, who sustained a concussion vs Arizona State.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Washington enters the weekend 0-4 in Pac-12 play, looking for its first conference win under new head coach Jody Wynn. Wynn is in her first season as head coach of the Huskies, after spending the last eight seasons at Long Beach State, culminating in a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season.
After losing four starters and five letterwinners from last season's team that reached the Sweet 16, the Huskies went 6-5 in non-conference play, capping the preseason slate with an 84-76 win over Seattle U in overtime.
However, Washington is still looking for its first win of the season in Pac-12 play and is coming off a 66-61 loss to Colorado on Sunday. The Huskies led by eight at halftime but the Buffaloes used a big third quarter to earn the victory on the road. Sophomore guard Amber Melgoza had a game-high 28 points in the loss while Hannah Johnson added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Huskies
5'10" junior from Santa Barbara, Melgoza has scored 20+ points in each of her last three games, including a 31-point performance at Oregon on December 31. Melgoza is tied for third in the Pac-12 in scoring this season at 17.9 points per game, and is averaging a conference-best 24.8 points per game in conference play. Sophomore forward Mai-Loni Henson is also averaging double-figures this season, scoring 10.6 points per game Jenna Moser leads the team and ranks third in the Pac-12 in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 46.9 percent (30-64) from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
The Bears continue Alumnae Weekend on Sunday, hosting Washington State at 1 p.m. PT. The Cougars (8-8, 1-3) , led by reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Borislava Hristova, take on Stanford at 6 p.m. PT on Friday night. The Bears have won three of the last four head-to-head meetings with the Cougars, but lost last season's matchup in Pullman, 84-79.
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).