No. 23 Cal at No. 25 Arizona State
Friday, January 5, 2018 | 8 PM MT/ 7 PM PT | Wells Fargo Arena | Tempe, AZ | Pac-12 Network
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TEMPE, Arizona –  After its seven-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday, the No. 23 Cal women's basketball team looks to respond on the road, heading to Tempe to take on 25^th-ranked Arizona State on Friday at 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT. The matchup pits the Golden Bears' (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12) four-game road win streak against a Sun Devils (11-3, 2-0 Pac-12) squad that is a perfect 7-0 at home this season.

One of the most tightly contested rivalries in the conference, Arizona State holds a 36-35 advantage in the all-time series between the schools and swept both meetings last season. Cal opened the 2016-17 Pac-12 campaign in the Cactus State and saw its 13-game winning streak come to an end in double-overtime, falling to the Sun Devils, 72-62, on New Year's Day at Wells Fargo Arena. Arizona State ­edged the Bears, 54-45, in Berkeley, pulling ahead in the fourth quarter for the victory in Berkeley. Cal's last win in the series came on March 4, 2016, when the Golden Bears upset the 10^th-ranked Sun Devils, 75-64, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, the largest upset in the history of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Led by Phoenix-product Kristine Anigwe, the Golden Bears are looking to start 2-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. A unanimous selection to the 2017 Pac-12 Preseason Team, Anigwe has two double-doubles to open Pac-12 play and leads the conference in rebounding (9.1 RPG) and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.8 PPG). Junior guard Asha Thomas is also averaging double-figures with season at 10.8 points per game while senior Mikayla Cowling has scored in double-figures in five consecutive games, adding 11 points and a season-high nine rebounds against UCLA.

The Sun Devils opened conference play with two wins, including a thrilling 83-81 victory at Utah  on Sunday to secure the road sweep. Since dropping back-to-back games against No. 7 Mississippi State and Green Bay,  Arizona State has  won seven of its last eight games and enters Friday's tilt on a four-game winning streak.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's game against the Sun Devils will be broadcast list on Pac-12 Networks with Cindy Brunson and Joan Bonvicini 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
Cal's seven-game winning streak came to an end on the final day of the calendar year, as No. 11 UCLA topped 20^th-ranked Cal, 82-46, on New Year's Eve at Haas Pavilion. The loss leveled Cal's record at 1-1 in Pac-12 play while the Bruins bounced back after opening conference play with a loss at Stanford. UCLA forward Monique Billings led all scorers with 20 points while Kristine Anigwe had a team-high 15 points for the Golden Bears, adding 10 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double. Asha Thomas added 12 points for the Bears while senior Mikayla Cowling had 11 points and a season-high nine rebounds.

The the Bears came out strong to start the game, opening the game on a 7-0 run and connecting on three of their first four attempts from the floor. However the Bruins, who were picked to win the conference in the 2017 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll, responded quickly and closed the quarter on a 13-4 run, taking a 19-15 lead after the first 10 minutes of play. Led by 2017 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Jordin Canada, UCLA's defense forced the Bears into eight turnovers in the opening quarter and 24 total turnovers for the game, which the Bruins converted into 21 points.

Turnovers and cold shooting would plague the Bears the remainder of the afternoon, as Cal was held to a season-low 46 points on 16-56 shooting from the field. After connecting on seven three-pointers in Friday night's victory over USC, Cal went 1-12 from beyond the arc on Sunday, the lone make coming courtesy of Thomas.

SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS
Arizona State is one of four teams that opened conference play in perfect fashion, earning wins on the road at Colorado and Utah. After a 72-47 victory over the Buffaloes last Friday to start the conference campaign, the Sun Devils capped off the weekend with a thrilling 83-81 victory over the Utes, holding off a furious comeback attempt by the home team. Junior guard Kianna Ibis had a career-high 30 points for the Sun Devils in the win while Jamie Ruden's layup with 12 seconds remaining in regulation secured the weekend sweep.

A 6'1" forward, Ibis leads the Sun Devils in scoring this season, averaging 12.9 points per game. Ruden is also averaging double-figures on the season at 10.8 points per game and leads the Pac-12 in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 54.5 percent (18-33) from beyond the arc this season. Sophomore guard Reili Richardson currently leads the nation with a 4.69 assist-to-turnover ratio (75 assists, 16 turnovers) while adding 5.4 points and 5.4 assists per game on the season.

One of the top defensive teams in the conference, Arizona State is a perfect 7-0 at home this season, the second-longest active home winning streak by any team in the conference. The Sun Devils opened the 2017-18 campaign on a four-game winning streak, before dropping back-to-back games to No. 7 Mississippi State and Green Bay. Since then, Arizona State has won seven of its last eight games, the lone loss coming at No. 13 Florida State on December 10.

Now in her 21^st season in Tempe, head coach Charli Turner Thorne returns two starters and seven letterwinners from last season's team that finished 5^th in the Pac-12 and reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. The Sun Devils were picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll, one spot below the Golden Bears.

UP NEXT
Cal continues its road trip on Sunday, heading to Tucson for a Noon MT/11 am PT meeting with Arizona (4-9, 0-2 Pac-12).The Wildcats are winless to start conference play and host No. 24 Stanford on Friday night. Cal won both meetings against Arizona last season, including a 74-64 victory at the McKale Center on December 29 to open the 2016-17 Pac-12 slate. The Golden Bears have won 20 of the last 21 meetings overall with the Wildcats, the lone loss coming in Tucson on January 4, 2016. Sunday's game against the Wildcats will also be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks, with Krista Blunk and Joan Bonvicini on the call.

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).