STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania – A 15-2 run to close the third quarter proved to be pivotal, as Cal picked up its first road win of the year with a 75-58 win over Penn State on Sunday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Kristine Anigwe led the Golden Bears (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) with 24 points and 22 rebounds while
Jaelyn Brown came up big in the second half, scoring 11 of her 16 points over the final two quarters as Cal handed the Lady Lions (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) their first loss of the year.
A three-time WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, Anigwe's 22 rebounds are the most by any player in Division I basketball this season and mark the second-highest rebound total of her career. Anigwe finished with 24 points for her second double-double in as many games, and now has 43 career double-doubles, third-most by any player in Division I basketball.
Brown, who scored 10 points in Cal's season-opening win over Houston, had another big night, finishing with 16 points on 7-9 shooting, while also adding seven rebounds. Senior guard
Asha Thomas also scored in double figures for the second consecutive game, adding 11 points, two assists, and two steals.
Cal opens the season with back-to-back wins for the fourth time in the last five season and now improves to 9-1 on the road in non-conference play since the start of the 2015-16 season.
The Bears' first game ever in Happy Valley saw both teams struggle to find their footing in the first quarter, shooting a combined 25 percent (8-32) from the floor through the first 10 minutes. The Golden Bears opened the game on a 5-0 run and held the Lady Lions scoreless for the first 5:01 of the game. Penn State responded with a 7-0 run to take it's first lead of the night and the teams traded baskets until late in the quarter, when Anigwe converted on a three-point play to give the Bears a three-point lead after the first period of action.
Cal carried that momentum into the second quarter and grew its lead to nine points after a three-pointer and pair of free throws by
Kianna Smith. However, Penn State was able to close the deficit with a surge at the end of the half, and entered the locker room trailing by just four points.
The hosts carried their momentum into the early stages of the third quarter and was able to capitalize on Cal turnovers, scoring nine points off turnovers in the early stages of the quarter. Penn State took its largest lead of the game with 3:14 left in the third quarter when Alisia Smith sunk a pair of free throws to give the Lady Lions a 43-39 advantage. Smith finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Siyeh Frazier had a team-high 17 points for Penn State. Senior guard Teniya Paige added 10 points but was held to 4-16 shooting from the field.
However, Cal proved up to the challenge and closed the quarter on a 15-2. Anigwe and Brown scored 11 of Cal's 15 points during the run while graduate transfer Receé Caldwell also made her presence felt, scoring four points and assisting another during the Bears' run. Caldwell finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, and five assists, all her most in a Cal jersey.
The Bears continued to focus on execution in the fourth quarter and outscored the Lady Lions 21-13 in the final quarter to capture their first road victory of the year.
Cal continues its road trip, heading to the Rocky Mountains for a Tuesday matchup against BYU. The Bears and Cougars will square off a 3 p.m. PT in Provo, Utah, in Cal's final non-conference road game outside of the state of California. The Golden Bears have won all four of its previous meeting with BYU, including a 70-45 victory last season in Berkeley. The Cougars (1-0, 0-0 WCC) opened the 2018-19 season with
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