California Golden Bears Athletics
California
Tulane
11/21/2018 3:10 PM | Women's Basketball
Bears Open Thanksgiving Tournament With Friday Matchup Against Tulane
No. 18 Cal vs Tulane
Friday, Nov. 23 | 4 PM PT | Jenny Craig Pavilion | San Diego, CA
GAME NOTES | LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK
SAN DIEGO – The Cal women's basketball team is heading south for the Thanksgiving holiday, getting ready to play in the San Diego Thanksgiving Tournament at Jenny Craig Pavilion on November 23 and 24. The Golden Bears (4-0, 0-0 Pac-12) will square off against undefeated Tulane (3-0, 0-0 AAC) at 4 p.m. PT on Friday afternoon, before facing San Diego on Saturday.
Off to a 4-0 start for the second time in the last three seasons, Cal has three players averaging double-figures so far this season. Senior center/forward Kristine Anigwe has been dominant through the first four games of the year, posting a double-double in every outing and averaging 25.5 points per game and 14.8 rebounds per game. Recently named to the 2019 Wade Watch, Anigwe is the only player in Division I women's basketball ranked in the Top-10 nationally in both scoring (25.5 PPG – 6th) and rebounding (14.8 RPG – 6th).
Fellow senior Asha Thomas is off to another impressive start for the Bears, averaging 13.3 points per game, including a 15-point performance on Sunday against Pacific in which she went 4-4 from the floor, 3-3 from three-point range, and 4-4 from the foul line. Sophomore guard Kianna Smith is also averaging double-figures for the Bears this season and is coming off a season-high 18 points against Pacific, going 7-12 from the floor.
Friday's game marks just the second game all-time between the Golden Bears and Green Wave. The only other meeting between the programs during the 2003-04 season, a 66-61 victory for Cal in Berkeley.
Tulane is also off to an unblemished start to the year and is coming off a 63-51 win last Sunday over Washington. The Green Wave have won two of their last four games against Pac-12 foes and are 4-6 all-time against the Pac-12.
The Green Wave are the second opponent Cal is facing this season from the American Athletic Conference. The Golden Bears opened the 2018-19 campaign with an 80-79 victory at home over Houston on November 6, and will play another AAC foe – UConn – on December 22 at Haas Pavilion.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's game against the Green Wave can be viewed via live stream and live stats will also be available. Fans can receive additional in-game updates and behind-the-scenes information by following the Bears social media accounts (Twitter: @CalWBBall, Instagram: @CalWBBall).
SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE
At 3-0, Tulane is off to its best start since the 2014-15 season and has registered two victories over Power 5 opponents.
After opening the year with a 62-56 win over Texas Southern, the Green Wave knocked off LSU on the road, beating the Lady Tigers, 56-54. Tulane followed up with win over LSU with a 63-51 win over Washington on Sunday, led by a career-high 22 points from sophomore Sierra Cheatham. Cheatham leads the Green Wave in scoring this season at 13.0 points per game and is one of three players averaging double-figures this season. Guard Kayla Manuirirangi and forward Krystal Freeman are both averaging 11.3 points per game for Tulane, while Freeman also leads the squad in rebounding with 5.0 rebounds per game.
The Green Wave are one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation this season, shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc this season, which ranks 13th in Division I. Cheatham and Manuirirangi are the team's top three-point threats this season, combining for 19 made three-pointers on the season. Cheatham is shooting 56.3 percent (9-16) from beyond the arc this season while Manuirirangi is just a shade behind at 55.6 percent (10-18).
Tulane has also been stout defensively, holding opponents to an average of 53.7 points per game and forcing 21 turnovers per game.
Head coach Lisa Stockton is in her 25th season at the helm of the Tulane program, and has amassed 496 victories during her time with the Green Wave. Tulane returns three starters and nine letterwinners from last year's squad that went 14-17.
UP NEXT
Cal will continues the San Diego Thanksgiving Tournament with a Saturday matchup against the hosts. The Golden Bears will take on the Toreros at 4 p.m. PT, marking the second meeting between the teams in the last two seasons. Cal and San Diego played last season in Berkeley, with the Golden Bears winning 89-64, led by 26 points from Anigwe and 13 points from Thomas. The victory over the Toreros was the 200th career victory for Cal head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who picked up her first-ever win as Division I head coach on November 16, 2008, playing against the Toreros while at the helm of UC Santa Barbara. San Diego is 1-2 on the season and faces Cleveland State on Friday at 2 p.m. PT.
2018-19 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Season, group and single-game tickets for the 2018-19 women's basketball season are now on sale. Season tickets start as low as $40 ($2.67 per game, 15 home games) for youth and seniors and $80 ($5.33 per game, 15 home games) for adult general admission tickets. Single-game tickets are available starting at $4 for youth and seniors and $5 for adult, while group rates begin at $3 per seat for groups of 10 or more. 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).
