WBB12/28/2018 8:42 PM | By: Cal Athletics
Cal Hosts Harvard In Non-Conference Finale
Bears Take On Crimson For Final Game Of Non-Conference Slate
BERKELEY – The Cal women's basketball team closes out its non-conference campaign at home on Sunday, hosting Harvard at 2 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion. The Golden Bears (9-1, 0-0 Pac-12) take on the Crimson (6-6, 0-0 Ivy) in just the second meeting all-time between the programs in Cal's final tune-up before opening conference play on January 4 against UCLA (7 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion).
The Bears look to bounce back after suffering their first defeat of the season, falling to top-ranked UConn, 76-66, on December 22. The hard-fought defeat saw the Bears erase a 17-point second half deficit to draw within six with over a minute to play in the fourth quarter. However, the 11-time NCAA champions held on for the win, snapping Cal's nine-game winning streak.
Senior Asha Thomas paced the Bears with a season-high 22 points in the loss to the Huskies, going 6-13 from beyond the arc while also adding five rebounds and two assists in 40 minutes of action. Graduate transfer Recee Caldwell added 11 points and four assists for the Bears, who went 6-10 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. Kianna Smith also chipped in 10 points for Cal while senior center/forward Kristine Anigwe finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season, the only player in Division I basketball with a double-double in every game this year.
Playing their third game of a five-game homestand, the Bears look to continue their streak of success at Haas Pavilion. Cal has won nine of its last 11 home games dating back to last season, with the only two losses coming against Top 25 opponents.
Cal aims to close out a successful non-conference campaign in which the Bears have showcased both their depth and experience. Anigwe, Caldwell, and Thomas have all put together 20-point performances for the Bears while seven different players have scored in double-figures at least once this season. Defensively, the Bears rank among the Pac-12 leaders in both rebounding (4th – 42.7 rebounds per game) and blocked shots (4th – 4.4 blocked shots per game). Anigwe, who became just the third player in Cal Basketball history to amass both 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, ranks second in the nation in rebounding at 13.7 rebounds per game and is tenth in the nation in scoring at 22.2 points per game.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Sunday's game against the Crimson can be viewed on the Pac-12 live stream, with live stats also available along with audio coverage from KALX Radio. 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 CRIMSON
Harvard heads west on a two-game winning streak, beating Rhode Island on the road, 80-47, on Friday evening. Junior Jeannie Boehm led the Crimson with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double while four other players scored in double-figures in the win.
The Crimson already completed one successful trip to California earlier in the season, beating both Jacksonville State and CSUN over the Thanksgiving break to win the 2018 Warner Center Marriott Thanksgiving Basketball Classic. Harvard topped CSUN, 75-55, in the championship game behind a 17-point performance from Tournament MVP Jadyn Bush.
Bush, a sophomore forward, is one of three players averaging double-figures for the Crimson this season. Junior Katie Benzan, a First Team All-Ivy selection last season, leads the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game and is also adding 4.6 assists per game on the year. Senior guard Sydney Skinner is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game while Bush leads the Crimson with 9.0 rebounds per game while also adding 10.8 points per contest.
Sunday's game against Cal will be Harvard's second game this season against a Top-25 opponent, opening the 2018-19 campaign against then-No. 1 Notre Dame.
Head coach Kathy Delany-Smith is in her 37th season at the helm of the Harvard program, amassing nearly 591 wins during her tenure. Delany-Smith returns three starters and 12 letterwinners from last season's squad that went 18-11 and reached the WNIT. The Crimson were picked to finish third in the Ivy League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
UP NEXT
Cal tips off the 2018-19 conference campaign at home, hosting UCLA at 7 p.m. PT on January 4. The series between the Bears and Bruins has been tightly contested as of late, with six of the last eight meetings between the teams being decided by single-digits and a pair of overtime affairs UCLA has won the last three meetings between the schools, including a three-point victory in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament. The Bruins are 7-5 on the season and enter conference play on a four-game winning streak, beating Cal Poly, 81-35, in their most recent outing. UCLA, who graduated a pair of WNBA draft picks in Jordin Canada and Monique Billings, opens conference play on Sunday against USC. The Bruins were picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Pac-12 Coaches Poll while the Bears were slated for fourth.
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).
