WBB2/10/2018 3:06 PM | By: Cal Athletics
Cal Looks To Continue Momentum Vs Utah
BERKELEY – Following a thrilling finish Friday night that saw the Golden Bears pull out a 78-76 win over Colorado, the Cal women's basketball team looks to keep that momentum going on Sunday, hosting Utah at 2 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion.
One of two remaining home games for the Bears (16-8, 7-6 Pac-12) Sunday's contest vs the Utes (15-9, 6-7 Pac-12) has major implications for the Pac-12 standings. The teams entered the weekend tied for sixth in the Pac-12 table before Cal's win and a Utah loss at Stanford gave the Bears a one-game lead in conference standings. The Bears can gain further separation with a win on Sunday, but to do so will need to snap a four-game losing streak to Utes in regular season play.
Utah swept both meetings between the teams last season, including a 73-64 victory at Haas Pavilion on February 10, 2017, the most recent meeting between the teams. Kristine Anigwe led the Bears with 22 points, but it was not enough to overcome an efficient offensive outing from the Utes, who had four different players in double-figures while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 43 percent (6-14) from beyond the arc.
However, the Bears have already avenged one loss to the Mountain schools, topping Colorado in a down-to-the-wire contest on Friday night. Five different players scored in double-figures for the Golden Bears, led by 18 points from Asha Thomas and 17 points from Mikayla Cowling. With the victory, Cal secured a winning season for the sixth time in seven seasons under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and surpassed its conference win total from each of the previous two seasons.
Utah is looking to rebound from a 70-49 loss at Stanford on Friday night. One of the top offenses in the Pac-12, the Utes were held to fewer than 50 points for just the second time this season and suffered their fourth loss in the last five games.
The final game in Cal's annual Breast Health Awareness Weekend, a silent auction will be held during the game, with all proceeds benefitting Play4Kay and Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS). Admission is $3 for fans wearing pink.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Sunday's game can be viewed live 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
The Golden Bears snapped a three-game skid in dramatic fashion, pulling out a 78-76 win over visiting Colorado on Friday night at Haas Pavilion. The down-to-the-wire contest saw 14 ties and 15 lead changes before junior guard Asha Thomas gave the Golden Bears the lead for good, knocking down a pair of three throws with 32 seconds left to play. Senior Mikayla Cowling added another from the charity stripe with :03 left on the clock and the Bears' defense held the Buffaloes scoreless for the final 1:26 of the game.
Thomas led the Bears with 18 points and went a career-best 8-8 from the foul line while Cowling scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half. Cal ended the night with five players in double-figures, with Kristine Anigwe (14 points), Jaelyn Brown (13 points), and Penina Davidson (10 points) all giving the Bears valuable contributions. Colorado's Zoe Correal led all scorers with 20 points while Alexis Robinson added 19 points for the visiting Buffs.
In the end, offensive rebounding and free throws proved pivotal for Cal. The Golden Bears finished the game 13-15 from the charity stripe and grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, which they converted into eight second chance points.
Thomas, the top free throw shooter in the Pac-12, scored 15 of her team-high 18 points in the second half while Cowling, who had just 15 points in her previous three games combined, stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points on 8-14 shooting, also adding seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Davidson grabbed a game-high five offensive rebounds and finished one rebound shy of her fourth double-double of the season while Anigwe matched her season-best with three blocked shots, adding 14 points on a 6-8 performance from the floor.
SCOUTING THE UTES
Having lost four of their last five games in conference play, Utah looks to rebound from a 21-point loss Friday night on the Farm. Seventeenth-ranked Stanford held Utah to just 15 points in the first half, as the Utes shot 18 percent (4-22) from the floor in the opening half. Posts Emily Potter and Daneesha Provo scored 12 points and 14 points, respectively, in the loss, as Utah suffered its first road defeat in Pac-12 play.
The Utes are averaging 69.4 points per game in Pac-12 play this season, good for third overall in the conference. Megan Huff, a junior transfer from Hawai'i, leads the team in both scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. A junior wing, Provo is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game while Potter, a 6'6" All-Pac-12 selection, adds 11.7 points and 1.9 blocked shots per game.
Utah opened the 2017-18 conference slate at 3-1, but has since registered just three wins in its last nine games. However, the Utes have found plenty of success on the road, going 5-1 away from home during Pac-12 play, tied for the best mark in the conference this season. Now in her third season as head coach of the Utes, Lynne Roberts returns three starters from last season's team that went 16-15 last year, making back-to-back appearances in the WNIT. Utah was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll.
UP NEXT
The Bears play their final games of the regular season in the Bay Area next week, taking on Stanford in the annual Battle of the Bay. The first leg of the rivalry will be played on Thursday night at Maples Pavilion, with the teams tipping off at 7 p.m. PT on the Farm. The second leg will be played on Saturday, February 17, at 2:30 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion. The Bears are looking to snap a streak of five consecutive losses to the Cardinal. Cal's last win in the series came on February 22, 2015, winning 63-53 at Maples Pavilion.
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).
