Cal at No. 14 Stanford
Thursday, Feb. 15 | 7 PM PT | Maples Pavilion | Stanford, CA | Pac-12 Networks
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STANFORD, California – On April 4, 1896, Cal and Stanford squared off at San Francisco's Page Street Armory for the first ever intercollegiate women's basketball game. The storied rivalry continues on Thursday night, as the Golden Bears (17-8, 8-6 Pac-12) head to the South Bay for a 7 p.m. tip off vs the Cardinal (18-8, 12-2 Pac-12). Thursday night's game will be the first of two meetings between the teams in the span of three days, with the series returning to Berkeley on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. PT matchup at Haas Pavilion.

Cal heads to Maples Pavilion on a two-game winning streak, coming off a weekend sweep of Colorado and Utah at Haas Pavilion. After offensive struggles during a three-game losing streak, the Bears' offense got back on track over the weekend, scoring 78 points in last Friday's thrilling win over Colorado followed by 84 points on Sunday against Utah. Junior guard Asha Thomas averaged 20 points per game on the weekend while classmate and Naismith Trophy Late Season Watch List candidate Kristine Anigwe had 22 points vs the Utes and shot 75 percent (15-20) from the field on the weekend. Overall, five different players scored in double-figures for the Bears during the weekend sweep, also receiving significant offensive contributions from seniors Mikayla Cowling and Penina Davidson, and sophomore Jaelyn Brown.

The Bears will look to keep that momentum going on Thursday when they take on a Stanford squad that has allowed the fewest points per game during conference play. The Cardinal enter the weekend in a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings and are the only Pac-12 team that remains unbeaten at home during conference play, going 8-0 so far at Maples Pavilion. Stanford has won six straight overall, led by senior guard Brittany McPhee, who has averaged 22.2 points per game during the Cardinal's current win streak.

Stanford holds a 68-19 advantage all-time in the series with Cal and has won the last five head-to-head meetings between the Bay Area schools, though four of those five games have been decided by fewer than 10 points. Cal is looking for its first win vs the Cardinal since a 63-53 victory at Maples Pavilion on February 22, 2015. Then-freshmen Mikayla Cowling and Penina Davidson add 14 points as the Bears knocked off the Cardinal at home. Stanford has won eight of the last ten meetings between the schools, though four of Cal's last five wins over Stanford have come on the road.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Thursday's game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with Mary Murphy and Kate Scott on the call. The matchup can also 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
Entering the week tied for sixth in the conference standings, Cal beat Utah, 84-73, on Sunday afternoon to cap off a pivotal home sweep. The Golden Bears bounced back from a three-game losing streak to complete their second weekend sweep of the season and snapped a four-game losing streak against the Utes during conference play.

Juniors Asha Thomas and Kristine Anigwe scored 22 points apiece as the Bears went off for 84 points, their most in a conference game in the last four seasons. The tandem of Thomas and Anigwe went a combined 16-22 (72.7 percent) from the floor and a perfect 10-10 from the foul line as the Bears improved to 11-3 at home on the season.

Senior Mikayla Cowling also scored in double-figures for the Bears, adding 12 points and eight assists on the afternoon. Classmate Penina Davidson grabbed a team-high seven rebound and while registering a season-high three blocked shots. Utah's Megan Huff led all scorers with 27 points on 12-21 shooting.

Coming off a thrilling win over Colorado on Friday night, Cal's offense was firing on all cylinders as the Bears erupted for 30 points in the first quarter, their most in any quarter all season. The Bears went 11-14 (78.6 percent) from the floor in the opening stanza, including a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. Cal, who led wire-to-wire against the Utes, finished the game 5-9 (55.6 percent) from beyond the arc, their highest three-point field goal percentage this season in conference play.

SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
Currently tied for first in the Pac-12 standings, Stanford has won six straight since falling at No. 13 UCLA on January 21, and is coming off  a 62-53 win over Colorado last Sunday. Senior Brittany McPhee led all scorers with 25 points on 9-14 shooting from the floor and added 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. McPhee leads the Cardinal in scoring this season at 17.9 points per game and is averaging 17.4 points per game during Pac-12 play, good for sixth in the conference.
 
Junior forward Alanna Smith is also averaging double-figures for the Cardinal this season with 12.7 points per gam and averaged 22 points per game in the two meetings with Cal last season, including a 27-point performance in the first leg of the Battle of the Bay at Haas Pavilion. Senior Kaylee Johnson leads Stanford in rebounding with 7.6 rebounds per game

The top-defensive team in the Pac-12 during conference play, Stanford is allowing an average of 56.1 points per game during  Pac-12 play and has held its opponents to 60 points or fewer in five of its last six games. Stanford is a perfect 8-0 at home in Pac-12 play this season, the only team that has yet to lose at home in conference play. The Cardinal have won 11 consecutive home games in conference play, their lost Pac-12 loss at Maples coming to UCLA on February 6, 2017

Now in her 32^nd season in Palo Alto, head coach Tara VanDerveer returns two starters and 10 letterwinners from last seasons' team that went 32-6. The Cardinal reached the Final Four before falling to eventual national champion South Carolina in the national semifinals. Stanford was tied for second in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches poll, receiving two first-place votes.

UP NEXT
Cal and Stanford will square off again less than 48 hours after Thursday's matchup, meeting at 2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday at Haas Pavilion. Cal's final home game of the regular season, the Bears will recognize seniors Mikayla Cowling and Penina Davidson briefly before the game, followed by a postgame senior ceremony. The postgame ceremony is free and open to all who attended Saturday's game. In their four years in Berkeley, Cowling and Davidson have helped Cal to a record of 76-49,  including two appearances in the second  round of the NCAA Tournament. The second leg of the Battle of the Bay is sponsored by AT&T and also marks the Bears' annual Lunar New Year celebration, with giveaways and promotions celebration the holiday.

 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.

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