BERKELEY – Following Friday night's overtime loss to UCLA, Cal senior Kristine Anigwe had a singular focus.

"Next game has to be a win," said Anigwe, a three-time All-American. "I don't see anything else."

Anigwe and the Golden Bears made good on that assertion on Sunday afternoon, beating USC, 66-59, at Haas Pavilion. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bears (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12)  and marked the team's first win of the 2018-19 conference campaign. Cal led by as many as 18 points late in the third quarter, but withstood an frantic comeback attempt by the Women of Troy (10-4, 0-3 Pac-12) in the fourth quarter.

Anigwe, who had 32 points and 14 rebounds on Friday against the Bruins, continued to make her case as one of the top post players in the nation, finishing with 21 points and 16 rebounds in 28 minutes of action. The double-double was Anigwe's 13^th of the season and her 14^th consecutive overall. The 6'4" senior leads Division I in rebounding this season, averaging 13.9 rebounds per game.

USC senior Mariya Moore, who sat out last season after transferring from Louisville, led all scorers with 36 points, connecting on 7-of-14 attempts from three point range.

Asha Thomas scored in double-figures for the Bears for the fourth consecutive game, finishing with 12 points on 4-8 shooting. McKenzie Forbes and Receé Caladwell chipped in nine points apiece for Cal, snapping the team's three-game home losing streak.

Cal came out shooting well from beyond the arc to start the game, connecting on three of its first four attempts from beyond the arc. The Bears also got strong play in the interior from Anigwe, who started the game 3-4 from the floor despite picking up two early fouls. Moore scored 10 of her 36 in the first quarter alone and beat the first quarter buzzer with a three-pointer to cut Cal's lead to 18-15 after the first 10 minutes of play.

The second quarter saw the Bears capitalize on the offensive glass, outscoring the women of Tory, 7-0, on second chance points in the first half alone. Cal held an overall advantage of 37-31 in rebounding for the game and took a six-point lead into the locker room after back-to-back three-pointers by Forbes and Thomas to end the quarter.

As has been common this season, Cal took charge of the game in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 15-4 run. The Bears outscored the Trojans in the paint, 14-4, in the third quarter and scored nine points off of four USC turnovers.

However, the visitors from Los Angeles would not go away, and USC went on a 19-8 run to draw within four with less than a minute to play. But the Bears were able to get crucial stops down the stretch and put the game away at the foul line, earning their fifth win in a row over the Women of Troy.


Cal will head south next week for its first road trip of Pac-12 play. The Bears take on Arizona on Friday (7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT) before a Sunday meeting with No. 22 Arizona State (5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT). Both games will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks. The Bears are 4-0 on the road this season and have won six straight away games dating back to last season, tied for the fifth-longest active road winning streak in the nation. Cal went 8-6 overall on the road last season, including a 4-5 mark in conference play.

For more information and updates throughout the season, follow the team on Twitter (@CalWBball), Instagram (@CalWBball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWBball).