BERKELEY - The title stays in Berkeley! The Cal women's basketball team won the Cal Classic championship on Saturday, besting Long Beach State 68-45 in the tournament title game. With the win, the Golden Bears (5-2, 0-0 Pac-12) captured their first Cal Classic title since 2016 and extended their winning streak to five in a row. The Bears outscored the Beach (2-5, 0-0 Big West), 33-14 in the opening half and controlled the game from start to finish. 

Cal freshman Cailyn Crocker led all scorers with a career-high 15 points, while Alaysia Styles and Jazlen Green chipped in 12 points apiece for the Bears. Justina King led Long Beach State with 13 points on the afternoon.

Penn State finished third overall in two-day tournament, beating North Carolina Central, 92-68, in the consolation game.

"It's good to have that feeling of winning a championship, even if it is our own Cal Classic," said Cal head coach Charmin Smith. "Having to play back-to-back games and come out and compete, I think we did a good job. It was a good team effort both days and we had moments where we were really good. Holding [Long Beach] to seven points in two consecutive quarters, that's impressive against any Division I team. I thought our defense was phenomenal in the first half."
The Bears got off to a hot start in Saturday's championship game, outscoring Long Beach State, 22-7, in the opening frame. Cal shot 62 percent (8-13) from the floor in the first quarter while holding Beach to just seven points on 2-of-6 shooting from the floor. Active and aggressive, Cal's defense forced the visitors from Long Beach into 12 turnovers in the first quarter alone, which the Bears converted into seven points. The Bears offense was powered by Crocker in the opening half, as the freshman went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and tallied seven of her game-high 15 points in the opening quarter of play.

The Bears' defense remained stout in the second quarter, holding the visitors scoreless for a stretch of more than six minutes. The fourteen points allowed in the first half are the fewest the Bears have allowed in any half this season, en route to allowing a season-low 45 points on the afternoon.
Defensively, the Bears finished the day with five blocked shots – led by two each from Styles and freshman forward Evelien Lutje Schipholt – and dominated on the glass, outrebounding Long Beach State by a final margin of 45-23. Freshman guard Leilani McIntosh – who ranks among the Pac-12 leaders in steals – finished the day with three steals and a career-high eight assists.

Both teams struggled to find their footing in the early stages of the second half, before eventually settling back into a rhythm. Styles, who had 15 points in Friday's win over North Carolina Central, scored 11 of her 12 points in the second half, including a stretch of six consecutive points to start the fourth quarter. Freshman guard Jazlen Green, who also posted double-figures against the Eagles, went a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the second half and finished the game with a career-best 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three.

Styles and Crocker were named to the All-Tournament Team while senior Jaelyn Brown – who had a game-high 20 points in the opener vs North Carolina Central and added eight points, three assists, and three rebounds on Saturday – was named the Cal Classic MVP. Justina King (Long Beach State), Kamaria McDaniel (Penn State), and Kieche White (North Carolina Central) rounded out the All-Tournament Team.

Cal returns to action next Saturday, hosting Boston University (3-2, 0-0- Patriot League) at 2 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion. Cal is unbeaten on the season at Haas Pavilion and has won six straight at home, dating back to the end of last season.

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

2019 Cal Classic MVP
Jaelyn Brown (Cal)

2019 Cal Classic All-Tournament Team
Cailyn Crocker (Cal)
Alaysia Styles (Cal)
Justina King (Long Beach State)
Kamaria McDaniel (Penn State)
Kieche White (North Carolina Central)