Mollie McClure/McClure Photography
Kristine Anigwe finished off her brilliant career as Cal's all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocked shots.
WBB3/25/2019 7:53 PM | By: Cal Athletics
Bears Season Ends With Loss To Baylor
Cal Can't Keep Pace With Nation's No. 1 Team
WACO, Texas – Sophomore
Kianna Smith scored 18 points and senior
Kristine Anigwe finished off her incomparable career with 13 points and five rebounds but the eighth-seeded Cal women's basketball team couldn't keep up with No. 1 Baylor in a 102-63 loss Monday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Graduate transfer Recee Caldwell added 12 points and five assists and junior
Jaelyn Brown had eight points and five rebounds for the Bears (20-13), who fell to Baylor in the second round of the tournament for the second time in three years.
In Anigwe's final collegiate game, she set yet another record. Cal's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots finished as the program's new leader in single-season scoring. In the Bears' first-round victory over North Carolina on Saturday, Anigwe became the Pac-12's single-season rebounding leader.
Anigwe finishes her career ranked fourth on the Pac-12 all-time scoring list and third in career rebounding – one of only two players in conference history to finish a career in the top-5 of both categories.
"The kid has had a year that should be in the history books," Cal head coach
Lindsay Gottlieb said. "It will be in the history books of women's college basketball."
The Bears got off to a strong start, going toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the country throughout the first quarter. Smith came up with a steal and running bank shot with three minutes left in the first period that put Cal in front 12-10.
Cal trailed just 19-16 heading into the second quarter, but Baylor began the period on a 20-2 run to take control of the contest.
"Regardless of the score, I am extremely proud of our young women," Gottlieb said. "I thought how they handled themselves at the start of the game when it was close and we had the lead, and even more so when it got away from us is a credit to them."
Along with Anigwe, Monday's loss marked the end of the careers of Caldwell,
Asha Thomas and
Mo Mosley.
"Of course, we don't like the outcome of this," Thomas said. "I would say to get to this point with my teammates, my family – there is no better feeling knowing you do what you could do. Throughout these four years – not just this game – it's definitely been a blessing, connection, sisterhood. That's something I'll have for the rest of my life. I don't think I'll regret anything that I have right now."
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