PULLMAN – For the second straight game, Cal (11-12, 2-10) mounted a fourth-quarter rally to get back in the game but ultimately fell to Washington State (16-7, 6-6), 70-60, at Beasley Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. The Bears were down by as much as 14 points in the fourth quarter but used an 11-3 run capped off by a Jayda Curry 3-pointer with about four minutes left to cut it to six. Karisma Ortiz hit a pair of free-throws a couple minutes later to bring the Bears within five, but that was as close as they would come. Kemery Martín grabbed a career-high nine rebounds to go along with 11 points, just missing out on her first-ever double-double.
 
"I think we were knocking down shots," Cal head coach Charmin Smith said. "I think we were strong offensively. But we weren't doing a great job of rebounding. We were giving them opportunities that they didn't convert on and then I think in the second half, they actually just converted on those opportunities where they missed some easy ones in the first half."
 
After Cal opened the game with two quick buckets, Washington State went on a 7-0 run that was finally ended by a Peanut Tuitele 3-pointer. Claudia Langarita hit a turnaround jumper that tied the game at the end of the first. In the second quarter, Cal used a 7-0 run that was helped by three Cougar turnovers to take a six-point lead midway through, but Washington State countered with back-to-back buckets and a 3-pointer from the game's leading scorer, Charlisse Leger-Walker, and eventually tied the game. On Cal's last possession of the half, Martín was able to take the ball coast-to-coast for a layup to give the Bears a two-point lead heading into the break. Cal totaled 16 paint points and 10 assists in the half.
 
The game turned in the third quarter, as the Cougars took control of the game with a 9-0 run midway through that was ended by a Martín 3-pointer to cut the deficit to just three points. Washington State further increased its lead, ending the quarter on a 19-4 run to go up nine points heading into the final frame. The Cougars got up by 14 points in the fourth with 6:41 to go before Cal responded with an 11-3 run capped by Curry's first 3-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to six points and got to within five points with just under two minutes, but was not able to get over the hump.
 
Curry's 3-pointer moved her into a tie for first place in Pac-12 history for the longest streak of consecutive regular-season games with a made three at 45 games along with former USC Trojan Shay Murphy.
 
Washington State was led by Leger-Walker's game-high 25 points. `
 
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California: The Bears play at Arizona State on Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.  
 
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