Bears To Battle No. 7 Bruins - California Golden Bears Athletics

BERKELEY – The California women's basketball team (13-8, 3-6 Pac-12) will host a pair of Top-25 Southern California schools this week, beginning with No. 7 UCLA Friday at 7 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion.

Friday's contest marks the team's annual Play4Kay pink game where the team will be raising money for the Play4Kay Pledge for Points Drive. Fans can support the team by making a pledge for points against UCLA and USC on Sunday or by making a one-time flat donation throughout the month of February. All proceeds of the Play4Kay Pledge It Playoff will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Every pledge will help to make an impact on the fight against all cancers affecting women.

The late Kay Yow was the head coach of the North Carolina State University women's basketball team and past president and founding member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. She passed away in 2009, after a 22-year, on-again, off-again battle with the disease. Coach Yow fought that battle in the public arena. Her hope was to inspire others to make a difference in a fight that impacts everyone.

A win over the Bruins would mark the Golden Bears' first home win over a Top-10 team since they defeated then-No. 8 Stanford, 81-80, on Jan. 31, 2019.

This game marks the 83rd all-time meeting between the programs with UCLA (16-3, 5-3) owning a 59-23 series lead, which dates back to the 1978-79 season. The Bruins have won the last 11 matchups, with the Bears' last win coming in an 80-77 victory on Feb. 3, 2017, at Haas Pavilion.

UCLA is led by 13th-year head coach Cori Close, who guided the team to the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament title game and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins are led by Lauren Betts, who was named to the Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 List, and Charisma Osborne, who was named to the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award Top 10 List.

In the most recent contest between the teams at Haas Pavilion last February, the Bruins controlled the glass 48-28 and used 20 offensive rebounds to build a 15-point lead at the half. The Bears fought back, however, using a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to get within single digits but were unable to complete the comeback, falling 67-54.

Sunday's game will air on Pac-12 Los Angeles with Krista Blunk and Charli Thorne on the call.

GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Friday, Feb. 2 | 7 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: Pac-12 Los Angeles

QUICK HITS

In the loss at Arizona State (Jan. 28):
- Ioanna Krimili had season highs of six 3-pointers (6-of-10) and six assists.
- Michelle Onyiah just missed a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds.
- Mia Mastrov played a season-high 27 minutes and chipped in 12 points.
- Leilani McIntosh nailed three triples, marking the fifth game in her last six hitting multiple shots from beyond the arc.
- The Bears totaled double-digits in 3-point makes (12) for the fourth straight game.
Cal's next win will mark the most in a season under head coach Charmin Smith (finished 13-17 last season).
Cal is 11-2 when scoring at least 70 points.

Player Notes

Krimili is one of just two active players in the country with career averages of at least 17.0 points per game and 40% shooting from 3-point range over at least three seasons. The other is UConn's Paige Bueckers.
Krimili leads the Pac-12 during conference play for 3PM (29) and is currently third (behind Caitlyn Clark, Iowa, and Abby Hsu, Colombia) among all active players in the country for career 3-pointers made per game (2.8) and eighth for total 3PM (313).
Krimili is tied for second among all active players in the country for most career games with at least five 3PM (22).
- Caitlyn Clark, Iowa – 36
- Ioanna Krimili – 23
- Abby Hsu, Columbia – 23
- Sara Scalia, Indiana – 20
- Hannah Jump, Stanford - 19
For the month of January (through Jan. 30), Krimili is third in the nation in 3PM (27).
Krimili is just 20 points away from the 2,000-point club, a milestone only 16 active players in the country have achieved.
Krimili and McIntosh are the Pac-12's top 3-point shooting duo during conference play, having combined for 43 makes from beyond the arc.
McKayla Williams' 6.6 rebounds per game average is second on the team and ranks third among all guards in the Pac-12 and 15th overall. Her 41 offensive rebounds lead all guards in the Pac-12 and rank 13th overall.
Onyiah has been effective on the glass when she has been on the floor. While averaging just 18.6 minutes per game, she ranks 17th in the Pac-12 in rebounding (6.4). She is one of only two players in the conference who aren't full-time starters in the top 20.
Marta Suárez's versatility at the forward position has been on display all year as her 27 made 3-pointers rank third in the Pac-12 and 35th in the country among all forwards.
McIntosh is on pace to average her most assists per game for a season. Her 5.5 assists per game rank second in the Pac-12 and 28th in the country.
McIntosh is just 33 points away from joining the 1,000-point club.
McIntosh is 1 of 5 players in the nation to average at least 10 PPG, 5.5 APG, 1.8 SPG and shoot 40.0% from 3-point range. She is also 1 of 8 players in the country with at least 115 assists and 35 steals.
Over her last five games, McIntosh is shooting 52.4% from deep. She has hit multiple 3-pointers in nine of 12 games played this season.
McIntosh is the only player in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in both assists and steals while shooting 40% from deep.
After hitting multiple 3-pointers in just four of the first 15 games this season, Kemery Martin has done it in three of the last six.

Team Notes

Cal has hit double-digit 3-pointers in four straight games, the longest active streak in the Pac-12.
The Bears have secured 20+ offensive rebounds in five games this season – the most of any Pac-12 team. The next closest team is Washington with two.
The Bears are giving up 64.1 points per game, their lowest total since the 2014-15 season when they gave up 62.6 points per game.
Three Bears rank in the top 15 in total rebounds in the Pac-12 - more than any other school. Suarez (10th: 139), Williams (12th: 138) and Onyiah (14th: 135).
Four or more different players scored in double figures in eight games this season, a significant improvement from last season when four players scored in double figures just four times all year.
The Bears have had 10 or more steals in eight games this season, beating their total (2) from all of last year.
The Bears have hit 10 or more 3-pointers in nine games, surpassing last year's total in which they hit double-figure 3-pointers in just one game. That total is second in the Pac-12 behind Utah, who has reached 10+ triples in 13 games.

Pac-12 Leaders as of Jan. 30 (all games):

Assists per game - McIntosh, 2nd (5.5)
Steals per game – McIntosh, 9th (1.8)
Total rebounds – Suarez, 10th (139); Williams, 12th (138) and Onyiah, 14th (135)
3PM per game – Krimili, 1st (3.1)
Cal 3PM – 2nd (178)

NEXT UP
Cal stays home to face No. 15 USC on Saturday at 12 p.m.

STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal women's basketball, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWBBall), Instagram (@CalWBBball) and Facebook (/CalWBBall/).

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Players Mentioned

Ioanna Krimili

Mia Mastrov

Leilani McIntosh

McKayla Williams