The California women's basketball team looks to extend its unblemished 3-0 record when it heads north to take on Gonzaga at the McCarthy Athletics Center on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT. This game marks just the second all-time meeting between the two programs and will serve as a rematch of last year's contest that the then-No. 23 Zags (1-1) won 78-70 in overtime at Haas Pavilion.
 
In last year's matchup, the second half was extremely tight, including nine ties and six lead changes. Marta Suárez drained a 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to get the Bears within a point of the lead and Leilani McIntosh hit a triple with 1:14 left in the game to put Cal up two, but the Zags hit a jumper with 30 seconds left to force overtime.
Gonzaga is led by 11th-year head coach Lisa Fortier who led the Zags to a 32-4 record in 2023-24 and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Gonzaga is coming off a loss to Stanford on Sunday and is led by fifth-year forward Yvonne Ejim, who has been named to multiple preseason watch lists including the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year, the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, and Becky Hammon Player of the Year.
 
Thursday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Greg Heister and Stephanie Hawk-Freeman on the call.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Thursday, Nov. 14 | 6 p.m. PT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
QUICK HITS

• In the 82-53 win over San Jose State State on Saturday:
  • The duo of Ioanna Krimili and Lulu Twidale, who coming into the game both ranked in the top five in the country in 3-pointers made, added three triples each for 18 and 14 points respectively.
  • Kayla Williams had her best offensive outing as a Bear as she poured in 16 points, which included three triples of her own.
  • Michelle Onyiah set the tone early, grabbing eight rebounds in the first half alone before finishing with 10 boards and eight points.
  • Natalia Ackerman continued to make her presence felt off the bench, adding eight points, seven rebounds and three steals in just 13 minutes played.
  • The Bears held the Spartans to just six points on 18.2% shooting in the third quarter.
• The Bears received six votes in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll (Oct. 24).
• Krimili is currently the nation's leader in both career triples (348) and most career games with at least five made 3-pointers (24).
• Krimili and Twidale are off to a hot start from beyond the arc. They've connected on 11 each, which is tied for fourth in the nation; they are both shooting over 48% from downtown and 50% from the field.
• Cal is the only school in the country to have two players rank in the top five nationally for 3-pointers made through the first week of play.
• Twidale is just one of four players in the nation to average over 50% from both the field and 3-point range (min. 20 attempts)
• Ackerman has been incredibly productive off the bench. She is averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 11.0 minutes per game. She is also 8-for-9 from the field during that span.
• Onyiah is currently seven blocks away from taking the fifth spot on Cal's all-time list. She would pass recent graduate Evelien Lutje Schipholt ('22).
• Cal has reached the 80-point mark in the first three games of the season for the first time since the 2012-13 season. It has also held each of the first three opponents to under 60 points during that span for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
• Cal has hit 33 triples this season, which rank third in the nation after the first week of play (through Nov. 10).
• The Bears have put up a combined 178 points through the first two games of the season, which is their most through the first two games of a campaign since putting up 183 in the first two games off the 1994-95 season.

 
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