Cal To Clash With Arizona

The California women's basketball team (16-11, 6-9 Pac-12) will look to avenge its loss from earlier this season to Arizona (15-12, 7-8) when it hosts the Wildcats on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion. The Golden Bears will look to snap a six-game losing streak to Arizona.

During a pregame ceremony, Cal will celebrate seven seniors – Alma Elsnitz, Ila Lane, Kemery Martín, Leilani McIntosh, Ornela Muca, Michelle Onyiah and McKayla Williams.

This game marks the 76th all-time meeting between the programs with Cal having a 38-37 series lead, which dates back to the 1978-79 season. The Bears' last win in the series came in a 55-54 victory at Arizona on March 1, 2020. Cal's last home win against Arizona came in an 82-76 victory on Feb. 24, 2019.

After defeating Arizona State on Friday, a win against the Wildcats would give the Bears their first home sweep of the Arizona schools since the 2018-19 season.

Arizona is led by eighth-year head coach Adia Barnes who led the program to its tenth NCAA Tournament berth and its fifth 20-win season in as many years in 2022-23. The Wildcats return five players from last year's team including Kailyn Gilbert who leads the team in scoring (15.1) and Helena Pueyo who is ranked seventh in the country in steals (83).

In the most recent contest between the teams at the McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, Arizona in January, the Bears kept the Wildcats at bay for a majority of the first half taking a three-point lead into the break. It was the third quarter that proved to be the difference in the game as Arizona outscored Cal 23-11 to help secure the 66-55 win.

Sunday's game will air on Pac-12 Arizona with Krista Blunk and Mary Murphy on the call.

GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Sunday, Feb. 25 | 12 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: Pac-12 Arizona

QUICK HITS

In the win against Arizona State (Feb. 23):
- McIntosh reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career and also moved up to the third spot on Cal's all-time career assists list. She finished with a solid all-around effort of 12 points, six assists and seven rebounds.
- Onyiah posted her third double-double of the season with 17 (7-of-10) points and 11 rebounds.
- Marta Suárez nearly had a double-double with a conference season-high 21 points and nine rebounds while adding a career-high five assists.
- The Bears held the Sun Devils to 38.1% from the field - the second lowest of any opponent during conference play this year.
The 15 overall and six conference wins mark the most under head coach Charmin Smith (finished 13-17, 4-14 last season).
In 4 of the 7 games against ranked opponents this season, the Bears have had a lead or been within single digits in the fourth quarter.
Cal is 13-0 this season when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points.

Player Notes

Ioanna Krimili is 1 of just 2 active players in the country with career averages of at least 17.5 points per game and 40% 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 (44) and even with missing nine games this season, Krimili is seventh in the Pac-12 for 3PM (52) for the season. She is just six away from passing Alexis Gray-Lawson and Liz Rizzo for the 10th spot on Cal's all-time single-season list.
Krimili 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 (327).
Krimili is second among all active players in the country for most career games with at least five 3PM (23):
- Caitlyn Clark, Iowa – 39
- Ioanna Krimili – 24
- Abby Hsu, Columbia – 23
- Sara Scalia, Indiana – 21
- Hannah Jump, Stanford - 19
Krimili is 1 of 11 players in the nation to shoot at least 44% from the field, 43% from deep and 80% from the free throw line while averaging at least 14.5 points per game.
Over her last six games, Krimili is averaging 3.0 3PM per game on 50.0% shooting. That clip ranks fifth in the country over that span (min. 40 attempts).
Krimili's six 20-point games during conference play are third in the conference behind USC's Juju Watkins (11) and Arizona State's Jalyn Brown (8).
Krimili and McIntosh are the Pac-12's top 3-point shooting duo during conference play having combined for 66 makes from beyond the arc.
Williams' 43 offensive rebounds lead all guards in the Pac-12 and rank 20th overall.
Michelle Onyiah has been effective on the glass when she has been on the floor. While averaging just 18.8 minutes per game she ranks 15th in the Pac-12 in rebounding (6.5). She is the only player in the top 25 in the conference averaging under 20 minutes a contest.
Onyiah's 78 offensive rebounds rank fifth in the conference.
Onyiah is currently tied for third in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at 57.4%. During conference play she leads the Pac-12 at 64.3%.
Suárez's versatility at the forward position has been on display all year as her 34 made 3-pointers rank fourth in the Pac-12 and 40th in the country among all forwards.
McIntosh is on pace to average her most assists per game for a season. Her 5.2 assists per game rank second in the Pac-12 and her 141 total assists rank 25th in the country.
McIntosh is 1 of only 3 players in the nation to average at least 10 PPG, 5.0 APG, 1.5 SPG and shoot 40.0% from 3-point range. She is the only player to do it from a major conference.
Over her last 11 games, McIntosh is shooting 45.2% from deep.
McIntosh is just three triples away from passing Courtney Range for ninth on Cal's all-time career 3-pointers list.
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.

Team Notes

This is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in program history. The 222 made triples are the second most in Cal history since 1999, only behind the 2018-19 team that hit 239.
Cal has hit double-digit 3-pointers in five of the last 10 games - the most of any Pac-12 team during that span and eighth most in the country (since Jan. 19). The five games with 10+ triples during conference play are second behind Utah (6) for the most 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 teams are Washington and UCLA with two.
The Bears are giving up 65.1 points per game, their lowest total since the 2016-17 season when they gave up 65.1 points per game.
Cal is the only team in the Pac-12 with three players who rank in the top 20 in total rebounds: Suarez (11th: 177), Onyiah (12th: 175) and Williams (17th: 151).
Four or more different players scored in double figures in nine games this season, a significant improvement from last season when four players scored in double figures just four times all season.
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 10 games, surpassing last year's total in which they hit double-figure 3-pointers in just one game.

Pac-12 Leaders as of Feb. 19 (all games):

3PM per game – Krimili, 1st (3.0)
Assists per game - McIntosh, 2nd (5.2)
Steals per game – McIntosh, 12th (1.7)
Total rebounds – Suárez, 11th (168); Onyiah, 12th (164) and Williams, 17th (151)
Cal 3PM – 2nd (215)

NEXT UP
Cal heads on the road to take on Oregon on Friday at 7 p.m. PT.

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

Alma Elsnitz

Ioanna Krimili

Ila Lane

Leilani McIntosh

Ornela Muca

McKayla Williams

California Golden Bears Athletics