Bears Head To Oregon For Final Pac-12 Weekend - California Golden Bears Athletics

BERKELEY - The California women's basketball team (16-12, 6-10 Pac-12) will look to complete a season sweep against Oregon (11-18, 2-14) when it takes on the Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT in Eugene, Oregon. A win would give the Bears their first season sweep against Oregon since the 2012-13 season.

This game marks the 81st all-time meeting between the programs, with Oregon having a 46-34 series lead, which dates back to the 1978-79 season. The Bears won the most recent matchup in January in a 66-57 win at Haas Pavilion. The last time Cal won in Eugene was on Feb. 24, 2017, in a 55-49 victory.

Oregon is led by 10th-year head coach Kelly Graves and is coming off a trip to the Great 8 in last season's WNIT. The Ducks return three starters highlighted by Phillipina Kyei, who leads the Pac-12 in double-doubles (19) and rebounding (12.3).

In the January meeting between the teams, Cal had one of its most dominant performances on the glass, pulling down 22 offensive rebounds, which led to 24 second-chance points. It was a tight game through the first three quarters with the Bears down one heading into the final frame. Cal outscored Oregon 19-9 in the fourth quarter and held the Ducks scoreless for the last three and a half minutes of the game on the way to the 66-57 win.

Thursday's game will air on Pac-12 Bay Area with Elise Woodward and Charli Turner Thorne on the call.

GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Thursday, Feb. 29 | 7 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: Pac-12 Bay Area

QUICK HITS

In the loss to Arizona (Feb. 25):
- Freshman Lulu Twidale exploded for career highs of 24 points (9 of 11) and six 3-pointers (6 of 7).
- Twidale became just the second freshman in the Pac-12 this season to hit at least six triples as well as score at least 24 points in a game. The other to do either is USC's Juju Watkins.
- Kemery Martín hit three 3-pointers for the second time in her last three games. She is shooting 53.8% from deep during that span.
- The Bears tossed in 11 triples for the 11th game this season, leaving them just six 3-pointers shy of the 239 that the 2018-19 team hit – the most in program history since 1999-00.
The 16 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 17.0 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 is currently third (behind Caitlyn Clark, Iowa, and Abbey Hsu, Columbia) among all active players in the country for career 3-pointers made per game (2.8) and eighth for total 3PM (321).
Even with missing nine games this season, Krimili is eighth in the Pac-12 for 3PM (52). She is just three away from entering Cal's all-time single-season list.
Krimili is tied for second among all active players in the country for most career games with at least five 3PM (23):
- Caitlyn Clark, Iowa – 40
- Ioanna Krimili – 24
- Abbey Hsu, Columbia – 23
- Sara Scalia, Indiana – 20
- Hannah Jump, Stanford - 19
Over her last eight games, Krimili is shooting 45.7% from deep. That clip ranks 11th in the country over that span (min. 45 attempts). Her 42.3% average from beyond the arc for the season ranks 20th in the nation (min. 120 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 Leilani McIntosh are the Pac-12's top 3-point shooting duo during conference play, having combined for 66 makes from beyond the arc.
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 146 total assists rank 27th in the country.
McIntosh is 1 of only 3 players in the nation to average at least 9.0 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 12 games, McIntosh is shooting 43.2% 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.
McKayla Williams' 44 offensive rebounds lead all guards in the Pac-12 and rank 21st overall.
Michelle Onyiah has been effective on the glass when she has been on the floor. While averaging just 18.6 minutes per game she ranks 18th in the Pac-12 in rebounding (6.3). She is the only player in the top 25 in the conference averaging under 20 minutes a contest.
Onyiah's 79 offensive rebounds rank fifth in the conference.
Onyiah is currently tied for third in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at 58.8%. During conference play she leads the Pac-12 at 66.3%. She is shooting at 80.0% over her last three games and 74.1% over her last eight.
Marta 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 44th in the country among all forwards.

Team Notes

This is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in program history. The 233 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 six of the last 11 games - the most of any Pac-12 team during that span and sixth most in the country (since Jan. 19). The six games with 10+ triples during conference play are tied with Utah 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 65.9 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: Suárez (11th: 179), Onyiah (13th: 177) and Williams (19th: 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 11 games, surpassing last year's total in which they hit double-figure 3-pointers in just one game. That total is also the most games in program history since 1999-00.

Pac-12 Leaders as of Feb. 26 (all games):

3PM per game – Krimili, 1st (2.7)
Field goal percentage – Onyiah, 3rd (58.8)
Offensive rebounds – Onyiah, 5th (79)
Assists per game - McIntosh, 2nd (5.2)
Steals per game – McIntosh, 12th (1.7)
Total rebounds – Suárez, 11th (179); Onyiah, 13th (177) and Williams, 19th (151)
Cal 3PM – 2nd (233)

NEXT UP
Cal concludes the Pac-12 regular season at No. 11 Oregon State on Saturday at noon PT.