BERKELEY -- The Cal Classic, presented this year by Four Points Sheraton, is back in Haas Pavilion for the 37th year and features No. 18/17 Cal plus Saint Mary's, Sacramento State and Villanova.
The action gets underway Saturday in a battle between two Bay Area squads in Cal vs. Saint Mary's at 2 p.m., followed by Sacramento State vs. Villanova at 4 p.m. The winner of each of the two games advances to Sunday's championship game, set for 3 p.m. A consolation game will be played prior to the championship game at 1 p.m.
A live stream will be available for all games in which Cal is playing in on CalBears.com. Live stats can also be accessed at CalBears.com. Follow the @CalWBball twitter and Instagram accounts for updates along with behind-the-scenes photos and information.
FAST FACTS
• The Cal Classic has been held every year since 1978 except in 1982 and 2013.
• Cal has played in the Cal Classic championship game in 33 of a possible 36 occasions.
• The Bears have advanced to every Cal Classic championship since the tournament switched to a four-team format in 1983 -- a total of 31 consecutive times.
• Cal is 20-13 all-time in the Cal Classic championship game.
• Kristine Anigwe has scored in double figures in every game for the Bears this season.
• Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has used the same lineup in five of six games this season, featuring Courtney Range, Mikayla Cowling, Gabby Green, Asha Thomas and Kristine Anigwe.
• Under Gottlieb, the Bears have posted a 7-1 record or better through their first eight games of the season twice (2014-15, 2012-13).
RANKINGS ROUNDUP
With a loss to then-No. 10 Texas A&M in week three of the season, Cal fell two spots in both polls this week to No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 18 in the Associated Press poll.
A LOOK AT SAINT MARY'S
Series Record: Cal leads, 7-5
Previous Meeting: Cal won, 89-41, on Nov. 15, 2012
The Gaels' Last Outing: Lauren Nicholson and Devon Brookshire combined to score 43 points for the Gaels, but Saint Mary's fell to 78-71 in overtime against UC Davis on Thursday in Moraga. A strong fourth quarter by the Gaels forced overtime, but UC Davis pulled ahead 69-62 with two minutes remaining before Saint Mary's caught up for a 72-71 score. Opportune free throws for the Aggies downed the Gaels. Megan McKay made her first collegiate start for Saint Mary's.
• The Gaels are averaging 78.7 points per game, a +5.8 margin over their opponents.
Nicholson leads with 18.4 points.
Sydney Raggio is averaging 14.9 ppg and 8.6 rpg, while Brookshire is also in duouble figures with 13.3 ppg.
The Gaels have played two overtime games this season, splitting their record 1-1 with a win over Fresno State and the loss to UC Davis.
LAST TIME OUT
Cal split its South Point Shootout weekend, going 1-1 with a loss to No. 10 Texas A&M and a win over Liberty. Against the Aggies, Kristine Anigwe was the lone Bear to record double-figure points, scoring a career-high 23 and notching 12 rebounds in her first career double-double. Anigwe nearly net her second consecutive double-double in Cal's victory over Liberty, falling just one board shy. Mikayla Cowling had a career day against the Lady Flames, recording a personal-best 22 points. Anigwe was named to the South Point Shootout All-Tournament Team.
ANIGWE AT IT AGAIN
Kristine Anigwe became just the second Golden Bear to pick up multiple Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards after picking up her second honor of the season this week following a strong performance at the South Point Shootout. Anigwe averaged a double-double with 19.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game. She recorded her first collegiate double-double against the 10th-ranked Aggies and nearly did it again against Liberty, coming just one rebound shy of the mark. She finished the weekend shooting .522 with an .833 clip from the free throw line.
The Phoenix, Ariz. product finished the weekend averaging a team-best 19.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg, shooting .522 with an impressive .833 clip from the free throw line.
NEXT UP
A win in Saturday's game would send the Bears to the Cal Classic championship game for the 34th time in the tournament's history. The championship game is set for 3 p.m. Sunday. Cal would play in Sunday's 1 p.m. consolation game with a loss to Saint Mary's.
Following the Cal Classic, the Bears continue their five-game homestand with game No. 3 of the slate against Nebraska on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. Dec. 12 is one of two doubleheader days for Cal's basketball programs as Cal men's basketball takes on Saint Mary's at noon in Haas.
2015-16 TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Season, group and single-game tickets for the 2015-16 women's basketball season are now on sale. Season tickets start as low as $27 ($1.59 per game, 17 games) for youth and seniors and $84 ($4.94 per game, 17 games) for adult general admission tickets, while single-game tickets are available starting at $3 for youth and seniors and $8 for adults. For more information, call the Gold Standard Sales and Service line at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277) or visit the CalBears.com ticket page.
JOIN THE BEARS ON THISISCALBASKETBALL.COM
Cal's one-of-a-kind multimedia fan site, ThisIsCalBasketball.com, is back for its fifth season and once again features an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the personalities behind the Cal women's basketball's roster. Visitors to ThisIsCalBasketball.com can get an in-depth look at the people behind the jerseys, from action and portrait photos to bio videos told in their teammates' own words. New to the site this year is The Challenge, a six-part reality show-style miniseries based on the Bears' Amazing Race-esque hunt around campus.
KEEP POSTED
Stay up-to-date on the latest Cal women's basketball news by following the Bears on social media. View behind-the-scenes photos and videos and learn more about Cal and its student-athletes on Twitter (@CalWBball), Instagram (@CalWBball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWBball).
