No. 21Â Cal at USC
Sunday, Jan. 21 | 1 PM PT | Galen Center | Los Angeles, CA | Pac-12 Networks
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LOS ANGELES – After Friday's comeback fell short against 13th-ranked UCLA, the California women's basketball team looks to respond on Sunday afternoon when the Golden Bears (13-5, 4-3 Pac-12) visit USC (13-5, 3-4 Pac-12) at 1 p.m. PT on Sunday at the Galen Center. Cal opened the 2017-18 Pac-12 campaign with a 76-64 victory over the Trojans back on December 29 in Berkeley. Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Kristine Anigwe had 16-point, 13-rebound double-double while Penina Davidson, Mikayla Cowling, and Jaelyn Brown also reached double-figures in the victory.
The Golden Bears have won the last three meetings with the Trojans, but fell to USC in their last meeting at the Galen Center, a 61-47 defeat on January 24, 2016. Cal has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams overall.
After starting conference play at 1-2, the Bears rattled off three consecutive wins before the streak was snapped on Friday night against the Bruins. After scoring a season-low 17 points in the first half, the Bears looked primed to erase a 12-point halftime deficit against the 13th-ranked Bruins and outscored UCLA 16-8 in the third quarter. The Bears drew within four points on two occasions, but were able to get any closer, despite forcing the Bruins into 15 turnovers. Anigwe and Asha Thomas led the way with 14 points apiece while Brown added 11 points off the bench.
A midseason candidate for the John R. Wooden National Player of the Year Award, Anigwe leads the Bears in both scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.1 rebounds per game), ranking in the top three in the Pac-12 in both categories. Davidson has also made her presence felt in the post, ranking in the top five in the conference in field goal percentage while also being in the top-15 in rebounds per game.
Trojans are also looking to bounce back from a narrow loss on Friday night, falling to Stanford, 59-55, at the Galen Center. USC led by as many as 14 points, but could not hold off a fourth-quarter surge by the Cardinal.
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FOLLOW THE ACTION
Sunday's game against the Trojans will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with Christian Miles and Maylana Martin Douglas on the call. The matchup can be viewed on the Pac-12 live stream, with live stats also available. Fans can receive additional in-game updates and behind-the-scenes information by following the Bears social media accounts (Twitter: @CalWBBall, Instagram: @CalWBBall).
LAST TIME OUT
Cal's three-game conference winning streak was snapped on Friday night, as the Golden Bears fell to 13th-ranked UCLA, 60-52, at Pauley Pavilion. Despite trailing by 12 at the half, the Bears used an inspired second half effort to draw within four points of the 13th-ranked Bruins with 2:06 left in the game. However Cal could not close the gap any further, suffering its fifth loss of the season to a ranked foe.     Â
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Asha Thomas and Kristine Anigwe had 14 points apiece for the Golden Bears,while sophomore Jaelyn Brown matched her season-high with 11 points, 10 of which came in the second half. The Bruins had four different players in double-figures, led by 14 points and 18 rebounds from senior Monique Billings.
After scoring a season-low 17 points in the first half on just 33 percent (11-33) shooting from the field, the Bears opened the second half on an 8-2 run, with all eight points coming curtesy of Anigwe. The reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, Anigwe played just 27 minutes due to foul trouble, but connected on her first four field goal attempts of the second half, scoring 12 points in the second half on 5-6 shooting from the field.
Cal outscored UCLA, 16-8, in the third quarter, as Brown drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut UCLA's lead to 37-33 entering the fourth quarter. Brown kept the momentum going in the fourth quarter, converting a four-point play in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. The sophomore from Murrieta, California, matched her career-high with three made three-pointers, going 3-4 from beyond the arc. After a 7-0 run built the Bruins lead back to 12, the Bears went on an 8-0 run, getting back to within four when Kianna Smith converted a layup with 2:06 left to play. However the Bruins responded with five unanswered points and was never able to get it back within one possession.
After committing 24 turnovers against the Bruins earlier this season, Cal committed just 13 turnovers on Friday night, compared to 15 for UCLA. However, UCLA held a 44-33 advantage on the glass, marking just the third time the Bears have been out-rebounded this season.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
USC is looking to bounce back after a four-point loss to Stanford on Friday night, which snapped the Trojans' three-game winning streak in Pac-12 play. The Trojans led for the majority of the game before the Cardinal erased a 14-point deficit to secure the 59-55 victory at the Galen Center. USC guard Aliyah Mazyck led all scorers with 20 points, going 4-8 from beyond the arc, while Kristin Simon added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Trojans in the loss.
Simon leads the Trojans in scoring at 17.4 points per game and is averaging 15.7 points per game in Pac-12 play, good for seventh in the conference. The 6'2" senior forward also ranks among the conference leaders in rebounding, averaging 8.4 rebounds per game on the year. Mazyck, the team's top three-point threat, is shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc this season, while averaging 16.4 points per game on the year. Guards Sadie Edwards (14.2 points per game) and Minyon Moore (13.8 points per game) are also averaging double-figures on the season and are among the Pac-12 leaders in minutes played.
After opening Pac-12 play at 0-3, the Trojans responded with three consecutive wins, beating Oregon State at home and sweeping Utah and Colorado on the road.
Back for his second stint with the Trojans, head coach Mark Trakh's squad boasted the Pac-12's top mark in non-conference play, going 10-1 to open the season. Trakh, who previously coached the Trojans from 2005-09 and led the team to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, was hired over the summer, replacing former Trojans head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. After finishing 14-16 overall and 5-13 in conference play last season, USC was picked to finish eighth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
UP NEXT
Cal returns to Haas Pavilion, taking on Arizona and Arizona State. The Golden Bears will square off against the Wildcats at 7 p.m. PT on Friday, looking to complete the season sweep. Cal topped Arizona, 53-51, in Tucson on January 7 behind 19 points from Mikayla Cowling. The Bears will then continue the weekend with a 3 p.m. PT matchup against No. 22 Arizona State on Sunday, January 28.Â
 2017-18 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Season, group and single-game tickets for the 2017-18 women's basketball season are now on sale. Season tickets start as low as $40 ($2.67 per game, 15 games) for youth and seniors and $80 ($5.33 per game, 15 games) for adult general admission tickets. Single-game tickets are available starting at $4 for youth and seniors and $5 for adults, while flex and partial plans are also available purchase. 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 JOURNEY: THE RETURN OF THISISCALBASKETBALL.COM
Cal's one-of-a-kind multimedia fan site, ThisIsCalBasketball.com, is back for its seventh 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 personalities behind the jerseys, from action and portrait photos to bio videos and conversations between current players and alumnae.
STAY POSTED
Keep 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).
