Bears Back In Action, Take On No. 3 Stanford

BERKELEY – The Cal women's basketball team returns to action after being inactive for the last 11 days. The Bears travel to the South Bay to take on rival Stanford in a split road and home week against the Cardinal. Thursday's match up at Maples Pavilion is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start time. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network with Krista Blunk and Mary Murphy handling the play-by-play duties. Fans can also follow the action via live stats at Statbroadcast.com.
 
Cal (9-4, 0-2) is coming off an 88-53 loss at home to Oregon on January 9. Last week, the Bears were set to travel to Utah and Colorado but the games were postponed due to health and safety protocols. Stanford enters Thursday's game with a 13-3 overall record. The Cardinal have won five in a row, including a road win over previously unbeaten Colorado last week.

GAME 14 INFORMATION
Date/Time: Jan. 21, 2022 – 7:00 p.m.
Opponent: No. 3 Stanford Cardinal (13-3, 4-0 Pac-12)
Site: Maples Pavilion (Stanford, Calif.)
TV:  Pac-12 Bay Area
Talent: Krista Blunk (play-by-play) and Mary Murphy (analyst)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
 
AT A GLANCE
• As a team, the Bears are averaging 71.6 points per game which is 69th best in the nation. Cal's scoring margin of +6.0 is 120th in the nation. The Bears are shooting 41.6 percent as a team which ranks 9th in the Pac-12.
 
• Cal is 2-2 on the road this year, with wins over USF and UC San Diego. Their two losses came at the hands of Arkansas and Washington State. On the road, the Bears are averaging 60.8 points per game and shooting 36.8 percent from the field. Jayda Curry doesn't mind life on the road, she is averaging 21.7 points per game away from Haas Pavilion.
 
•The 9-4 start is the best start under third year head coach Charmin Smith through 13 games. It is tied for the 15th best start in program history. The Bears have opened the year 9-4 1six times and 10-3 or better 15 times. Cal's best start was 13-0 in 2016-17.
 
• A win on Thursday would see the Bears improve to 10-4 for the first time since 2018-19. Cal has started 10-4 or better just 18 times in program history, they have made the postseason 15 of those seasons.
 
• Freshman Jayda Curry was named one of the top-10 freshmen in the nation according to ESPN.com's Charlie Creme.
 
•  Friday forecast: Friday traditionally has not been kind to the Bears in the Charmin Smith era. Entering this weekend, Cal is just 2-17 on Fridays. The are 1-1 this year. Their win came in non-conference play against Furman, the loss up at Pullman to open Pac-12 play. 
 
Bouncing back: Cal is 2-1 following a loss this season. They boast wins over Fresno State and McNeese. Last Sunday, the Bears lost in back-to-back contests for the first time following an 88-53 loss at the hands of the Ducks. Cal averages 76.0 points per game in a loss, shooting 44.3 percent. Jayda Curry and Michelle Onyiah are the only two bears who average double figures. Curry 15.0 ppg, and Onyiah 10.7, along with 8.0 rebounds.
 
Series Versus Stanford
Friday is the 97th meeting between the Golden Bears and Cardinal. The series dates back to Feb. 12, 1975 when Stanford defeated Cal 49-38 in Berkeley. All-time Stanford owns a 75-21 advantage in the series. At Maples Pavilion, the Bears are just 8-35. Last season, Stanford took both contests and are currently riding a six-game winning streak over the Bears. Cal's last road win came on Feb. 22, 2015 - a 63-53 win over the Cardinal.
 
Last Time Out Versus Stanford
After roaring back to within six points heading into halftime, Cal was unable to catch No. 4 Stanford, falling to the Cardinal 72-33 in the 2020-21 regular season finale.
 
The Bears trailed by as much as 16 points in the second quarter, but came alive late, finishing the half on a 13-3 run which included eight unanswered points. The Bears ultimately outscored the Cardinal 18-17 in the period and held Stanford to just one field goal over the final 2:07.
 
However, Stanford opened up the second half on a 9-0 run and did not look back, ultimately winning 72-33 for its 11th-straight victory.
 
Freshman Dalayah Daniels closed out the regular season with her ninth double-digit scoring performance. Her 11 points led the Bears and she contributed seven rebounds as well.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears return serve against the Cardinal, hosting Stanford at Haas Pavilion on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. The Bears and Cardinal will tipoff following the men's game against Arizona. Cal and Stanford will be televised on the Pac-12 Network with Krista Blunk and Mary Murphy calling the action live courtside.

STAY CONNECTED
For complete coverage of Cal women's basketball, please follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWBball), Instagram (@CalWBball) and Facebook (/CalWBball/).