After careful consideration, I have decided not to do an analysis of the 3rd meeting between Stanford and Cal. If I'm being honest, I cannot envision a competitive game between the two teams so I would rather not go any further. The last game was a 35-point blowout with Stanford having five players in double figures. Cal had two. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the score was 70-34 in favor of the Cardinal.

Women's Basketball vs Stanford on 2/16/2024 - Box Score - California Golden Bears Athletics (calbears.com)

Basketball is all about matchups. Cal is totally intimidated by Stanford's height. Their twin towers, senior Cam Brink (6-4) & junior Kiki Iriafen (6-4), are too much.

Let's watch the game tomorrow and see if Cal can show signs of improvement. Maybe the Bears will receive an invite to the WNIT with their 18 wins. GO BEARS!

Gotta hope they call zero fouls on Michelle and Stanford can't hit their outside shots.

Bears' To Do List for Thursday:

Play solid, competitive game.
Impress the Committee.
Relax and enjoy the moment.
No injuries.
Postseason awaits. If not NCAA, then WNIT. 18-14; 7-11.


Note: UW played in WNIT last season with a 19-15 overall record; 7-11 conference record.
And they hosted a first round game against USF and our own Yo Krimili.

So, first quarter was not too bad. Bears 18, Cardinal 12.
I missed the first four minutes so don't know why Brink was on the bench.

Oops - 16-12 as they wiped off the Suarez late shot (which it was late)

Langarita with back to back "no...no.. no.. YES!"

MoragaBear said:

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36-28 Cal lead at the half

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just the way we all thought the first half would go!
Go Bears!

Bogus call on Marta. Flop of the year.

Everyone playing well. I mean everyone on our team.

Good minuted from Claudia - two threes and solid defense.

2 fouls on 3 of our bigs.

Bears playing well

We will need to survive the Brink attack so need to keep a good lead coming out of Q3

A quick foul on Brink out of the half would help

Cal shooting 45% 15-33 and 5-12 from deep. 1-3 on free throws
Furd shoots 32% 10-31 and 3-15 from deep. 5-11 on free throws.

Cal outrebounding Furd 25-19 and points in the paint 16-8
Cal only has 5 turnovers for the half.

I hate floppers

HoopDreams said:

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I hate floppers

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Refs need to start calling these. Women learning from the guys!

Just got home--holy smoke! Stay aggressive, Bears.

Furd with only three fouls but three of them on Brink! Could we be on the brink?

Good first half for Bears! Pleased with Claudia making those two baskets after not doing much in previous game. Ila is not good. She is wide but slow, can't rebound nor put in baskets and now missing both free throws. Marta doing well except once again for her turnovers. Glad Kemery and Lulu also made shots. Hope Yo starts to make more of her shots. Trading shots with her countrywoman Bozgana. If she is one of the leading 3 point shooters in the PAC she needs to make them when it's most important like today. Hope Michelle continues to stay out of foul trouble as she's playing great. HOPE they can get more fouls on Brink as their team is no where as effective without her. Glad that Jump hasn't done anything so far. Love Leilani and Mykayla is playing great also. Charmin is doing a great job of coaching and substitutions.

Finnish Oski said:

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Furd with only three fouls but three of them on Brink! Could we be on the brink?

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Furd has 6 fouls - Brink 3 Demetre 2 and Harriel 1

To say my anxiety is high would be an understatement

Quick six by Furd in first 1:20. Sigh. Smith calls time.

and a sloppy pass - and we are tied.

I think I'd prefer Onyiah with three fouls to Suarez with three fouls - but it's the other way.
Cal still leads 39-38

Brink throws her head back into Onyiah's face. So, of course, they called the foul on Onyiah. But Onyiah is down on the court, so we will see what happens.

That hard blow to Michelle's face had better be called as the Giant Elf Maiden's fourth foul.

this staff has done very little to protect michelle from foul trouble

offensively onyiah probably leads the nation in moving screens, as a 4th year player whether it's just ineffectual coaching by the revolving staff or just her inability to remain stationary thru screens, the savvy coaching move at this time would be to just not start the offense near the top of the key with michelle setting screens in order to avoid foul troubles...just have her set up shop down low in the paint & the staff design entry passes to her which don't happen with the same frequency as it did during cal's final four teams with coach gottlieb

defensively the savvy coaching move would be for when opposing posts receive entry passes down low would be for their bears guards & wings to help out & dry to dig out any dribbles while giving double team coverage/assistance to protect the always physical michelle from foul trouble...that's exactly what arizona does defensively, their posts receive double coverage support & make teams try to beat them from the perimeter instead of any point blank buckets

^ props to coach charmin for the 1st time this season bringing a 2nd defender to the ball every time a stanford post player gets the ball down low...michelle & the other posts are not being left on a island in low post mismatches

I can't see how that could be a foul on Michelle since Brink moved into Michelle.

That should have been a flagrant on Brink, she initiated contact and violently threw her head back

stu said:

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I can't see how that could be a foul on Michelle since Brink moved into Michelle.

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Oh, you can see how....
Now, Langarita with four fouls. So, Lane has to step up and be big.

Now a questionable call against Claudia.

We need to hit a few threes, they're open.

Bears can't buy a basket this quarter. The long shots just aren't falling.

And now Furd hits Suarez in the gut - no call.
Onyiah to the locker room.

The refs just aren't going to call anything more on Brink.

Still in this, but we need to hit some 3's!!