Jeff Cammon is trying to make the Gaels play like Arizona State used to in the Pac 12. He rotates 12 players, always keeping fresh players on the court. Their emphasis is to wear down their opponents by the fourth quarter.
The Gael's defense has held its opposition to only 45 points per game. Their offense has collectively put up 61.4 points. Nobody scores in double figures. Below is an article that explains this phenomenon better than I can:
Defense And Depth Fueling Strong Start By Unbeaten Saint Mary's - West Coast Conference
There are a couple of mitigating factors, however. Their undefeated record has been achieved against a soft schedule: @Wyoming (1-3), Chico State (1-1), San Francisco State (2-2), @ UC Riverside (0-3) & Nevada (Reno) 2-2. None of these teams possess a winning record. Two of the teams would be categorized as exhibition opponents for Cal (Chico St and SF State). Still, none of the five have scored above 50 points vs St Mary's.
2025-2026 Saint Mary's College of California Women's Basketball
The Bears crushed the Gaels in Berkeley to open last season by 38 points. Six of the current Saint Mary's crew played in that one while Cal only has two players that participated. Cammon is in his third year at the helm and former Cal star, Brittany Boyd-Jones, is an assistant coach. The strength of this team is defense which turns defense into offense keyed by an average of 12.2 steals. They force 21.4 turnovers per contest. ***This could be a problem for Cal.*** On the other hand, the constant mix of different players on the floor has slowed the progress/continuity of their offense.
2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster - SMC California Athletics
The weaknesses of the offense are turnovers (17/g), average rebounding (38.2/g) and only 4.4 three-pointers per game. The 6-4 Aussie center, Edie Clarke (#7), has been their leader early on. She typically plays 23.4 minutes and averages 9.8 points & 4.6 boards per game.
I predict that Cal will emerge victorious, 70-50! GO BEARS!
The Gael's defense has held its opposition to only 45 points per game. Their offense has collectively put up 61.4 points. Nobody scores in double figures. Below is an article that explains this phenomenon better than I can:
Defense And Depth Fueling Strong Start By Unbeaten Saint Mary's - West Coast Conference
There are a couple of mitigating factors, however. Their undefeated record has been achieved against a soft schedule: @Wyoming (1-3), Chico State (1-1), San Francisco State (2-2), @ UC Riverside (0-3) & Nevada (Reno) 2-2. None of these teams possess a winning record. Two of the teams would be categorized as exhibition opponents for Cal (Chico St and SF State). Still, none of the five have scored above 50 points vs St Mary's.
2025-2026 Saint Mary's College of California Women's Basketball
The Bears crushed the Gaels in Berkeley to open last season by 38 points. Six of the current Saint Mary's crew played in that one while Cal only has two players that participated. Cammon is in his third year at the helm and former Cal star, Brittany Boyd-Jones, is an assistant coach. The strength of this team is defense which turns defense into offense keyed by an average of 12.2 steals. They force 21.4 turnovers per contest. ***This could be a problem for Cal.*** On the other hand, the constant mix of different players on the floor has slowed the progress/continuity of their offense.
2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster - SMC California Athletics
The weaknesses of the offense are turnovers (17/g), average rebounding (38.2/g) and only 4.4 three-pointers per game. The 6-4 Aussie center, Edie Clarke (#7), has been their leader early on. She typically plays 23.4 minutes and averages 9.8 points & 4.6 boards per game.
I predict that Cal will emerge victorious, 70-50! GO BEARS!
