This team is attempting to find itself after graduating its top three scorers from a 17-15 squad last season. The top returning scorer is former BOD star, Myah Pace, who averaged 5.7 ppg as a freshman. Once again this team has been starting four guards and a 6-0 PF, Brossman, from Germany. The Toreros also rotate in a 6-1 center, Soares, from Brazil. They have a 6-7 post from Poland that does not play. USD also has frosh 6-2 PF, Nicole Blakes, from Archbishop Mitty, but she is injured.

Their guards possess good height in Pace (5-11 SO), Pollack (6-1 JR), Shepard (5-11 SR) & Hunter (6-0 SO). A
5-10 freshman, Oakry, is the first guard off of the bench. The Toreros had their offensive breakout game yesterday (82 points) so they may have an extra bounce in their step today.

My prediction is that Cal should dismantle this inexperienced team by twenty points or more. The Bears are led by a trio of seniors and possess experience. The Bear's other opponents so far had returned their top players from the prior year. Those teams were settled into their "game" so to speak. SD has won both of their home games in squeakers so they could hang around in the 1st half for as long as Cal permits. I believe Cal will score more than their 29 point average in the 1st half today and will average 20 points per quarter (40 in the initial twenty minutes)
in a potential blowout. GO BEARS!

This team gave Minnesota a tough game. And they are a top 25 team. They are playing at home. I think it will be closer than you think.

(no) video channel alerts project start time of 4:21.
http://www.wccsports.com/watch/?id=152669

wvitbear said:

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This team gave Minnesota a tough game. And they are a top 25 team. They are playing at home. I think it will be closer than you think.

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Looking like it. We hit our 29 point average for the half. Hopefully we'll have a good second half like usual.

Looking at box score it looks like another uninspired first half

Cal appears not to have received my memo about 1st half intensity. They hit their average of 29 points in the initial twenty minutes. The Bears were outrebounded by the Toreros by one at intermission. San Diego's guards outplayed Cal's backcourt in every way imaginable. The Bears produced only three assists and 7 turnovers while the Toreros were the reverse with 7 assists and 5 TOs. Both teams only have one three point basket.

Guards Pollock & Hunter are carrying the scoring load for the home team w/ 10 & 7 points, respectively. Whoever is defended by Caldwell is open to score. Hunter did not score yesterday but she has beaten Caldwell for two layups, a jumper and a free throw. Pollock is a mismatch for Cal as a 6-1 guard and has hit 5 for 7 from the field.
She has shot over Anigwe twice and has back-doored Bear guards twice. She was unguarded at the free throw line for their first basket of the game.

Anigwe has zero fouls which is major. Jaelyn Brown has been invisible with 1 rebounds and 1 missed left-handed lay-up.
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bottomline: Cal played their normal game and won 70-53 after clearing the bench over the final four minutes. The Bears were up a couple of times by my prediction of twenty points ( for example, 65-45) but HC Gottlieb thought
it was most important to play the entire team. USD outhustled Cal and became the first opponent to out-rebound us this season (39-30). They dominated the offensive glass by a margin of 16-4 and scored 14 second chance points against the Bears. This stat measures heart and desire and the Toreros possess it. Kristine Anigwe was the only player to fight for rebounds and had 16 of the team's paltry 30.

I fail to see any change in the modus operandi of Gottlieb's team. The team does not play pressure defense. The Cal players come out with increased intensity in the second half but will cost the team in the near future, perhaps at Saint Marys. It's really scary to contemplate next season without Anigwe. Will the team be competitive and be able to win games? I'm certain based upon the performances that I've been witnessing...
Cal is now 6-0. Today, only one player, KA, registered a double-double in points (25) and rebounds (16). Nobody else had a double anything...San Diego's two guards, Pollock & Hunter, played better than our backcourt, tallying 19 & 13 points, respectively. Hunter led the Toreros in rebounding with eight boards. Both teams shot around 50% and missed 8 free throws each. Sad.

GO BEARS!

Calb51 usd 37. Cal adjusts

wvitbear said:

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This team gave Minnesota a tough game. And they are a top 25 team. They are playing at home. I think it will be closer than you think.

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"Top 25"? Hardly, but game and well coached, with some good players.

Lots of great inside passes to both posts in the 2nd half. Also Alaysia had a nice game and Kenzie had some good moments.

I meant that Minnesota was a top 25 team.

We are playing like the Warriors of yesteryear. Uninspired first half and a big third Quarter.

One worry - the stats show we got out-rebounded 39-30, 16-4 on the offensive boards. Kristine got 16, Alaysia got 4, nobody else got more than 2. One hallmark of our FF team was everybody contributed on the boards.

I first thought the stats were wrong. We have been a good rebounding team all year round. Hard to believe that some players didn't get a single rebound.

In the final minutes our guards have made the same mistake in EVERY game. Is nothing being said to them? Protecting a lead where the opponent can only make a run at them by launching threes, our guards sag to defend the drive instead of parking at the arc and preventing the trey at all cost.

16 offensive rebounds for San Diego. That sounds like we were a tired team not paying much attention to fundamentals.

blungld said:

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In the final minutes our guards have made the same mistake in EVERY game. Is nothing being said to them? Protecting a lead where the opponent can only make a run at them by launching threes, our guards sag to defend the drive instead of parking at the arc and preventing the trey at all cost.

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IMHO in the final minutes this game was out of reach. After our lead reached 22 points we took out all of our starters. Under the circumstances I think it was best to play as normally as possible to give our subs quality time.

Good to see the bench players get playing time. Hope Cayton can play major minutes soon. Good to see West moving well.

Not sure if it's effort, or if other teams are getting in foul trouble or just tired in second half.

Hopefully it's the first issue, because when we face tougher competition we will be up against teams that don't need to foul as much and have more depth

I would like to see cal take a double digit lead into the locker room in some of these early games

Not sure if it's our defense or offense that have turned it up in second half (I haven't spent the time to break down the stats)

wvitbear said:

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I meant that Minnesota was a top 25 team.

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Ah. Sorry--good point.

stu said:

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blungld said:

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In the final minutes our guards have made the same mistake in EVERY game. Is nothing being said to them? Protecting a lead where the opponent can only make a run at them by launching threes, our guards sag to defend the drive instead of parking at the arc and preventing the trey at all cost.

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IMHO in the final minutes this game was out of reach. After our lead reached 22 points we took out all of our starters. Under the circumstances I think it was best to play as normally as possible to give our subs quality time.

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Agreed, but Rece continues to be the primary offender of not extending defense to the arc in the final minutes. Let them drive and, with a 10 or more point lead, swapping buckets doesn't matter. Crowd the line and give no open treys.

San Diego was 1 for 9 from three point land. And they shoot less than 30%. They are not a good three point shooting team.

wvitbear said:

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San Diego was 1 for 9 from three point land. And they shoot less than 30%. They are not a good three point shooting team.

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San Diego may have played a top 30 team tough the game before and played us tough the first half but they are still a team that was 134th last year that lost their top three scorers.

We have 3-4 more easy games. The first four conference games will be really interesting.