Bears Beat Washington, 79-70, to complete weekend sweep
The California Golden Bears completed the weekend sweep, beating Washington 79-70. The Bears used a dominant fourth quarter and another stellar performance from senior Kristine Anigwe to pull out the come-from-behind victory.
Trailing 51-49 entering the fourth, Cal outscored UW 30-19.
The Bears raised the play on offense when it mattered most: in the fourth quarter, Cal hit eight of 11 from the field (72.7%), three of four from distance (75%), and 11 of 12 from the line (91.7%).
“The leadership from our seniors has been phenomenal, and the buy-in from everyone else has been incredible,” said Cal head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “Sometimes it shows up on the statsheet, like today. But I’ve felt something the entire time.”
Anigwe finished the game with 30 points and 18 rebounds, as Cal dominated the Huskies 38-23 on the glass.
“She’s had video game numbers her entire career, but I don’t know if she’s played better basketball than she’s played this weekend,” said Gottlieb of Anigwe. For the weekend, Anigwe contributed 59 points and 41 rebounds.
Receé Caldwell had 15 points, and freshman McKenzie Forbes came off the bench to contribute 10. Kianna Smith and Asha Thomas each had nine points, and Thomas had eight of Cal’s 19 assists.
For Washington, Amber Melgoza lit Cal up for 27 points, including 10 in the third quarter. Melgoza hit all four of her three attempts, and Washington as a team knocked down 13 treys on 23 attempts (56.5%). Missy Peterson had three threes and 15 points.
“This conference has so many people who can make plays, and so many team that are good offensively,” said Gottlieb.
Cal raised its record to 12-5 (3-3 Pac 12); Washington is 8-11 (1-6)
Kristine Anigwe picked right up from her dominant performance on Friday, scoring eight of Cal’s first 10 points.
Washington started the game on fire from beyond the arc, helping the Huskies keep pace. Their fifth three (of their first seven attempts) pulled them ahead 19-14.
Kianna Smith responded with a three of her own.
Amber Melgoza hit a runner over Kristine Anigwe.
Recee Caldwell checked back into the game and immediately knocked down a three to pull Cal within 21-20 at the end of the first period.
Asha Thomas scored on a drive, and Anigwe reached double figures with a score down low, and the Bears opened the second period with the 24-21 lead.
Missy Peterson tied things up with a three, and the back and forth battle continued.
Recee Caldwell broke the tie with a long three, edging Cal ahead 31-28, with four minutes in the second.
Washington found space in the Cal defense, using crisp passes to gain laups or open shots from distance.
With the game tied at 33, the Bears had multiple chances to gain the upper hand, but shot after shot rimmed out, and the two teams enter the intermission knotted up.
Anigwe led the way with 14 points, while UW’s Melgoza had 10. Anigwe also had 10 rebounds to maintain her double-double streak.
Melgoza scored on a drive to open the third period.
Jaylen Brown responded with a drive of her own. The junior then skied and stole a long pass out of the air; the Bears immediately converted it into quick offense, finding Anigwe down low for the 37-35 lead.
Melgoza came right back, finding an open Jenna Moser for a three, then posting up Anigwe for a score of her own. She then hit two more threes, and her quick 10 points in the period helped Washington to the 46-43 lead.
Anigwe contributed eight point of her own in the third to keep Cal attached.
A Cal turnover became a Husky runout on the other end. And even after a Cal score, the Bears failed to match up on defense. leaving a wide open Peterson to knock down a three, extending the lead to 51-47.
CJ West scored from the right block, and the Bears entered the fourth down 51-49.
The Bears immediately tied the game to open the fourth, patiently working the ball to find Anigwe inside for a score. Anigwe then got open again down low, and her two free-throws gave Cal the lead.
With Washington collapsing on Anigwe inside, McKenzie Forbes found herself open and knocked down a three.
Melgoza tried to keep pace, scoring three points, including a tough turnaround over Anigwe’s outstretched arms.
But Cal’s increased intensity of defense began to pay off for the Bears. Forbes and Anigwe sandwiched Khayla Rooks down low, with Forbes blocking the shot and Anigwe recovering the loose ball. The Bears raced the other way, and Asha Thomas found Caldwell for the open three, giving Cal the 61-54 lead and prompting a Washington time-out.
Anigwe explained her improved defense this year: she was challenged by a friend in the off-season to block more shots and to play better defense. “He said, ‘You don’t block shots, you don’t get low enough on defense.’ So now I get low and try to context shots. I feel that I’m playing the best defense I ever have.”
But the Bears still had no defense to stop Melgoza, who converted on a three point play, and another three by Peterson got the Huskies within one possession, 63-60, with 4:40 to go.
Asha Thomas found McKenzie Thomas down low, and the freshman collected herself, avoiding the scrum of players at her feet and calmly laid the ball in.
Caldwell hit a pullup at the buzzer, finding space along the baseline.
“We had five people on the court that are scoring threats at all times,” said Caldwell. “Also, when we penetrate, they have to honor, and then it’s open shots for everyboday. We’re starting to feel our flow as a team.”
Caldwell then built on that momentum on the other end, ripping the ball out of her opponent’s hands. The Bears attacked on offense, finding Forbes for a three. She missed, but Smith collected the rebound, and the Bears reset.
Cal displayed terrific ball movement, as very player touched the ball, and Thomas found herself open in the corner for a three, stretching the lead to 70-60. The trey was also Thomas’s 200th as a Bear.
“Our connectedness, our ability to keep scoring, to not turn the ball over, be tough every possesion... it was there; we felt it,” said Gottlieb.
Washington came right back, with a putback by Darcy Rees and a three from Mai-Loni Henson cutting the lead in half, with just over a minute left.
Washington played the steal/foul game, which ended with Forbers at the foul line. Forbes hit both, giving the Bears the 72-65 lead, with 57 seconds to go.
On the other end, Melgoza got herself to the line, missing the second. Anigwe grabbed the rebound and was fouled. She knocked down both, and Cal’s lead grew to 74-66.
Jenna Moser missed a reverse attempt, and on the play, Melgoza hit her floor hard and exited the game.
Without their leader, the Huskies did what they could to come back, with Peterson scoring four more points.
But on the other end, the Bears knocked down their free throws, including a pair each from Caldwell and Thomas.
And after a final defensive stand, with Smith stealing the ball, Cal completed the much-needed homestand sweep.
The Bears will now travel to Utah and Colorado, before a home-and-home with No. 6 Stanford and then hosting top-10 teams in Oregon and Oregon State.
Gottlieb acknowledged that the stretch of games is challenging, but she refused to think of it as defining the Bears’ season.
“If anyone lets a six-game stretch define them, you’re not going to get the goals that you want,” said Gottlieb. “That being said, we had to get this home sweep, and we did. We are now going to focus on the next two games, and really, one at a time. This will get us back on track with momemtum, and then what we can do with opportunities against the three teams who have separated themselves in our conference record-wise.”