Bears Come Back to Beat Arizona, 82-76 OT

In perhaps their most improbable and memorable victory in years, the California Golden Bears recovered from a horrific second quarter and battled back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to win in overtime, beating Arizona 82-76. 

“I’m going to remember this win with the Elite Eight game in Spokane,” said Cal head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “I’m going to remember this win with Stanford victories on our court, or with clinching the Pac-12 championship in Washington.”

Playing perhaps their worst quarter this year, the Bears were held scoreless for nearly eight minutes in the second period, managing a meager four points and falling behind by as much as 19 points, a deficit that was nearly too great from which to recover.

But the Bears perservered, led by grad transfer Recee Caldwell’s 24 points, including a huge three to tie the game late in fourth. Long before that, it was Caldwell who shook Cal out of its offensive doldrums, hitting two much needed baskets to close the second quarter.

“So the grad-transfer thing has worked out well for us,” joked Gottlieb. “I think we saw a heroic performance from Receé.”

It was the final home game for Cal’s seniors, which included Kristine Anigwe (16 points and 20 rebounds), and Asha Thomas (game-high eight assists). But it was freshman McKenzie Forbes who came up huge down the stretch, hitting five of six threes and scoring all of her 17 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Bear comeback was fueled by outside shooting, as Cal knocked down 10 of 14 threes after halftime.

“McKenzie is the hardest working freshman that I’ve been around,” said Caldwell. “And I’ve been to three programs, so I have a pretty good feel. She’s hungry and she stays ready.”

Junior CJ West scored 10 off the bench before leaving the game with an injury.

Cal survived another dominant performance from Aari McDonald. The Arizona guard, who had 36 against Cal in Tucson, hit for 31. But Pac-12 leading scorer (24.7 ppg entering the contest) also struggled from three (one of six) and the line (six of 11). Sam Thomas and Tee Tee Starks had 13 and 12 points, respectively.

With the win, Cal is 16-11 on the season and 7-9 in conference. The Bears move into a tie for seventh in the Pac-12 with Arizona (17-10 overall).

Sam Thomas opened the game by hitting a three for Arizona, while Cal missed two from long-distance on the other end. On their third miss, Anigwe grabbed to rebound and was fouled. She split free-throws to put Cal on the board, trailing 3-1.

Jaelyn Brown hit a jumper from the top of the key to tie the game.

Aari McDonald hit her first bucket, pulling up in the paint and shooting over Anigwe. She then came around multiple screens and made a three.

Brown hit a three to draw Cal within 8-6. Anigwe tied the game with two free throws, and then broke the tie with a putback.

On defense, the Bears focused on stopping McDonald and forcing others to shoot. But the Arizona star wouldn’t be denied for long, hitting on a drive after a wicked crossover.

Another McDonald drive and tough finish through the outstretched arms of CJ West earned the Wildcats the 15-13 lead at the end of the first period.

Cal was held to 29% shooting (4 of 14), while McDonald hit four of five for nine points.

Anigwe took on triple teams and missed shots, while Arizona easily found driving lanes, and Arizona stretched the lead to 19-13.

Cal continued to try to force the ball to Anigwe, with multiple passes resulting in turnovers.

On the other end, McDonald’s speed broke down the Cal defense, as the sophomore drove and found teammates for consecutive threes, extending the Arizona lead to 25-13 and forcing Gottlieb to call time.

The Bears continued to miss shots, at one point missing 13 attempts in a row, spanning the first and second periods.

“We have some incredible seniors, but they came out and had a hard time on the offensive end,” said Gottlieb.

But Cal could not figure out a solution for McDonald, whose activity and motor earned her two more baskets, and more importantly, seemed to infuse her team with confidence. 

“That’s the toughest guard in to guard in the league,” said Gottlieb. “And the other kids made shots.”

The lead extended to 32-13 before Recee Caldwell finally broke the 22-0 run with a leaner, with 1:41 to go in the second. Caldwell hit another basket , a long 2, just to beat the buzzer. 

Cal ended with four points in the second period and down 32-17. The Bears managed two of 14 from the floor (14%).

“I really challenged us at halftime; I really yelled at them,” said Gottlieb. “About our effort, and our body language, and who we wanted to be.”

Caldwell opened the third with another basket, but Arizona showed a new wrinkle, working the pick and roll with Cate Reece, who hit two consecutive baskets. McDonald then kept the ball herself, and her three-point play earned the Wildcats the 20-point lead, 39-19, with 7:11 to go in the third.

Caldwell remained Cal’s best hope on offense, as she stepped back for three treys, pulling Cal to within 13 points, 46-33, bringing life to a dormant crowd.

Caldwell also drove to dish off, and CJ West closed the third with a basket from the left block. Cal whittled the lead to 48-37, with 10 minutes to play.

“CJ’s minutes were incredibly significant in terms of cutting the lead,” said Gottlieb.

The Bears turned the ball over on their first possession in the fourth, and McDonald turned it into a free throw on the other end. On the play, Asha Thomas picked up her fourth foul.

McDonald hit a nifty reverse, and Arizona was up 51-37.

The Bears battled and started to reel Arizona in, starting with a three point play by West. McKenzie Forbes hit a free-throw, then a three, bring Cal to within single-digit, 53-44. A putback by Anigwe, and suddenly Cal was within seven, forcing a time out from Arizona, with 6:32 to play.

McDonald hit a short jumper, and on the other end, after Anigwe earned Cal another possession by crashing to to floor to force a heldball, the Bears made it count, with Forbes hitting a corner three. After Arizona missed a three, the Bears pushed the ball, finding Anigwe underneath. She was fouled and made one. The Bears again went down low, this time finding West, and her basket made it a one-possession game, 55-52, with 5:19 left to play.

Another three by Forbes, this one on an assist by Anigwe, narrowed the gap further, 57-55. 

“In the second half, it slowed down for us a little bit, offensively,” said Forbes. “Even if [Anigwe] is not scoring, just getting it in and getting it out makes it easier on us guards to hit shots, because she just opens up the floor and you have to guard her with four people almost every time.”

Destiny Graham an McDonald hit buckets under pressure, and Caldwell returned in kind, keeping Cal within 61-59.

McDonald lost the ball on a drive, but the ball was touched by Cal before rolling out of bounds. With one minute to play, Cal forced a turnover, as West dove to to floor to contest the inbound pass. The junior stayed down flat on her stomach for over a minute. She walked off the floor with assistance, but holding a towel to her face. It was reported post-game that she got her teeth knocked out in the collsion.

The video reviewed confirmed Cal’s possesion, with 57.7. Cal found Asha Thomas open in the corner, but her three attempt bounced off.

Arizona called time with 35.6 to go.

The Bears fouled, sending Graham to the line. Graham hit the second, keeping it a one-possession game.

Cal called its final time-out with 34.2 to go. 

But Arizona tipped the inbound pass and forced the turnover. Significantly, Forbes, who made the pass, forced a heldball, even though the possession remained with Arizona.

After an Arizona time out, the Bears forced a jump ball. This time, the arrow went to Cal.

Gottlieb appreciated her team’s all out effort in the second half that earned the Bears extra possessions. “Our effort was incredibly lifted in the second half. Kristine battled for a jumpball off a missed free-throw, then Kenzie gets one and it’s our ball. And CJ diving and getting her teeth knocked out. There were a number. We had to grit it out for a long time.” 

The Bears ran Caldwell behind a screen, and the grad transfer knocked down the three, tying the game at 62, with 17.7 to play.

The Bears played tight defense, but Anigwe was called for a foul on Sam Thomas. Thomas hit one free-throw.

With 15 seconds to play and no time outs remaining, the Bears sped up the floor. Caldwell drove towards the hoop, but her shot was way off. Anigwe, who had been frustrated all game with foul calls, crashed the glass, and this time the foul went her way.

With 3.3 to play, Anigwe missed her first free throw. But she made the second, sending the game to overtime, tied at 63.

Cal won the tip and promptly got the ball to Anigwe inside. She was fouled and made one, giving Cal its first lead since 13-12 in the first quarter.

McDonald blew by everyone, including Anigwe, who had four fouls, but her layup rolled off the rim.

The Bears quickly went to work, finding Anigwe down low, and the senior took her time, knocking down the layup. Cal then forced the turnover and Forbes was fouled. Forbes made one free-throw, giving Cal the two-possession lead, 67-63.

McDonald missed a layup, but Reese put it back to keep Arizona in the game.

Anigwe created another foul and went to the line, but she missed both.

The two teams, which had struggled at times with offense, then turned the game into a shooting clinic.

Tee Tee Starks hit her fourth three, giving Arizona the lead 68-67, with three minutes to go.

Kianna Smith knocked down a three for Cal, her first points of the game. But McDonald tied things with two free-throws, then converted a steal into a basket, and Arizona was up 72-70 with two minutes left.

Forbes hit a three. Cal with the one-point lead.

McDonald drove around three Bears for another basket.

Forbes hit another three, 76-74 Bears, with the crowd now screaming on every possesion. 

McDonald attacked Thomas then Anigwe, with both Bears having four fouls, and got all the way to basket. But the attempt was too strong, and Kianna Smith grabbed the rebound. Smith was fouled and hit one. Bears up 77-74. On the missed free-throw, Anigwe forced a heldball, but the possession stayed with Arizona.

On the other end, Cal forced another jumpball, this time earning the turnover. Thomas was fouled and knocked down both, giving Cal the 79-74 lead with 24.1 seconds to go.

Arizona called its last time out.

McDonald attacked the basket, earning the foul on Anigwe. The Cal senior exited the game, stepping off the Haas Pavilion floor for the last time. 

McDonald missed both free-throws, and Graham managed to track down the rebound. But falling out of bounds, her pass was picked off by Smith.

Smith made one free-throw, and McDonald heaved a 30-footer, which missed. Asha Thomas rushed in for the rebound and was called for a foul, her fifth, on a questionable call. She was replaced by Cal’s fourth senior, Mo Mosley. 

McDonald hit both free-throws, and it was 80-76 Cal with nine seconds to play.

The Bears just beat the five-count to get the ball inbounded, to Caldwell. She sank both free-throws, finally putting the game away.

“We talked before the game, how you impact others is what [for] seniors is the best legacy they can leave,” said Gottlieb. “So McKenzie Forbes is a darn good basketball player, but for her to come out and hit five of six threes, is because she cares about this team and these seniors. The way that CJ West lost her teeth diving on the floor is because she cares about these seniors and this program. We saw one of the most gutty and gritty performances we ever saw from a team. I couldn’t be more proud of this one.”

“I’m super super thankful for the senior group that we have,” said an emotional Forbes. “I’ve never had such great mentors. All four of them--[Thomas, Mo Mosley, Anigwe, Caldwell] in different ways. I’m just super glad we could get the win for them today.”

“We weren’t losing on Senior Day,” said Caldwell.