BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) Cal went toe-to-toe with No. 2 Stanford and had a 3-point lead with four minutes remaining before narrowly losing 60-56. The Bears were led by Leilani McIntosh who had 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The Bears held the Cardinal to its lowest shooting (32.3) and 3-point percentages (20.0) of the season while also limiting them to a season-low scoring output.
Haley Jones scored the go-ahead layup with 1:17 to play, Cameron Brink had 25 points, 17 rebounds and three blocked shots as NBA pal Stephen Curry watched courtside, outdueling McIntosh down the stretch.
Jones wound up with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Cardinal (16-1, 4-0 Pac-12) ran their winning streak to 11 games since losing 76-71 in overtime to No. 1 South Carolina on Nov. 20.
Brink and McIntosh both missed in the final minute to make things interesting: Brink rebounded McIntosh's miss with 58 seconds left then also missed. Cal's Jayda Curry corralled the rebound away from Hannah Jump to give the Golden Bears one last chance, and Claudia Langarita missed with 14 seconds remaining.
Brink converted a tying three-point play with 3:07 to go while trading baskets with McIntosh, who finished with 19 points for the Golden Bears (10-5, 1-3). Cal's Evelien Lutje Schipholt missed two free throws with 2:35 left that would have put her team ahead.
McIntosh tied it at 47 with 7:38 to play before Brink answered, then McIntosh hit a 3 moments later.
Brink's 3 with 5:21 left in the third put Stanford ahead 35-31 and Jump hit from long range late in the third as Stanford took a 47-43 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
The scrappy Bears, averaging 74.0 points to Stanford's 84.6, ended the first half on a 7-0 run making their final three shots as Stanford went 2 for 11 to end the half on a scoring drought of 2:19.
The Cardinal have won the last nine matchups in the Bay Area rivalry, but had to pull this one out late after a 90-69 victory on Dec. 23 in the conference opener for both programs.
They were cold from the floor out of tip-off - each beginning 1 for 7 with Stanford committing five turnovers during a scoring drought of more than five minutes and Cal missing its first six shots. The Cardinal went nearly 6 1/2 minutes between their first and second made field goals.
Stanford won its 38th straight game against Pac-12 teams including the past two conference titles and postseason.
CURRY AND CURRY
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry - who was set to meet Cal star Jayda Curry postgame - made another round on the women's basketball circuit with a visit to Berkeley on a day off from his rehab for a left shoulder injury that has sidelined him the last 11 games for the reigning NBA champions.
His mother, Sonya, joined him. She and his three children also attended the last game at Stanford last week - daughters Riley and Ryan and son Canon.
Jayda Curry has made at least one 3-pointer in 37 straight games, the third-longest streak in Pac-12 history.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: Brink has blocked at least one shot in every game and now has 51. ... The Cardinal's 26 points at the break were their lowest halftime total so far. ... Junior G Agnes Emma-Nnopu returned from a two-game absence after being poked in the eye at practice by Indya Nivar. ... Stanford is 4-0 on the road.
California: The Bears were outrebounded 46-37 by the bigger Stanford team. ... Cal trails the series at home 32-14.
UP NEXT
California: At USC on Friday night to face former Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb's squad.
