Bragging rights on the line as Stanford’s Erica McCall readies to face her dad’s team, CSU Bakersfield
Play Pop’s team on Tuesday ? been waiting on this game for years
— Bird (@_mediumE) December 21, 2015
- Stanford (8-2) vs. CSU Bakersfield (2-10)
- Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2 p.m. PT
- Video: Stanford Live Stream
- Audio: KZSU 90.1FM
PALO ALTO, Calif. – Stanford junior forward Erica “Bird” McCall and her father, California State University, Bakersfield head coach Greg McCall are set to take the floor for the first time against each other Tuesday as the No. 12 Cardinal (8-2) play host to the Roadrunners (2-10).
The two have had a fun time with some good-natured ribbing about who is going to win the contest.
“We’ve been doing some smack talk over the past couple of days,” says the younger McCall about the back-and-forth verbal volleys between her and her dad.
But joking aside, the McCalls, as well as Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer expect a hard-fought game.
“They’re a really scrappy team,” says VanDerveer about Roadrunners. “I think bragging rights in Bakersfield are on the line for Bird and her dad. We’ve got to play well. I know Bird wants to play really well and I think our team will have her back.”
Stanford’s McCall also wants to win the game to get a victory against one of her high school rivals who now plays for CSUB, senior guard Alyssa Shannon.
“They beat us every time,” said Bird about the battles between her high school team, Ridgeview and Shannon’s team, Stockdale.
“Hopefully we can get this win so I can finally say that I beat her.”
The CSUB head coach is just as excited about the game as his daughter.
“He’s pretty excited about it,” says Erica, “It’s definitely a big game for him. I’m just really proud how hard his team is playing.”
Before the game, McCall will receive a plaque for her accomplishments as a member and co-captain of USA Basketball’s 2015 World University Games team. The squad won gold during last summer’s competition in Korea. The elder McCall will present Erica with the award.
Stanford’s 6-3 double-double machine and psychology major is the younger sister of Phoenix Mercury star DeWanna Bonner, is averaging 14 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per contest. The sisters not only share a love of basketball, they also have the same birthday,
Tuesday will be the second-ever meeting between Stanford and CSUB. In the only other matchup, the Cardinal won at home, 90-48, on Dec. 22, 2011.
