Cal holds off Saint Mary’s to open season with 87-80 victory
BERKELEY, Calif. – With a balanced effort, California outlasted a talented Saint Mary’s squad Friday night 87-80 at Haas Pavilion in a contest that had nine ties and five lead changes. Six Cal players were in double figures led by junior forward/center Kristine Anigwe who finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Senior forward Penina Davidson notched a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
While Cal managed to keep Saint Mary’s at bay in the first half, going into halftime with a 47-36 lead, the Gaels roared back in the third quarter outscoring the Bears 30-19. However, Cal took over down the stretch and held off Saint Mary’s with a 21-point effort in the last ten minutes compared to 10 fourth quarter points for the Gaels
What They Said
Cal head coach Lindsay Gottlieb
“It was a good win for us. I thought that we did a lot of really good things. The thing I’m most proud of is how we took a punch in that third quarter and stayed composed and stayed together. We responded really well. I love the balance that we have, with six players, almost seven, in double-figures.”
Top Performers
Cal
- Kristine Anigwe 17 points, 4 rebounds
- Mikayla Cowling 13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
- Mi’Cole Cayton 13 points
- Asha Thomas 12 points, 6 assists
- Alaysia Styles 11 points, 4 rebounds
- Penina Davidson 10 points, 12 rebounds
Saint Mary’s
- Stella Beck 22 points, 8 rebounds
- Megan McKay 17 points
- Jasmine Forcadilla 12 points, 5 rebounds
- Sydney Raggio 10 points, 10 rebounds
What’s Next
- Cal: Friday, Nov. 17 at Connecticut, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, SNY/ESPN3
- Saint Mary’s: Sunday, Nov. 12, 1 p.m. PT, TheW.tv
By the Numbers
