On Sunday at 11:00 AM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal women’s basketball will take on the #13 Arizona Wildcats in Tucson. Cal comes in at 10-18 overall and 2-15 in the Pac-12 while Arizona comes in at 23-5 overall and 12-5 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Friday, Cal lost to #24 Arizona State by a final score of 77-54 in Tempe. Arizona State senior forward Jaime Ruden led the way for the Sun Devils with 18 points while Cal freshman guard Cailyn Crocker finished with 11 points.
RECAP: Cal gets scorched at #24 Arizona State
On Arizona: The Wildcats are led by junior guard Aari McDonald, who is averaging 20.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. McDonald is having a fantastic season and is legitimately one of the top players in the Pac-12. Sophomore forward Cate Reese (13.1 points & 7.5 rebounds) and junior forward Sam Thomas (10.0 points) are also scoring in double figures, giving McDonald the help she needs.
As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 69.0 points per game on 44.1% shooting from the field, 34.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 78.8% shooting from the foul line. They’re averaging a -0.2 rebound margin, 13.4 assists, 10.5 steals, 4.1 blocks, and 13.7 turnovers per game. Their opponents are averaging 55.0 points per game on 36.7% shooting from the field, 31.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 66.7% shooting from the foul line.
The Wildcats are having a fantastic season, having just knocked off #4 Stanford in overtime on Friday. The Wildcats are currently 4th in the Pac-12 and may improve their seeding for the Pac-12 Tournament if they win on Sunday and get some help. They’re definitely a team with the potential to do damage come March.
Keys to the game: If Cal wants to win this game, they have to start with containing McDonald. That’s easier said than done given how potent she is offensively, but if Cal can hold her below her scoring average and force others to step up, they’ll have a shot to maybe steal this game. If McDonald has 20+ points, this game will be over.
Secondly, Cal needs Jaelyn Brown to ball out. On Friday, Brown had 9 points on 4-8 shooting from the field. We’ve seen Brown go off for 26 points against Oregon, so we know she’s capable of getting buckets. Brown doesn’t need to force things, but she needs to be aggressive and actively look for her shot. If she gets on a roll, Cal will have a shot to pull off the upset. If she’s quiet like she was on Friday, Cal might as well hop on a plane to Las Vegas and get ready for the Pac-12 Tournament.
Finally, Cal needs to get going in the post. That means rebounding and scoring inside. Cal has a solid front court in Evelien Lutje Schipholt, CJ West, Alaysia Styles, and Chen Yue. If those four are crashing the boards, getting put backs, and producing, Cal will have a much easier time winning this game. If Cal tries to win with their perimeter alone, they will lose.
