On Sunday at 12:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal women’s basketball will take on the Washington Huskies up in Seattle. Cal comes in at 8-12 overall and 0-9 in the Pac-12 while Washington comes in at 10-10 overall and 2-7 in the Pac-12.

Last time out: Cal lost to Washington State on Friday by a final score of 92-66.

RECAP: Cal gets stomped at Washington State

On Washington: The Huskies are led by senior guard Amber Melgoza, who is averaging 14.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Melgoza is the lone player on the team scoring in double figures, so it really is on her to deliver.

As a team, the Huskies average 67.0 points per game on 38.8% shooting from the field, 30.5% shooting from 3-point range, and 71.7% shooting from the foul line. They average a +0.8 rebound margin, 16.1 assists, 11.0 steals, 3.7 blocks, and 17.0 turnovers per game. Their opponents are averaging 60.7 points per game on 37.6% shooting from the field, 27.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 65.7% shooting from the foul line.

The Huskies’ two Pac-12 wins came at Cal and at Washington State, so they must feel some confidence knowing that Cal is coming to town. While they’ve only picked up two league wins, the do have a couple of close losses to UCLA and USC in overtime, so they could easily have a couple more wins in league play.

Keys to the game: If Cal wants to win, the first thing they have to do is contain Melgoza. In Berkeley, Melgoza dropped 31 points on Cal, having one of her best games of the season. If she goes wild like that again, Cal will most certainly lose this game. Cal has to keep her right around her scoring average and force others to beat them.

Secondly, Cal needs to dominate the boards. With CJ West back, Cal has to take advantage of their size inside. Even if Chen Yue is unable to go, Cal should have enough size up front to get more rebounds and control the paint. If Cal can control the paint, they should be able to steal this win.

Lastly, Cal needs to make sure Washington doesn’t go on any runs. Cal has struggled to prevent teams from going on runs like 8-0; 10-0; etc. When those runs happen, they usually cook Cal. Cal has to find a way to keep this game close and tight without allowing Washington to gain a 10+ point advantage in a matter of a few minutes.