On Sunday at 11:00 AM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal women’s basketball will take on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City. Cal comes in at 9-15 overall and 1-12 in the Pac-12 while Utah comes in at 12-12 overall and 5-8 in the Pac-12.

Last time out: On Friday, Cal lost to Colorado in Boulder by a final score of 64-57. Sophomore guard Aubrey Knight led the way for the Buffaloes with 12 points while senior forward Jaelyn Brown was the top performer for the Golden Bears with 13 points.

RECAP: Cal unable to win in Colorado

On Utah: Freshman guard Brynna Maxwell (12.5 points) and freshman forward Lola Pendande (11.2 points & 5.6 rebounds) are the two Utes scoring in double figures on average. No one else is scoring over 7 points per game, so it really is on them to bring it every night.

As a team, the Utes are averaging 68.4 points per game on 42.0% shooting from the field, 35.6% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.5% shooting from the foul line. They average a -1.3 rebound margin, 14.5 assists, 7.3 steals, 3.1 blocks, and 15.9 turnovers per game. Their opponents average 69.8 points per game on 40.7% shooting from the field, 34.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 71.8% shooting from the foul line.

The Utes have had a very streak season. They lost their first three games of the season before winning their next six games. They soon lost four straight games before bouncing back with three straight wins. So, it’s been that kind of year for them. At the moment, they’re on a one game losing streak, losing to Stanford on Friday, which bodes well for Cal. Only once all year has Utah bounced back to avoid a 2+ game losing streak.

Keys to the game: When Utah won in Berkeley earlier in the year, Maxwell went off for 27 points, torching the Cal defense. If Cal wants to win this game, they have to start with containing Maxwell and not allowing her to torch them. If Maxwell has a 20+ point outing, Utah will win this game.

Secondly, Cal needs to do a better job on the glass. In their first meeting with Utah, Cal and Utah each had 39 rebounds. Cal has more size up front with a +2.2 rebound margin per game that quite honestly doesn’t reflect how much size they have. Cal needs to dominate the boards in this game and really beat Utah inside. If Utah is keeping up with Cal inside, Cal will be failing to take advantage of their biggest strength.

Finally, Cal needs to take care of the ball. In their first meeting of the year, Cal had 22 turnovers while Utah had 14. Cal needs to cut back on the turnovers and give themselves more quality possessions. If they can do that, they’ll give themselves a chance to win the game.