On Friday at 12:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal women’s basketball will welcome the Utah Utes to Haas Pavilion in the 6th annual School Haas Rock game. School Haas Rock is a game played in front of local school kids and their teachers as a way to show appreciation for educators. Cal comes into the game at 8-9 overall and 0-6 in the Pac-12 while Utah comes in at 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the Pac-12.

Last time out: On Sunday, Cal lost to Oregon by a final score of 105-55.

RECAP: Cal gets smacked at Oregon

On Utah: The Utes are led by a pair of freshmen in forward Lola Pendande (11.9 points) and guard Brynna Maxwell (11.8 points). They’re the only two players on this Utah team that are scoring in double figures with the next highest scorer being sophomore wing Niyah Becker (7.2 points). So, it really is on Pendande and Maxwell to deliver the goods.

The Utes as a team average 69.2 points per game on 42.9% shooting from the field, 36.4% shooting from 3-point range, and 69.2% shooting from the foul line. They average a +0.4 rebound margin, 15.8 assists, 7.1 steals, 3.4 blocks, and 16.4 turnovers per game. Their opponents average 66.9 points per game on 38.9% shooting from the field, 32.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 69.9% shooting from the foul line.

After dropping their first three games of the season, the Utes won 7 of their remaining 8 non-conference games, entering Pac-12 play with some momentum. Similar to Cal, Pac-12 play got off to a rough start for them as they lost their first four games to Colorado, Oregon State, Oregon, and UCLA. The Utes have won their last two Pac-12 games over USC and Colorado.

Keys to the game: If Cal is to win this game, the first thing they need to do is feed off the energy of all the screaming children that will be in attendance. It sounds silly, but School Haas Rock has a very fun atmosphere and Cal needs to feed off the energy that comes with it. If they can get out to a strong start and set the tone early, they should be fine.

Secondly, Cal needs to take advantage of their front court. Utah doesn’t do a very good job on the boards, whereas Cal’s frontcourt is arguably their strength. Even if CJ West is out, Cal should still dominate inside with Evelien Lutje Schipholt, Chen Yue, Alaysia Styles, and Jaelyn Brown. Provided Cal takes care of business down low, they should win.

Finally, Cal needs to do a good job defending Pendande and Maxwell. Pendande is shooting 63.9% from the field, doing her damage inside while Maxwell is a perimeter threat, shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc. If Cal can contain them and not allow them to have a big game, they should walk out victorious.