On Sunday at 4:00 PM PST, #24 Cal women’s basketball will take on #19 Arizona State in Tempe, concluding their road trip to the desert. Cal comes into this game 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12 while Arizona State comes in at 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Cal lost to Arizona on Friday by a final score of 60-55. Arizona guard Aari McDonald went off for 36 points on 11-17 shooting from the field and 5-8 shooting from 3-point range while Cal forward Kristine Anigwe finished with 19 points and 20 rebounds.
RECAP: Cal goes down at Arizona
On Arizona State: The Sun Devils are led by senior forward Kianna Ibis (12.6 points & 5.8 rebounds) and redshirt senior guard/forward Courtney Ekmark (10.5 points). Ibis does most of her work inside, while Ekmark likes to do her damage from the perimeter, shooting 33.7% from 3-point range on nearly 7 attempts per game. Complimenting each other well, the two of them do a good job of pacing their team every night as the only players scoring in double figures on average.
While the Sun Devils don’t have the most explosive offense, they make up for it with their depth and defense. 10 players are getting regular rotation minutes, contributing to a defense that gives up only 55.3 points per game on 39.7% shooting from the field and 30.2% shooting from 3-point range. They do a good job forcing turnovers and getting their opponents out of their comfort zone. As an extension of their stellar defense, the Sun Devils do a killer job on the boards, averaging a +9.4 rebounding differential per game.
Keys to the game: If Cal wants to get back in the winner’s circle, the first thing they have to do is avoid scoring droughts. On Friday, Arizona went on a 14-4 run that put Cal in an 11 point hole at halftime. Cal’s offense really struggled during this stretch and they weren’t able to overcome it in the end. Arizona State’s defense is really good at forcing droughts, so Cal better come prepared with a game plan to maintain a consistent offensive flow throughout the game.
Secondly, Cal has to take good care of the ball. Against Arizona, Cal turned the ball over 18 times, which is unacceptable. Against a good defensive team like Arizona State, you have to cherish each possession. If you’re turning the ball over, you’re robbing yourself of valuable scoring opportunities.
Touching back on my first key to the game, Cal needs to get Kristine Anigwe more help. She can’t be the only player producing. Against Arizona, the only other player who showed up was Receé Caldwell, who scored 13 points. Asha Thomas (4 points), McKenzie Forbes (0 points), and Alaysia Styles (0 points) have to give Cal more. Even Jaelyn Brown (9 points) and Kianna Smith (8 points) could be giving a little bit more as well. If it’s only Kristine Anigwe and one other player carrying the load, it’s going to be a long night in Tempe.
