Preview: Cal hosts Harvard after Christmas break
On Sunday at 2:00 PM PST, #14 Cal women’s basketball will welcome Harvard to Haas Pavilion after getting the week off due to Christmas. Cal comes in at 9-1 overall while Harvard comes in at 6-6.
Last time out: On Saturday, December 22, Cal had a tough battle with top ranked UConn at Haas Pavilion. UConn won 76-66 in a game that was much closer than people expected. The game was even closer than the final score indicates as Asha Thomas had a chance to cut the UConn lead to just 3 points with less than a minute to go.
RECAP: Cal battles hard against top ranked UConn
On Harvard: The Crimson are led by junior guard Katie Benzan (14.4 points & 4.6 assists), senior guard Sydney Skinner (12.3 points & 3.5 assists), and sophomore forward Jadyn Bush (10.8 points & 9.0 rebounds). The three of them form a really nice trio that does a good job of scoring, rebounding, and getting others involved.
As a team, the Crimson are shooting 41.7% from the field, 34.3% from 3-point range, and 67.6% from the foul line for 67.6 points per game. They average 41.7 rebounds per game, good for a +6.5 rebounding differential per game. They also average 16.8 assists and 16.5 turnovers per game. Their opponents in contrast are shooting 35.1% from the field and 30.2% from 3-point range for 62.4 points per game.
Keys to the game: Probably the biggest strength of this Harvard team is their rebounding. If Cal wants to win this game, the first thing they need to do is win the battle on the glass. Fortunately for Cal, rebounding is a major strength of theirs thanks to Kristine Anigwe, who is averaging 22.2 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. If Anigwe has a big night inside and leads Cal to a win on the glass, Cal will be in a really good position to win this game.
A second key to this game for Cal is to force some turnovers and get out in the open floor. The Crimson turn the ball over a lot and Cal needs to take advantage of that given their quality guard play. If Asha Thomas, Kianna Smith, and Receé Caldwell are pushing the ball in transition and getting steals, things should really free up for the Cal offense.
A final key to this game for Cal is to not come out flat. After facing a team of UConn’s caliber, it would be easy for Cal to have a letdown and let Harvard hang around early on. Cal needs to come out focused and not allow Harvard to hang around at all. If Cal gets off to a strong start and sets the tone early, they should take a double digit lead into halftime and coast from there.