On Sunday at 1:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal women’s basketball will welcome #7 Oregon State to Haas Pavilion. Cal comes into this game at 14-8 overall and 5-6 in the Pac-12 while Oregon State comes in at 19-4 overall and 9-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Friday, Cal fell to #3 Oregon by a final score of 105-82. Satou Sabally was the top performer for Oregon with 31 points and 9 rebounds while Kristine Anigwe finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds, setting the new Cal scoring record for both men’s and women’s basketball.
RECAP: Cal falls to Oregon amid record setting night for Kristine Anigwe
On Oregon State: The Beavers are led by redshirt sophomore guard Destiny Slocum (16.5 points & 5.0 assists), junior guard Mikayla Pivec (14.4 points & 8.9 rebounds), and junior guard Kat Tudor (12.3 points & 4.0 rebounds). Together, the three of them do a really good job of sharing the load and complementing each other. Slocum does a really good job of facilitating, Pivec crashes the glass, and Tudor is a solid third scoring option.
While not as offensively potent as Oregon, the Beavers know how to put up points, averaging 78.6 points per game on 48.3% shooting from the field, 42.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 73.2% shooting from the foul line. On defense, the Beavers have numbers that are slightly better than the Ducks, holding opponents to 58.1 points per game on 34.4% shooting from the field and 27.2% shooting from 3-point range. When you combine really good scoring with that type of defense, you have a recipe for success.
Keys to the game: If Cal is to win this game, the first thing they need to do is play better defense. Allowing Oregon to score 105 points was ridiculous and inexcusable. While Oregon is a really talented team offensively, a lot of their points were scored because Cal wasn’t in the right spot on the floor. If Cal can improve their defense and guard the perimeter better, they’ll give themselves a much better chance to win this game.
I rarely suggest coaching adjustments, but one adjustment I would like to see Lindsay Gottlieb try is to give Mo Mosley more minutes. She’s one of the best defenders on the team, especially on the perimeter. If she got more minutes, I do feel the defense would improve. On top of that, she’s actually a pretty solid offensive player, so it’s not a case of sacrificing offense for defense. Gottlieb has gone to Mosley before in certain key situations, so it will be interesting to see if she sees more time against the Beavers and beyond.
In addition to playing good defense, Cal needs to build on the stellar perimeter shooting that they put on display against Oregon. Receé Caldwell had a breakout game with 22 points on 6-11 shooting from 3-point range while Kianna Smith had a strong outing as well with 20 points on 5-6 shooting from 3-point range. Improved defense + lethal 3-point shooting should prove to be a winning formula for Cal. It’s just matter of not having one without the other.
Lastly, Cal needs to get more out of Asha Thomas. Her game-winning shot against Stanford masked what was otherwise a very quiet game and in the two games since, she’s continued to be quiet. If Cal is to win this game, they’re going to need to get more out of their floor general.
