On Sunday at 4:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal women’s basketball will take on the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. Cal comes into this game at 14-10 overall and 5-8 in the Pac-12, currently on a four-game losing skid. UCLA comes in at 15-10 overall and 8-5 in the Pac-12, dropping their previous game to Stanford on Friday night by a final score of 65-51. This is the second meeting of the year between the two schools. UCLA had an 84-79 overtime victory in Berkeley back on January 4th.

Last time out: On Friday, Cal lost at USC by a final score of 86-76. Aliyah Mazyck led the way for the Trojans with 28 points while Kristine Anigwe was the top performer for Cal, finishing with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

RECAP: Cal suffers disappointing loss at USC

On UCLA: The Bruins are led by sophomore forward Michaela Onyenwere, who is averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The other two Bruins scoring in double figures are senior guard Kennedy Burke (14.1 points & 5.8 rebounds) and senior guard Japreece Dean (12.9 points & 3.5 rebounds), who both do a good job of taking the pressure off Onyenwere.

UCLA is averaging 72.2 points per game on 41.3% shooting from the field, 29.4% shooting from 3-point range, and 69.7% shooting from the foul line while giving up 67.8 points per game on 40.8% shooting from the field and 33.1% shooting from 3-point range. A major strength of UCLA is rebounding and blocking shots. They average a +7.3 rebounding differential per game while also swatting 4.24 shots per game.

Keys to the game: If Cal is to bounce back against the Bruins, the first thing they need to do is contain Onyenwere, who exploded for 29 points in their first meeting of the year. If Cal had held her to her season average, they would have won that game. Cal doesn’t need to shut her down per se, but they just need to make her work for her points. This is a game where Kristine Anigwe is going to need to step up on defense.

One of the things Cal did well against UCLA last time was rebound. UCLA had a +2 margin in that game, so it was pretty much a dead heat on the glass. CJ West had 8 rebounds in that game, doing a good job of helping Anigwe. If Cal can keep that same effort inside and not allow UCLA to have the type of rebounding advantage that they’re used to, that will help a ton.

Lastly, Asha Thomas needs to have a big game for Cal. Anigwe always brings it, but sometimes Cal lacks a really good number two option to take the pressure off of her. The best number two option Cal is Thomas, who is the senior floor general of the team. When she plays well, Cal looks like an elite team. If she finishes with at least 15 points and 5 assists, Cal should be in good shape.