On Friday at 7:00 PM PST, #18 Cal women’s basketball will open up Pac-12 play at home against UCLA. Cal comes into this game at 9-2 overall and 0-0 in Pac-12 play while UCLA comes in at 8-5 overall and 1-0 in Pac-12 play, defeating USC 72-65 on Sunday.

Last time out: Cal lost their final game of non-conference play to Harvard on Sunday by a final score of 85-79. Freshman McKenzie Forbes had a career-high 22 points.

RECAP: Cal falls to Harvard as they head into Pac-12 play

On UCLA: The Bruins are led by sophomore forward Michaela Onyenwere (15.8 points & 8.4 rebounds), senior guard Kennedy Burke (14.4 points & 6.1 rebounds), and senior guard Japreece Dean (12.9 points). While being in more of a rebuild type of situation, the Bruins still have some talent and a quality head coach in Cori Close.

The major strength of this Bruins team is their defense and rebounding. They hold their opponents to 63.2 points per game on 38.2% shooting from the field and 30.4% shooting from 3-point range while possessing a +10.8 rebounding differential per game. Their offense in contrast is much more pedestrian, averaging 70.4 points per game on 40.9% shooting from the field, 24.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 69.6% shooting from the foul line.

The biggest weakness of this Bruins team is their lack of depth. Onyenwere, Burke, and Dean are the only players scoring in double figures. The Bruins have a 9 player rotation, but their starters are getting the lion’s share of playing time, each playing 28+ minutes per game. With a lack of quality production off the bench, the Bruins’ starters have to really carry the load in order for their team to win.

Keys to the game: Cal is coming off a disappointing loss to Harvard and it’s important that they don’t let it linger into this game. Cal is still having a really strong season and they have plenty of opportunities to put the Harvard loss in the rear view mirror thanks to the strength of the Pac-12. Cal needs to come out focused and play the type of basketball they know they are capable of playing from the opening tip. If they don’t, they could be in for another disappointing night.

If there’s anything we learned from Cal’s loss to Harvard, it’s that they need Kristine Anigwe to play her best basketball in order to be a serious threat. Even when players like McKenzie Forbes step up and have career games, this Cal team still only goes as far as Anigwe will take them. If Cal can get 20+ points from Anigwe to go along with 15+ rebounds, they’ll win this game for sure. If she has another night where she’s only scoring 13 or 14 points with poor shooting numbers, Cal could be in for another long night.

Lastly, Cal needs to win the battle on the boards and not let UCLA have the type of rebounding numbers they are used to having. Cal owned the boards against Harvard and still lost, so they definitely need to make sure they make the most of their rebounds and not leave any points on the table. If they can do a better job of converting rebounds into points, Cal will start Pac-12 play with a 1-0 record.