On Sunday, Cal women’s basketball defeated Washington State 80-58 in Pullman, completing their road sweep of the Washington schools. Kristine Anigwe had an historic day for the Golden Bears, finishing with 32 points and 30 rebounds for her 30th consecutive double-double. Anigwe tied the Pac-12 single-game rebounding record and broke the Cal single-game rebounding record, previously held by Gennifer Brandon. Borislava Hristova was the top performer for the Cougars with 21 points while Alexys Swedlund finished with 17 points on 3-6 shooting from 3-point range.
Cal improves to 18-11 overall and 9-9 in the Pac-12 while Washington State falls to 9-20 overall and 4-14 in the Pac-12. Cal finishes the regular season 7th in the Pac-12 standings while Washington State finishes 10th. This means both teams will face off in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament on Thursday.
While Kristine Anigwe was the star of the game, Receé Caldwell played a huge role in getting Cal off to a good start, scoring five of Cal’s first 10 points on 2-2 shooting from the field. With the game tied 10-10 with 4:23 to go in the 1st quarter, it looked like Washington State might put up a fight. Cal would soon put that to rest, going on an 11-0 run to lead 25-12 at the end of quarter. Caldwell was leading all Cal scorers with 8 points while Anigwe and Kianna Smith each had 6 points.
With 6:11 to go until halftime, Cal led 29-18 as Anigwe was up to 10 points and 13 rebounds. Washington State didn’t have an answer for her inside, getting absolutely pummeled on the boards. Cal would slightly extend their lead 42-30 at halftime as Anigwe was up to 17 points and 18 rebounds. Caldwell was in double figures as well with 11 points, providing Cal with the quality guard play that was needed. As for Washington State, Hristova was up to 12 points.
During the 3rd quarter, Cal outscored Washington State 18-16, giving themselves a 60-46 lead heading into the 4th. While Anigwe was up to 21 points and 27 rebounds (breaking the Cal single game rebounding record), she was getting help from her teammates as well. McKenzie Forbes scored five points in the 3rd quarter while Asha Thomas and Kianna Smith combined for seven points. At this point, it really looked like Cal was going to walk away with an easy win.
Washington State opened the 4th quarter on a 6-2 run to cut Cal’s lead to 10 points (62-52) with 7:42 to go. Swedlund was up to 17 points, doing all she could to get the Cougars back in the game. Unfortunately for the Cougars, that would be the closest they would get. Cal would soon go on a 10-2 run thanks to five points from Anigwe, three points from Smith, and two points from Jaelyn Brown. Up 72-54 with 3:56 to go, the only thing left to watch was whether or not Anigwe would finish with 30 points and 30 rebounds. Once she did that, Gottlieb pulled her from the game and from there, Cal sailed to an 80-58 win.
For Cal, this was a much-needed victory as they get themselves up to a .500 record in the Pac-12. On top of that, they’ve won four straight games and are heading into the Pac-12 tournament with a lot of momentum. While this season has been rockier than expected, they’re still in a good spot in terms of making the NCAA tournament. At the end of the day, that’s what matters the most.
As for Washington State, this loss hurts. It was on their home floor and they were hoping to finish out the regular season on some sort of positive note. Instead, they got thumped on Senior Day, adding another tally to their loss column.
As was said at the beginning, Cal and Washington State will face off again in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament. That game will tipoff on Thursday at 6:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks.
Note: C.J. West (concussion protocol) missed her second consecutive game for Cal. Her status for Thursday is to be determined.
Post-game quotes: Kristine Anigwe caught up with Pac-12 Networks after the game. Below is a full transcription.
“I think I’m just playing for other people. I’m playing for my mom, my family, my team, my coach, and I’ve just never been on a team like this. This team is incredible. They encourage you. They are truly for you. Everyone’s so selfless. It’s easy to excel in this environment.”
“Since I was little, my mom would always be on me to rebound and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. Especially this year. My mom’s not going to be able to come to all my games anymore, so the season’s really for the people that have been here for me and through it all. Credit to my teammates believing in me, always puts me up. We have really really good chemistry this year. Something that’s so new to me and I really just play for them. I play for my coaches, I play for my family, I play for my teammates.”
“I think we’re all just hungry. Last year we didn’t get the results that we wanted and we’re just all trying to prove each everybody wrong. We understand we are the underdogs. We play with that intensity. We practice that way. We really truly believe in each other. No team is perfect. So, I feel like this team is perfect for each individual. Everyone can be themselves. Everyone can thrive on the court. If they didn’t have the game they wanted, they’re in the gym the next day trying to excel. We’re on the upcoming. We’re believing right now and I’m really proud of our team. It’s not just me. Every single person on our team committed to the journey.”
