Time: 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET
TV: FSN/CSNBA
Radio: KKGN 960 AM
Audio Stream: Cal Bears All Access ($)
Gametracker
For reasons I cannot possibly fathom this is the one Cal women's game not against Stanford that will be televised in the entire conference schedule. So we'll all get a good look at how Cal responds to their 3rd straight shocking loss to a school from the state of Washington.
That Cal has lost games to Washington and Washington St. isn't in and of itself shocking - it's how they've lost them. All three have come by 9 points or more and in each game Cal's opponents have jumped to large, quick leads that the Bears never recover from.
So, can the Bears turn things around, or will they complete what would be a completely unfathomable 0-4 run against what's quickly becoming my least favorite state? Hit the jump for some quick keys to the game.
1. Defending three pointers: Cal has been victimized from deep in their losses, and never more so than when Washington St. hit 12 of 28 (43%) in Pullman. Cal has to do a better job against the deep threat of Sage Romberg, Jazmine Perkins and Ireti Amojo.
2. Get a good performance from Layshia Clarendon: As a general rule, as Layshia goes so go the Bears. She has the ball in her hand so much, and she's Cal's most reliable scorer from the guard position that it's hard to win games when she's turning the ball over and not scoring efficiently. Cal doesn't need a 20+ point explosion, but they do need her to limit turnovers and take good shots.
3. Rebound the ball without mercy: Sure, even in defeat the Bears usually win the rebounding battle. But unlike many teams, Cal needs a bigger advantage than plus 3 or 4 on the glass. They need to absolutely dominate on both ends and finish with 66% or better of the available rebounds.