Cal Women's Basketball At Arizona Preview + Gamethread
by norcalnick on Feb 2, 2012 6:32 PM PST
in California Golden Bears Women's Basketball
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Did you all enjoy the great SBN blackout of aught-twelve? Here's your mid-first half gamethread!
Conventional wisdom might refer to this game as a ‘trap game’ with Arizona St. up next on the schedule. I have a hard time seeing it that way. Arizona is in last place in the Pac-12 and has just a 1-3 home record despite a home schedule that can charitably be described as ‘forgiving.’ Even on the road this is a game Cal has no business losing, particularly against a team the Bears have dominated in recent years. Cal has not lost to Arizona since January of 2006, and their last four wins have come by an average margin of 14 points. Cal matches up well against the style of play preferred by Wildcat coach Niya Butts, and recent results have reflected that.
Arizona has struggled this year largely because they still can’t play defense. But after going 10-8 in conference last year, Arizona has fallen to last place because their offensive production has declined as well. Last year the Wildcats could at least outscore their opponents – this year even that option is rarely on the table.
The main offensive threat this year is Davellyn Whyte, who has improved her efficiency despite an increased role in the offense by drawing more fouls and shooting better from 3 point range. Her 18.2 points and 6.6 rebounds are critical to Arizona’s success. Beyond that, sophomore Erica Barnes has done a decent job replacing the mammoth shoes of departed senior Ify Ibekwe, and sophomore guard Candice Warthen has turned into a pretty efficient scorer.
Arizona’s real problem is a lack of depth – only 6 players play consistent minutes. There are only three true post players on the entire roster, and that means there is tremendous pressure on Barnes and freshman Aley Rohde to produce and avoid foul trouble. Cal’s ability to throw out four excellent post players should be a huge matchup advantage for the Bears. Cal should cruize, but weird things happen sometimes. Go Bears!
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Thank goodness!
One gets so nervous during radio games. One needs to share, as one says here in NorCal.
34-26, Bears
For some reason Gennifer Brandon didn’t play for the first 10 minutes of the game, but she’s gotten into the game since, so she’s not hurt. I was scared for awhile.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Gen (or is it Genn?--I've never been sure)
is apparently not feeling well—meaning she gets 2 RBs in 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, a 3, a steal, an AZ foul. Or something like that. A game of runs, but this run I like.
On the pre-game show Dave Lewis said that Gen has been “under the weather” for the past couple of days, and he wasn’t sure if she would play at all.
CGB: The Strangest Blog
Since she’s feeling well enough to play some tonight, I am hopeful for Saturday.
CGB: The Strangest Blog
I hope Palo Alto EXHAUSTS
Charlis’ Flopsis.
(The trouble with being a fairly long-time Cal WBB fan—meaning about 15 years—is that I remember the bad old days and Cal’s habit of crumbling whenever they were comfortably ahead. Makes every game an exciting one, I suppose.)
Boyd, Caldwell and Gray are a combined 13-16 from the field for 31 points and 6 assists.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
A celestial trio.
Some FTs are even falling.
Krista Foster is on the air!
She was a good post player during the summer pro-am games in San Francisco. Why didn’t she get more forward minutes?
Oh, my.
The god-thing got mentioned right away. I was afraid of that.
Damn. I missed that.
Ah, well. Krista has always seemed a sweet person—apart from pushing her religious agenda and rooting for Arizona
An ASU win would be a very good thing for the Pac-12, I think.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
(not that I'm very optimistic, but a Bear can dream, can't he?)
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Sloooooow start to the 2nd half
But at least Whyte has 3 fouls . . . or not? Refs are getting goofy apparently.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Cal only up 6
Only 3 points for the Bears in the first 6+ of the half. Weird, considering Cal’s offensive domination in the first half.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
13 fouls have been called in about 7 minutes
THE REFS ARE TAKING OVER!
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
LAYSHIA!
Finally, a basket to up the lead to 5. This is way closer than it should be.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Yeah, Cal should be up by 15 or so.
And now Layshia wakes up? (Not that she’s ever truly asleep.)
34-34 in Tempe.
I thought Palo Alto walked on water.
Tie game
Being 8-18 from the line might have something to do with that.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Oh, hell.
I hate rookies. I love them, but I hate them.
Everything that could go wrong is going wrong
This is disastrous.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Can we blame it on the rookies?
And the erratic FT shooting?
Come on, ladies—earn your scholarships!
Oh dear, I refreshed the page and it showed the Cal signing day commercial where they spotlight Aaron Rodgers, Desmond Bishop, Tyson Alualu, Cam Jordan, Jahvid, and others, and after they show clips of all the players, they show the words “WHOSE NEXT?”.
Sigh.
by Yes We Cannon on Feb 2, 2012 7:50 PM PST up reply actions
Worse things have happened.
Although I don’t remember when.
Oh. Just found out that Cal made a basket or two. Thank you, goddess.
Around a bunch of Arizona turnovers. Nobody can play offense any more!
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Brittany, Layshia--
some of your fans are not as young and resilient as you.
PLEASE SCORE! PLEASE.
So it's Cal ball with :17 seconds left, tie game.
I’ll take it, considering.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Foul situation:
AZ – Reiko Thomas, Aley Rohde: 4
Cal – Boyd, Gray: 4
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Can't believe we're getting
excited about 4 points on the Wildcats.
But we are.
The sound of frustrated opposing fans is always a pleasant one.
by Yes We Cannon on Feb 2, 2012 8:01 PM PST up reply actions
YES LAYSHIA STEAL
SHE’S THE NEW ELIZA EXCEPT THE OLD ELIZA IS STILL AWESOME.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
My god, as Krista might say,
Layshia did it again!
Good defense
Even with the foul it was important to make them take a ton of time.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Layshia,
I’ll will you my first-born child. Just make both free throws.
Well, owner. Proud is yet to be determined.
by Yes We Cannon on Feb 2, 2012 8:13 PM PST up reply actions
Cal does not deserve this win
but then again, Arizona probably doesn’t either
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Just how the hell they won, I have no idea. But they won!
CGB: The Strangest Blog
by CalBear81 on Feb 2, 2012 8:11 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
That's it, Layshia.
You get our 22-year-old daughter. (She’s lovely, but somewhat neurotic.)
Now I want
the Beavers and Cougars to win. Especially the Beavers:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncw/scoreboard?date=20120202&confId=21
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!
Thanks to Bak Bak.
by paleodan on Feb 2, 2012 8:17 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Congrats to Reshanda!
One hell of a game from our L.A. rookie.
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