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Women's basketball ended the season winning 17 of its last 22 games and winning the WNIT Championship at Haas Pavilion. This bodes well for the future of this young team.
The future certainly looks bright for coach Joanne Boyle's team after superb performances from their freshmen.
Forward DeNesha Stallworth scored 21 points and made the all-tournament team. Guard Eliza Pierra had eight points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals, and the frontcourt tandem of Talia Caldwell and Gennifer Brandon combined for 18 points and 19 rebounds.
But this was the final curtain call for fifth-year senior Gray-Lawson. The former Oakland Tech High star, who was part of Cal's four previous NCAA tournament teams, posted a career record of 103-40 and averaged 20 points in the NIT.
Despite being slowed by a hamstring pull, Gray-Lawson's first impulse afterward was to rush to her mother.
"Sometimes I don't the opportunity to thank my parents for everything," said the Bears' No. 3 all-time scorer with 1,982 points. "It was more about her than me. ... I can't believe we really won a championship."
After the jump we have more on the WNIT Champions, football's spring practice shows that the depth chart continues to be fluid on both sides of the ball, Randle and PC help lead their team to victory in the Reese's All Star Game, baseball nets an impressive sweep of Arizona, and more.
Women's Basketball
- Except for a period early in the first half, Cal dominated Miami throughout the game. Continually answering Miami's runs with runs of its own, Cal kept a double-digit lead throughout most of the second half.
- Alexis Gray-Lawson finished her Cal career on a high note, with a championship and WNIT MVP honors.
- Joanne Boyle believes the tournament experience is a great foundation from which the younger players can continue to grow and develop.
- Boyle, Lawson, and Stallworth spoke at the post-game press conference about how they took advantage of Miami, clutch plays, and the excitement of winning the WNIT championship.
Cal Football
- Kendrick Payne and Jarred Price are getting first team reps after spending previous years in backup roles. Payne is pushing Derrick Hill for the starting nose tackle position and Price has moved from a third down pass-rusher to an every down linebacker.
- After Thursday's practice, Tedford singled out RBs Sofele, Yarnway, tight end Spencer Ladner, safety Alex Logan, and defensive backs Chris Moncrease, Steve Williams, and Vachel Samuels as players who are standing out this spring. Sofele has gained about 15-20 lbs, so it looks like he will stay as a running back. JO has some notes from Saturday's practice. Pendergast's defense sounds like it is giving the offense some problems. Sweeney especially has had some struggles recently.
- Wilner gives his thoughts on who will win the Pac-10 this year. Cal has to show some consistency before Wilner considers it a top-tier team in this year's Pac-10.
- Randle and PC had strong performances at the Reese's College All Star Game as their team defeated the Hershey's team 106-101. Randle was named most outstanding player of the victorious Reese's team.
- Baseball completed an impressive sweep of no. 18 Arizona. This was baseball's first sweep since sweeping USC in May of 2007.
- No. 3 women's water polo won its seventh game in a row with a 14-11 victory over no. 9 ASU.
- No. 17 men's tennis fell 6-1 to no. 3 USC.
- Alyse Kennedy's hat trick was not enough for women's lacrosse as they lost to Denver in double overtime by a final score of 11-10.
- Men's gymnastics narrowly missed winning the MSPF Men's Gymnastics Championships. They finished in second with 354.450 points, just shy of Oklahoma's 354.550.
- Men's golf finished at thirteenth in the Thunderbird Invitational.
- Women's crew went undefeated in the opening day of the Pac-10 challenge.