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Women’s Basketball
Bears Remain Perfect On The Season
LAS VEGAS – The Cal women's basketball closed out its non-conference schedule with an 80-55 win over Arkansas State on Wednesday night at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas to remain perfect on the season. At 12-0, the Golden Bears have extended their program-best start and matched the second-longest winning streak in Cal women's basketball history.
Sophomore center Kristine Anigwe continued her dominant start to the season, leading all scorers with 39 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for her second 30-point, 15-rebound performance in as many nights. Anigwe now has six career 30-point games, tied for the second-most by any player in Cal women's basketball history, and her three 30-point performances this year are second-most by any player in the Pac-12 this season. The 6'4" center averaged 29.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in the Bears three wins in Las Vegas, despite averaging only 27.7 minutes per game over the stretch.
Anigwe Voted Pac-12 Player of the Week
SAN FRANCISCO – After recording back-to-back 30-point, 15-rebound performances to lead the Bears to three wins in three days, sophomore center Kristine Anigwe was voted Pac-12 Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Oregon State's Mikayla Pivec was voted Freshman of the Week.
This is the first Pac-12 Player of the Week honor for Anigwe, who earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week recognition a record eight times last year and was conference Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season. Anigwe is the first Cal player to be named Pac-12 Player of the Week since Courtney Range earned the honor in the opening week of the 2015-16 season.
The 2016 USBWA Freshman of the Year, Anigwe averaged 29.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game as Cal swept all three games at the 2016 Puerto Rico Classic in Las Vegas to improve to 12-0 on the season.
Men’s Basketball
Cal Hosts No. 18 Arizona Friday To Open Pac-12 Play
BERKELEY -- The Golden Bears officially begin Pac-12 action on Friday when California hosts 18th-ranked Arizona at 8 p.m. in Haas Pavilion to tip off league play. The contest airs live on ESPN2 as well as on KGO radio.
The Bears went 9-3 in the nonconference portion of their schedule, suffering their first home loss since March 1, 2015 to No. 12 Virginia to close out the slate. It was one of just three nonconference losses at home in head coach Cuonzo Martin's tenure, with Cal owning a 24-3 record in Haas in Martin's three years at Cal.
Cal begins its Pac-12 campaign leading the league in scoring defense (59.3 ppg), field goal percentage defgense (36.6 percent), defensive rebound percentage (78.3 percent) and rebounding offense (41.5 rpg). Individually, three Bears are averaging in double figures, led by Charlie Moore's 16.1 points alongside Jabari Bird's 15.7 and Ivan Rabb's 14.6.
Men’s Soccer
BERKELEY – A dream was realized for recent California graduate Nick Lima as he signed with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer as a Homegrown Player on Wednesday, the team announced.
Lima, who is the second member in Earthquake's history to join as a Homegrown Player, graduated in December from Cal after an impressive individual season where he earned his second nod as a NSCAA/NCAA All-Far West Region First Team member and All-Pac-12 selection.
"Nick signing with his hometown San Jose Earthquakes is an incredible accomplishment," said Cal head coach Kevin Grimes. "He has always wanted to be a professional player since we started recruiting him in high school. Our entire program is really happy that he has achieved his dream.
"Our insistence on playing high quality soccer has really pushed Nick's limits and taken his game to another level. There is no doubt that Dominic Kinnear and MLS competition will further his growth and development. His upside is still in front of him which makes this even more special."