At 2:00 PM PST, Cal women's basketball will take on the Oregon Ducks in Eugene. After strong starts in out-of-conference play, both teams have really struggled in Pac-12 play. Cal is 1-4 in Pac-12 play and Oregon is 0-5. Click here for a link the live stream of the game provided by Oregon on Pac-12 Networks. For a list of 5 things to look for going into the game itself, read on.
#1. Who wants it more? Cal is really in a funk right now due to their 1-4 start to Pac-12 play. They aren't playing anywhere close to their potential and while one can place some of the blame on Cal's lack of depth, they still need to get better production from the likes of Asha Thomas and Mikayla Cowling. As for Oregon, their 0-5 start to Pac-12 play makes today's game at home a must-win game. I would say this is a must-win game for both teams, to be perfectly honest.
If Cal splits on this road trip, they will be 2-4 in Pac-12 play and they'll have a little bit of life. If Oregon can get a win against Cal, perhaps they can start to string together some wins and gain some sort of positive momentum. Ultimately, games of this nature come down to who wants it more and this game should be no exception. Both teams should feel a real sense of urgency going into this one.
#2. Jillian Alleyne is another tough assignment for Kristine Anigwe: Oregon senior forward Jillian Alleyne leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game and rebounding with a whopping 13.4 rebounds per game. Kristine Anigwe hasn't exactly "struggled" against veteran bigs, but they've really pushed her. Alleyne is going to be another tough test for Anigwe. Cal will have to make sure their freshman sensation gets some help from her teammates.
#3. Cal has to guard the perimeter: Oregon shoots 40.8% from three-point range as a team with Lexi Bando and Jordan Loera shooting north of 45% from beyond the arc. Kat Cooper is another player to watch due to her 42.3% shooting from downtown. Cal will need Mikayla Cowling, Courtney Range, Asha Thomas, and Gabby Green to do a stellar job at defending the perimeter. It will really require a team effort to do so judging by all the three-point shooting threats that Oregon has.
#4. Turnovers: It's a common narrative, which isn't a good thing. Cal has to take care of the ball in order to win this game. Especially with it being on the road. If Cal commits more than 15 turnovers, they'll have no chance of winning this game. If they turn the ball over less than 10 times, odds are good they win. It's that simple.
#5. Cal has to start strong: Cal is not in a good place mentally right now. They've had some crushing losses as of late and appear to be on the verge of a total meltdown. Cal has to get off to a good start in this game and get some shots to drop. A big help would be for Mikayla Cowling and Asha Thomas to find their stroke early in this game. Kristine Anigwe has been doing a good job at starting strong, but it's been the rest of her teammates that are struggling to find their groove. If it's once again Kristine Anigwe carrying the team in the first quarter, that will spell "doom" for Cal.
Prediction: This is a really tricky game to predict. Cal is in a serious funk, but Oregon is winless in conference play. Cal is looking to get on track and a game against a winless team in Pac-12 play on paper could be just what the doctor ordered. On the other hand, Oregon has to be looking at this game as very winnable. They are at home and Cal is vulnerable. You can spin it both ways. Due to Oregon having the home court and this game being a toss up, I will predict Oregon to win 74-67.
Until Cal can wake up on the road and play quality basketball for four quarters, I see no reason to pick them to win on the road (this also applies to the men). Also, it needs to be understood that Oregon's losses have come at the hands of UCLA, USC, Oregon State twice, and Stanford, all of which are very good teams. So, Oregon's winless record in Pac-12 play doesn't at all indicate that they aren't very good. It just indicates that there is some tough competition in the Pac-12. While I would love to put forth an argument for why Cal will win, I have to be objective and call it how I see it. I see the Ducks winning this one. It's that simple.
#1. Who wants it more? Cal is really in a funk right now due to their 1-4 start to Pac-12 play. They aren't playing anywhere close to their potential and while one can place some of the blame on Cal's lack of depth, they still need to get better production from the likes of Asha Thomas and Mikayla Cowling. As for Oregon, their 0-5 start to Pac-12 play makes today's game at home a must-win game. I would say this is a must-win game for both teams, to be perfectly honest.
If Cal splits on this road trip, they will be 2-4 in Pac-12 play and they'll have a little bit of life. If Oregon can get a win against Cal, perhaps they can start to string together some wins and gain some sort of positive momentum. Ultimately, games of this nature come down to who wants it more and this game should be no exception. Both teams should feel a real sense of urgency going into this one.
#2. Jillian Alleyne is another tough assignment for Kristine Anigwe: Oregon senior forward Jillian Alleyne leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game and rebounding with a whopping 13.4 rebounds per game. Kristine Anigwe hasn't exactly "struggled" against veteran bigs, but they've really pushed her. Alleyne is going to be another tough test for Anigwe. Cal will have to make sure their freshman sensation gets some help from her teammates.
#3. Cal has to guard the perimeter: Oregon shoots 40.8% from three-point range as a team with Lexi Bando and Jordan Loera shooting north of 45% from beyond the arc. Kat Cooper is another player to watch due to her 42.3% shooting from downtown. Cal will need Mikayla Cowling, Courtney Range, Asha Thomas, and Gabby Green to do a stellar job at defending the perimeter. It will really require a team effort to do so judging by all the three-point shooting threats that Oregon has.
#4. Turnovers: It's a common narrative, which isn't a good thing. Cal has to take care of the ball in order to win this game. Especially with it being on the road. If Cal commits more than 15 turnovers, they'll have no chance of winning this game. If they turn the ball over less than 10 times, odds are good they win. It's that simple.
#5. Cal has to start strong: Cal is not in a good place mentally right now. They've had some crushing losses as of late and appear to be on the verge of a total meltdown. Cal has to get off to a good start in this game and get some shots to drop. A big help would be for Mikayla Cowling and Asha Thomas to find their stroke early in this game. Kristine Anigwe has been doing a good job at starting strong, but it's been the rest of her teammates that are struggling to find their groove. If it's once again Kristine Anigwe carrying the team in the first quarter, that will spell "doom" for Cal.
Prediction: This is a really tricky game to predict. Cal is in a serious funk, but Oregon is winless in conference play. Cal is looking to get on track and a game against a winless team in Pac-12 play on paper could be just what the doctor ordered. On the other hand, Oregon has to be looking at this game as very winnable. They are at home and Cal is vulnerable. You can spin it both ways. Due to Oregon having the home court and this game being a toss up, I will predict Oregon to win 74-67.
Until Cal can wake up on the road and play quality basketball for four quarters, I see no reason to pick them to win on the road (this also applies to the men). Also, it needs to be understood that Oregon's losses have come at the hands of UCLA, USC, Oregon State twice, and Stanford, all of which are very good teams. So, Oregon's winless record in Pac-12 play doesn't at all indicate that they aren't very good. It just indicates that there is some tough competition in the Pac-12. While I would love to put forth an argument for why Cal will win, I have to be objective and call it how I see it. I see the Ducks winning this one. It's that simple.
