Cal women's basketball takes on Oregon State tonight at 8:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks. The Beavers come into this game as the #12 ranked team in the country with a 12-3 overall record and a 3-1 record in the Pac-12. Cal comes into this game with a 10-5 overall record and a 1-3 record in the Pac-12. I will kick things off with 5 things to look for going into the game.
#1. Cal has to lock down on Jamie Weisner: Oregon State senior guard Jamie Weisner is a fabulous shooter. She shoots 47.8% from the field, 40.3% from the foul line, and 94.1% from the free-throw, which is why she averages 16.6 points per game. If Cal wants to win this road game, they have to limit the amount of touches she gets and also limit the amount of open shots she takes.
#2. Oregon State is a really good rebounding team: Rebounding is a strength of this Cal team, but Oregon State clamps down on the boards at a whole other level. The Beavers grab 46.9 rebounds per game and give up 30.5 rebounds per game. That's a +16.4 differential while Cal has a +5.3 differential. 6'6" center Ruth Hamblin averages 9.3 rebounds per game and really does a good job controlling the glass. We saw how Kristine Anigwe was tested by Emily Potter of Utah and tonight against Hamblin could be similar.
#3. Oregon State plays fantastic defense: Oregon State gives up 51.1 points per game, while scoring 70.2 points per game. Oregon State is an elite defensive team and with the way Cal struggled to score against Arizona State, it should not be surprising to see Cal have similar struggles.
#4. Cal's lack of depth could really hurt them again: If Cal doesn't give players like K.C. Waters and MaAne Mosley more minutes in this game, they won't win. Cal can't keep having multiple players clock 40 minutes for a game and expect to come out victorious.
#5. Free throws and turnovers: On the road, you have to make your free throws and limit your number of turnovers. If Cal does well in these departments, they'll give themselves a shot. If they don't do well in these areas, they most certainly won't come out with a win in Corvallis.
Prediction: Honestly, I don't see Cal winning this game with the way they are playing at the moment. Oregon State's defensive numbers are similar to Arizona State and we saw how Cal played against them. Plus, the Beavers are active on the glass and are even tougher than Utah. The bottom line is that with Oregon State being a better team overall, playing better basketball, and being at home, this should be a cakewalk for them. I predict Oregon State wins 71-57.
#1. Cal has to lock down on Jamie Weisner: Oregon State senior guard Jamie Weisner is a fabulous shooter. She shoots 47.8% from the field, 40.3% from the foul line, and 94.1% from the free-throw, which is why she averages 16.6 points per game. If Cal wants to win this road game, they have to limit the amount of touches she gets and also limit the amount of open shots she takes.
#2. Oregon State is a really good rebounding team: Rebounding is a strength of this Cal team, but Oregon State clamps down on the boards at a whole other level. The Beavers grab 46.9 rebounds per game and give up 30.5 rebounds per game. That's a +16.4 differential while Cal has a +5.3 differential. 6'6" center Ruth Hamblin averages 9.3 rebounds per game and really does a good job controlling the glass. We saw how Kristine Anigwe was tested by Emily Potter of Utah and tonight against Hamblin could be similar.
#3. Oregon State plays fantastic defense: Oregon State gives up 51.1 points per game, while scoring 70.2 points per game. Oregon State is an elite defensive team and with the way Cal struggled to score against Arizona State, it should not be surprising to see Cal have similar struggles.
#4. Cal's lack of depth could really hurt them again: If Cal doesn't give players like K.C. Waters and MaAne Mosley more minutes in this game, they won't win. Cal can't keep having multiple players clock 40 minutes for a game and expect to come out victorious.
#5. Free throws and turnovers: On the road, you have to make your free throws and limit your number of turnovers. If Cal does well in these departments, they'll give themselves a shot. If they don't do well in these areas, they most certainly won't come out with a win in Corvallis.
Prediction: Honestly, I don't see Cal winning this game with the way they are playing at the moment. Oregon State's defensive numbers are similar to Arizona State and we saw how Cal played against them. Plus, the Beavers are active on the glass and are even tougher than Utah. The bottom line is that with Oregon State being a better team overall, playing better basketball, and being at home, this should be a cakewalk for them. I predict Oregon State wins 71-57.
