Category: Cal Bears

Williams Sparks Cal Women to Statement 86-65 Win at Gonzaga

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(picture courtesy of Colin Mulvany, The Spokesman-Review)

By Morris Phillips

Kayla Williams has already been in the right place before… twice.

On Thursday at Gonzaga, Williams was the embodiment of the right place (at the right time) again.

The graduate transfer from USC put up 25 points, six assists, four steals, and Cal never trailed in an 86-65 win at Gonzaga. The Bears improved to 4-0, and now have their initial statement victory for NCAA Tournament consideration.

Lulu Twidale had 18 points, Ioanna Krimili added 17, and Marta Suarez scored 14 while holding Zags standout Maud Huijbens to 0 of 6 shooting. Williams sprinted up the floor right before halftime and sank a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Cal up 13. With 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Williams struck again from distance to put Cal up 19, entering the fourth.

The Bears shot 58 percent from the floor for the game after starting 13 of 20 through the first 13 minutes of play.  Gonzaga uncharacteristically committed 24 turnovers.

“We have these inexperienced guards that are handling the ball a lot, and they’ve (the Bears) got some good defenders,” coach Lisa Fortier said. “Some of them were forced, but other times too, we were a bit casual.”

Yvonne Ejim, the Canadian Olympian, didn’t score her first basket until 26 seconds remained in the first quarter, with Gonzaga already trailing by double digits. Cal’s center Michelle Onyiah played Ejim physically throughout and temporarily forced the Zags’ leading scorer to initiate her offense at the free throw line and back. Ejim finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, but only her first two baskets briefly shaved Cal’s lead to single digits. Ejim’s subsequent six baskets and ten made free throws all came with Cal leading comfortably.

“We are going to get turnovers because we’re trying to make the right reads,” Ejim said. “They’re there. We’re just not connecting. That just takes time.”

The Bears frustrated the home team’s starters with physical defense that left Gonzaga tentative and forced seven turnovers in the initial surge. The Zags’ new backcourt in place of the graduated and departed Truong sisters played well eventually, but went into the third quarter struggling to get Ejim the ball consistently.

Ines Bettencourt’s misdirected pass into the post bounced out of bounds, followed by a three-second violation as Ejim couldn’t shed Onyiah in a third quarter sequence that left the home team’s leading scorer visibly frustrated. Again, Ejim recovered, but after the game’s outcome was cemented.

Natalia Ackerman provided one of the two made baskets from Cal’s bench, but she did so adroitly, reaching behind herself to grab a pass, then turning 180 degrees toward the basket to lay it in. Ackerman’s third quarter basket put Cal up 50-38.

“Taking care of the ball and the way that we can shoot and score the ball definitely were strengths of ours,” coach Charmin Smith said. “On the defensive end, to force them into 24 turnovers is huge and bodes well for where we’re trying to head defensively and thinking about defending ACC teams.”

Williams began her career at UC Irvine, where she was Big West Freshman of the year with a career-best 32 points in January 2021 and first-team all-conference as a sophomore. She transferred to USC and helped lead the Women of Troy to their first NCAA appearance under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. But after starting all 31 games that season, Juju Watkins’ arrival relegated the 5’7″ guard to the bench in her senior season.

That demotion was Williams’ impetus for pursuing a graduate season at Cal, where she has regained her superior play immediately. She was 9 of 12 from floor against Gonzaga and a defensive pest in the Zags’ passing lanes.

The Bears attempt to stay unbeaten on Wednesday when Grambling visits Haas Pavilion at 7:00pm.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal to host Syracuse Saturday; Bears look for a fifth win

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Cal Bears and Xavier Carlton (44) had a leg up on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Wake Forest on Sat Nov 9, 2024 (Cal Bears photo)

On Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris talk about how big of a day was it for Cal Bears (4-3) quarterback Fernando Mendoza who threw two touchdown passes against Wake Forest in Cal’s 46-36 win last Saturday?

#2 For Mendoza 40-56 on passing for 385 yards threw only one interception and for the most part was getting good protection up front.

#3 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox had to be relieved as this was Cal’s first road win since Sep 7 after beating Auburn 21-14. Wilcox said that the team kept after Wake Forest the whole game long, “Really proud of them for finding a way to win. Just proud of them for staying in the moment.”

#4 Talk about how valuable Liam Johnson’s interception was and how huge it was to keep Cal three points ahead of Wake Forest late in the game.

#5 Next up for Cal the Syracuse Orange come calling. Syracuse (6-3). The Orange have won four of their last six games. Syracuse in their last game last Saturday lost a tough one to Boston College 37-31 in Boston. Cal has home field at Berkeley Memorial coming off the win against Wake Forest. How do you see this match up this Saturday?

Ejim, Gonzaga The Opening Acts In Cal’s Opponent Showcase

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By Morris Phillips

One after another, accomplished players and talented teams cross paths with the Cal Bears, starting Thursday night at Gonzaga.

Canadian Olympian Yvonne Ejim and the Zags are up first, on the occasion of their first game following a lopsided loss at Stanford that dropped Gonzaga out of the Top 25 national rankings after one week of the season. The Zags scored four points in the first quarter, and lost by 31 to Stanford, who essentially switched places with their non-conference rival in the national polls.

Two seasons ago, Gonzaga registered an 18-point win over Stanford that stands as their best in program history, with the Cardinal then ranked 3rd nationally. Now the Zags are looking for a quick rebound and a return to grace, and Ejim, on track to become the leading scorer in Gonzaga history later this season, is the barometer for that effort. Once again, Cal occupies the unenviable spot as the team that must face a quality team one game after they were knocked around by Stanford.

Coach Charmin Smith knows her Bears need to be ready, especially early in the game on Thursday in a loud environment in Spokane. But the themes and motivations aren’t Smith’s concerns, better defense and offensive consistency from her group are. But after three, easy wins by an average of 37 points, Smith and Cal sense the urgency of their first road trip.

“We need to make a statement of our own,” she said.

Last season in Berkeley, the Bears let Gonzaga escape with a 78-70 win in overtime, after the hosts led most of the first half, and regained several leads in the fourth quarter. That Cal team needed bench support that was lacking with Ioanna Krimili out injured, and Michelle Onyiah limited by foul trouble. Marta Suarez and Cal’s departed backcourt of Leilani McIntosh and McKayla Williams all played at least 43 of the 45 minutes that day, and the Bears wilted late and were outscored 13-5 in the overtime period.

Cal has Krimili, in her 5th year, this time, along with experienced, transfer guards, Kayla Williams (USC), Jayda Noble (Washington) and capable freshman Lola Donez and Zahra King. The Zags are trying to find their hyper pace in the absence of graduated twins Kaylynne and Kayleigh Truong. New starters Claire O’Connor and UConn transfer Ines Bettencourt aren’t as swift as the Truong twins and that in turn limits Ejim’s effectiveness in transition, where she excels.

“We have to stop her in transition,” Smith said of limiting Ejim. “We can’t let her get easy baskets. And at the other end, we have to make her guard.”

The Bears will play as many as 13 teams this season that currently have a place in the Top 25 or in the next group of 10 to 15 that are getting votes. Stanford is the only one of the 13 that Cal will play twice, so scouting and preparedness will be crucial in all of these meetings. Cal may have an idea what to expect from Ejim, who was limited to 12 points against Stanford, a point total she’s exceeded in 36 of her last 39 games. But they need to be up to speed on O’Connor and Bettencourt, along with Maud Huijbens, who played just 19 minutes against Cal last season, but will likely play more than 30 on Thursday.

Natalia Ackerman, who decided to continue her college basketball career only a month before school started, is Cal’s secret weapon. In her first three games at Cal, after four, injury-plagued years at Cal Poly, Ackerman has 22 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and three blocks in just 33 minutes on the floor. Matched against inexperienced reserves, she’s thrived, doing a little of everything for Cal as their biggest threat outside their starting five. Smith said, she’s not surprised as Ackerman’s return to form followed her health returning in the off-season when she debated whether she wanted to play for a fifth season.

Smith said she’s reluctant to restrict any of her shooters outside of Krimili and Lulu Twidale, who have combined to start the season a scorching 23 of 45 shooting from 3-point distance. The rest of the Bears are 11 of 38, 29 percent, but have provided the Bears with the desired spacing on offense that creates driving lanes to the basket. It’s Smith’s belief that the other shooters will become more efficient as the season progresses.

“The more threes,’ the merrier,” Smith said.

Cal Women Use Physicality, Pace To Wear Down Host San Jose State in 82-53 Win

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By Morris Phillips

SAN JOSE–The depth of talented teams in women’s college basketball is quite noticeable in the season following the Angel Reese/Caitlin Clark supernova that elevated the sport to new levels of visibility.

For Cal’s women, that means the Top 40 is the new Top 25. Most of Cal’s biggest opponents this season currently reside in the Associated Press “vote getting” group just outside the first 25. It’s that group Cal wants to join for the purpose of seizing their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019.

The quest has begun in earnest as the Bears completed a 3-0 opening week by beating host San Jose State, 82-53, on Saturday afternoon. Coach Charmin Smith wants a physical group defensively that also plays with pace offensively without turning the ball over. Smith admits it’s a dense mix.

“I think this was the lowest in turnovers for us to only have eight,” Smith said. “And they’re a really aggressive team, so we made some strides there. We know we need to be better with taking care of the ball, so we’re just taking steps to keep moving towards who we want to be ultimately.”

Cal’s wins against SJSU, Idaho, and St. Mary’s came with an average margin of victory of 37 points, which immediately catches the attention of the pollsters. But a win on Thursday at Gonzaga, currently in that group following the Top 25, would mean more, a sign that the Bears belong.

In that group are future opponents Miami, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, likely Thanksgiving opponent Vanderbilt and Stanford, who Cal plays twice. In addition, Cal plays No. 24 Alabama of the SEC, and six ACC conference opponents that are ranked as high as No. 6 Notre Dame and as low as No. 19 Florida State with North Carolina State, Louisville, North Carolina, and Duke in between.

Spartans coach April Jackson admitted that Cal went further in approaching their goals than her group did on Saturday. San Jose State trailed 15-3, 23-13 after the first quarter, 40-22 and 51-28 at halftime. The third quarter was even more lopsided as SJSU made just two baskets and scored six points. With Cal emptying their bench in the fourth, the Spartans won that 10-minute stretch, 19-12.

“Cal’s a good basketball team,” Jackson said. “They’re coming off a really good season and obviously returning a lot of key pieces. I don’t want to dismiss that they are a very talented team. But I think it was a good test for us to get an opportunity to see the level of physicality that we can face down the line. So I think it was a really good opportunity for us. We played a full game, we came back in that second half and actually competed. And when you get faced with that type of adversity to finish the last 10 minutes strong and together is always a positive sign.”

Ioanna Krimili led Cal with 18 points, Kayla Williams had 16, and Lulu Twidale added 14. Michelle Onyiah had eight points, 10 rebounds, and graduate transfer Natalia Ackerman was a beehive of activity with eight points, seven rebounds, one assist, one block in only 13 minutes on the floor.

Finau Tonga was the only SJSU player to score in double figures with 12. The Spartans’ defense was largely ineffective as they forced just eight turnovers and committed 23 fouls. That led to Cal converting 21 of 25 from the foul line.

First ACC Win For Cal: Bears Survive A Shootout At Wake Forest, Win 46-36

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By Morris Phillips

Fernando Mendoza’s late fourth quarter dash for 24 yards came with a pair of Cal companions that were poised to escort their quarterback the remaining 16 yards to paydirt.

Then Mendoza tackled himself.

If you know Cal’s recent history regarding late game collapses, it made complete sense. Mendoza popped up and signaled the next play to his teammates, a couple of whom looked stunned. Mendoza’s reasoning was a narrow 3-point lead, and ball possession was far more comforting than a 10-point lead without the ball, even as just 1:49 remained in the game.

That’s Cal football, and the residual fear created by four, agonizing ACC losses by a combined total of nine points.

Did we mention that streak of conference defeats has ended?

It has, as Cal enjoyed a cool, comfortable Friday evening in North Carolina by outlasting Wake Forest, 46-36. Mendoza continued his hot run with 385 yards passing, two touchdown passes, and one touchdown run that could have been two.

“We found a way to win,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “It’s hard to win. We have a ton of respect for Wake Forest. I’m proud of our players.”

The Bears’ (5-4, 1-4) special teams set the tone early when Hunter Barth ripped the ball loose from kick returner Demond Claiborne, Miles Williams scooped the football and dashed nine yards to give Cal a 10-0 lead five minutes in.

Cal built leads of 20-7, 29-14, and 39-29 with 6:38 remaining only to see Wake Forest respond each time. With Cal clinging to a 39-36 advantage after the two-minute warning, Mendoza broke free, but his calculated move forced the Demon Deacons to burn a pair of timeouts.

Jaivian Thomas then ran 11 yards with 1:10 remaining for Cal’s final score, which re-established a two-score lead.

Ryan Coe, demoted from his position due to missed field goals, re-emerged with a pair of 54-yard field goals. Freshman Derek Morris, the new starting kicker but lacking Coe’s leg strength, also converted from 38 and 29 yards, along with nailing all four of Cal’s extra points.

“I’m just proud of that guy for continuing to stick with it through some tough times,” Wilcox said of Coe. “For Ryan to come in and hit two 54-yarders, that’s big time. We knew he could do it. We’ve seen it. It’s not surprising. It’s really a testament to him.”

Hank Bachmeier was 19 of 36 passing for 274 yards for the Deacons, but he was picked off three times. Nohl Williams was the recipient of one of Bachmeier’s errant throws, his seventh interception of the season, a total that leads the nation.

“They were the more physical team on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Deacons coach Dave Clawson said. “Their defensive line really kind of got the best of our offensive line. We did not take care of the football. The sequence of the blocked field goal that led to the touchdown was really costly.” 

Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium didn’t exactly benefit from the first gridiron meeting of the two universities, despite the near perfect fall weather. The actual in-stadium attendance appeared to be fewer than 5,000 people in a facility that seats 30,000.

Early Start Served Fast: Cal blitzes Idaho State 88-36 to start 2-0

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Crazy kids wanting to yell and scream half-filled Haas Pavilion Thursday morning. They were obliged by the Cal Bears, who provided three-point shooting, blocked shots, nifty steals, and rebounds that led to fastbreaks… a lot of fastbreaks.

A howling success was realized as Cal posted a lopsided 88-36 win to move to 2-0 on the season. Ioanna Krimili paced Cal’s balanced scoring with 18 points.

“It’s amazing to see all those kids, and I had the opportunity to also work with some of them in some of the schools, so it was great,” Krimili said. “The energy was very high, and it’s always amazing to play in front of them.”

A 14-1 start to the game immediately pushed the visiting Bengals to the brink, and their tepid shooting wasn’t anything near what was needed to recover. Idaho State shot 22 percent from the floor, which was the biggest reason Cal posted a 52-point margin of victory, the first time they’ve dominated to that extent since December 2015 against Cal State Northridge.

Idaho State was limited to single-digit scoring in three of the quarters. They outscored Cal 12-11 in the second and trailed by 16 at the half, by 39 after three.

The pace, in the half court and transition, was fast throughout. Coach Charmin Smith wants her team to hustle for quality shots in transition, and they achieved that with 22 fastbreak points, augmented by 13 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points. 

“We’re really trying to emphasize good shot selection and getting easy baskets, and I think we have weapons all over the floor, so it’s really hard to stop us when we’re sharing the basketball,” Smith said. “Our defense fuels our offense when we’re getting stops, and we get to play fast. I think we’re a really hard team to guard.”

Kayla Williams and freshman Zahra King were blurs attacking the basket. The graduate/freshman duo at the point combined for 20 points, seven rebounds, including the first nine points of King’s career. Michelle Onyiah added 10 points, eight rebounds.

Cal isn’t pre-ordained to be an effective shooting team from distance, but they certainly can trust shot artists Krimili and Lulu Twidale, who undoubtedly have the green light from the 3-point arc. Krimili has the most made threes of any returning player in Division 1 and Twidale is in Krimili’s class with her fast, confident release as soon as daylight breaks. The duo have combined for 16 of Cal’s 24 3-point makes to start the season.

“I think the nice thing about our team is that we have so many people that can score the ball, and I knew I can score the ball. I know my teammates are going find me.”

Idaho State, picked to finish eighth in the 10-team Big Sky conference, got seven points each from Halle Wright and Maria Dias. Piper Carlson was the Bengals’ leading rebounder with seven.

Cal visits San Jose State on Saturday to meet the Spartans at the Events Center at 1pm.

Bears storm back from early deficit and power themselves to 91-73 win over Cal Poly for first 2-0 start in five years

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Cal Bears guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) takes the ball down court against the Cal Poly Mustangs on Thu Nov 7, 2024 (Cal Bears X photo)

Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Cal Poly Mustangs 73 (0-2)

California Golden Bears 91 (2-0)

By Stephen Ruderman

After falling behind early, the Bears came back to take the lead in the first half, and they pulled away in the second half on their way to a 91-73 win over Cal Poly.

After an 86-73 win over CSU Bakersfield to open the season on Monday night, the Bears welcomed the Cal Poly Mustangs to Haas Pavilion tonight. The Mustangs opened their season across the bay with an 86-78 loss to the University of San Francisco Tuesday night.

The Mustangs wasted no time getting to work tonight. Mike Riniker made a layup, and Isaac Jessup hit a three ball to stake Cal Poly to an early 5-0 lead.

DJ Campbell made a layup to put the Bears on the board, but Jessup hit another three, and Ethan Menzias hit a three of his own to make it 11-2. Cal Poly would make it 17-5 a few minutes later with 14:01 to go, and the Bears needed to get things under control before this game got out of hand.

As the game approached the halfway mark of the first half, the Bears started to chip away at Cal Poly’s lead. Jovan Blacksher Jr. hit a three to make it 17-8, and that would start an 11-2 run for the Bears that would close the Mustangs’ lead to 19-16.

The game would remain steady over the next few minutes. Rytis Petraitis was fouled and hit both from the line to close the gap to 24-22, and two minutes later, he hit a three to give the Bears their first lead of the night.

The Bears then went on another 11-2 run to jump out to a 35-26 lead with 2:27 to go. However, the Mustangs suddenly regained the momentum and went on an 8-2 run to close Cal’s lead to 37-34. The Bears would go into the half up 39-35.

Come the second half, the Bears put the game away. Andrej Stojakovic hit a three 36 seconds in, and Cal scored 12 unanswered points to blow the game open, as they now led 51-35. The rest of the game was smooth sailing, and the Bears won it 91-73.

Blacksher once again led the Bears in scoring tonight with 18 points, as he was 6-for-13 in field goals, and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Stojakovic scored 15 points, though he struggled and missed a lot of shots, as he was 5-for-17 in field goals, and just 2-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Petraitis scored 13 points going 3-for-4 in field goals and hitting his only three. The bulk of Petraitis’ scoring came on free throws, as he was 6-for-8 from the line. B.J. Omot scored 10; Christian Tucker and Lee Dort scored eight; and Joshua Ola-Joseph and Jeremiah Wilkinson scored six.

The Bears are off to a 2-0 start for the first time in five years, and they will have the next five days off as a nice reward. Then, they will hit the road for the first time this season, as they will travel to Nashville, Tennessee to play the Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday, and then they will return to California to play the USC Trojans down in Los Angeles next Saturday.

Tipoff next Wednesday will be at 7 p.m. CST/5 p.m. PST.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal needs to tighten up on turnovers; Bears rank 16th in six turnover categories

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Cal Bears wide receiver Mikey Matthews (8) and wide receiver Nyziah Hunter (13) celebrate at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley against the Oregon State Beavers on Sat Oct 26, 2024 (Cal Bears X photo)

On Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 After Cal Bears (4-4) had lost four straight and crushed the Oregon State Beavers (4-4) last Saturday there is little doubt that Cal head coach Justin Wilcox had this team prepared and turned around and it was a weight off their back to get back in the win column.

#2 Cal has outscored opponents 212-138 in it’s four wins that averages out to 20.75. In contrast in their four loses Cal have averaged to 2.25 points.

#3 Not a good category for Cal they are number 16 in six statistical categories in turnovers, Cal is second in turnover margin (+1.63 per game), tied for third in interceptions (14), tied for fourth in fewest passes intercepted (3), tied for fifth in turnovers lost (5), tied for sixth in turnovers gained (18) and tied for 16th in fumbles lost (2).

#4 Morris, Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza is coming off throwing 27-36, for 364 yards, and two touchdowns against Oregon State last week. Will this be something that could carry over for Mendoza in terms confidence and piling up the throwing yards against Wake Forest for Friday night?

#5 There have been surprising results in the ACC and how do you see the Championship chase nationally.

Join Morris Phillips for the Cal football podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Newbies lead Cal to 86-73 win over CSU Bakersfield in season opener

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Cal Bears guard DeJuan Campbell (3) is all smiles on opening night against the CSUB Roadrunners at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Mon Nov 4, 2024 (Cal Bears X photo)

Monday, Nov. 4, 2024

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners 73 (0-1)

California Golden Bears 86 (1-0)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Cal Bears (1-0) opened the 2024-2025 season, and a bunch of new faces shined in an 86-73 win over the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners (0-1) at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Monday night.

Following a brutal 3-29 2022-2023 season, the Bears bounced back under first-year head coach Mark Madssn to go 13-19. It wasn’t the greatest record ever, but it didn’t come without its memorable and heartbreaking moments.

The Bears had some epic come-from-behind wins last season, as well as big wins against stronger teams. They even had a chance at a winning season until they lost their final four.

Most of the faces from last season are gone, and the Bears are now in the Atlantic Coast Conference as Madsen returns for his second season. With new blood in the Bears’ locker room, and an entirely new starting lineup of transfers, Madsen would try to build off the momentum from last season.

First up in this new season would be the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners out of the lesser-known Big West Conference. Right away, one of the newcomers made his presence known. I’m talking about Andrej Stojakovic, the son of former NBA forward Peja Stojakovic, who believe it or not transferred over from Stanford of all places.

Stojakovic hit a three 15 seconds into the game to put the Bears on the board and stake them out to an early 3-0 lead. Over a minute later, he would hit a layup to make it 5-2. Oddly enough, Stojakovic was just 3-for-9 in field goals, but his perfect 9-for-9 in free throws led him to a 16-point performance.

The Roadrunners would take an 8-7 lead a few minutes later, but that would be the only lead they would hold the entire night.

The Bears went into the half with a 46-28 lead. One of the biggest themes in Bears’ games last season was that whichever team had a big lead at halftime was likely to lose it in the second half. Fortunately for the Bears, that did not happen Monday night.

Yes, the Roadrunners made things a little bit interesting late, as they cut the lead in half. However, a strong finish gave the Bears a comfortable 86-73 win.

The leading scorer for the Bears Monday night with 17 points was Jovan a Blacksher Jr., a transfer from Grand Canyon University playing his sixth season of college basketball. Blacksher was 6-for-14 in field goals, and 3-for-7 from beyond the arc.

BJ Omot, a transfer from the University of North Dakota, scored 13 points. DJ Campbell, who transferred from Stockton University, scored 12; and Mady Sissoko, who came over from Michigan State University, scored 10.

The Bears are 1-0, and they will welcome the Cal Poly Mustangs into Haas Pavilion Thursday night. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.

Experience Goes A Long Way: Cal’s Women Open With Impressive 90-58 Win Over Short-Handed St. Mary’s

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Lost among the excitement of Cal’s decisive 90-58 opening night win and their prospects for a competitive debut season in the ACC was former Cal assistant Jeff Cammon trying to get his Gaels’ back to Moraga with their confidence intact.

Last season, Cammon had a lot more experience on the team bus, and St. Mary’s nagged Cal in a 74-69 loss in which they came dangerously close to the home team after trailing by 15 with just seven minutes remaining.

On Monday, with two freshman guards playing extensively, without marquee offensive leader Zeryhia Aokuso and his entire team flubbing on an intricate, defensive game plan, Cammon watched the evening unravel in a 2nd quarter that saw the Bears outscore his group 22-6 and lead 42-21 before the break.

“It’s super challenging,” Cammon said. “You’re dealing with young ladies who have almost zero experience at the Division 1 level, not to mention we haven’t been together too long. We went to Italy but this is a whole different deal.”

Meanwhile, Charmin Smith’s Bears were unyielding, relying on their size, talent, and experience to wear down St. Mary’s from the early minutes to the final horn. Sophomore Lulu Twidale led Cal with 24 points, Marta Suarez added 17, and the graduate core of Ioanna Krimili (124 games at the D1 level), Kayla Williams (112 games) and Michelle Onyiah (105 games) combined for 34.

Cammon said Onyiah might have presented the biggest challenge with her quick, rehearsed post moves and 6’3″ grown woman confidence.

“Michelle is such a challenge for us. She’s so big and athletic for us,” Cammon said. “It puts a little pressure on us. Do we sink down and try to help or leave her to go one-on-one against our bigs?”

Smith wanted improvement, and she has it, declaring that this is her most impressive roster in six seasons as head coach. Last year, Smith and the Bears experienced a breakthrough with 19 wins and a WNIT Tournament postseason berth. With the additions of impact transfer portal additions, Williams, Jayda Noble, and Natalia Ackerman, Cal could surprise in the coast-to-coast ACC.

Williams ran the offense seamlessly in place of departed point guard Leilani McIntosh, and Krimili selflessly assisted Williams as Cal complied 17 assists on 28 made baskets. Inside the paint, Cal had their way with 18 more free throw attempts than the Gaels. Outside, they made 14 threes on 30 attempts.

Cal’s 22nd-ranked recruiting class showed nerves as the quintet of rookies combined to shoot 1 of 8 from the floor.   Kamryn Mafua, the highest ranked Cal freshman according to recruiting services, buried a wide-open three with 1:09 remaining to give Cal its biggest lead of 34 points.

The Bears have a Thursday matinee affair at 11:00 a.m. against Idaho State at Haas Pavilion before traveling to San Jose State on Saturday.

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