After finishing the regular season 16-13, 8-10 in conference play, Utah earned the seventh seed in the Pac-12 tournament bracket, drawing Cal in the first round. While the Utes are hoping for a deep run into the postseason, they can be sure the Golden Bears are hoping for an upset in the first round.
Utah swept Cal in two regular season contests this year, the Utes’ first sweep of Cal since joining the Pac-12 five years ago. But the Utes are being careful to not let two regular season games in the winter affect their focus heading into spring.
“When you get to the tournament, anything can happen,” said Utah floor general Dani Rodriguez. “You’re on a neutral site, you’ve played all these teams, so it’s not like you’re trying to pick out matchups — you just have to go out there and win.”
In two games against Cal this year, Utah pulled out victories, largely behind strong second-half play. In Berkeley in early January, Utah trailed Cal by 11 points moving into the final period of play, but the Utes strung together a 27-point quarter while simultaneously dismantling Cal’s offense on the other end of the floor.
The Feb. 19 matchup with the Golden Bears was a different story. Utah jumped on Cal early, nabbing an eight-point lead after the first quarter. Despite a few runs by Cal, Utah controlled the game from the tip.
Thursday’s contest should be different for both teams, however, as they face off on a neutral site in Seattle. To beat Cal, Utah will look to contain its front court of Kristine Anigwe and Courtney Range. Anigwe, who is just in her freshman year, leads Cal in both scoring and rebounding with roughly 20 points and 11 rebounds per game. Anigwe is coming off a strong performance last weekend, in which she led her team to a victory over Oregon and a near upset of Pac-12 powerhouse, Oregon State.
But Cal also uses its bench depth as a weapon. In the second matchup with the Utes, Anigwe missed most of the first half due to foul trouble. In her absence, sophomore forward Penina Davidson came up big for the Bears, scoring 10 first half points on an almost perfect 4-of-5 shooting from the floor.
Utah’s matchups with Cal this season have also presented a favorable matchup for Springville, Utah native Malia Nawahine. In two games against Cal this year, Nawahine is averaging 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per contest. Nawahine earned her career-high of 20 points in Berkeley in January and tied the 20-point mark again in the Utes’ February matchup with Cal.
All in all, it’s a new game for both teams. Tournament play and a neutral site will be a factor in the outcome as both teams jockey for the chance to face Arizona State in the second round.
“We’re hungry for more wins,” said junior forward Paige Crozon. “We know we’re not done yet, we know we have potential we haven’t hit yet.”
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