Cal Women's Basketball: Bears Take No. 10 UCLA to Overtime, but Cal Loses
Cal's women's basketball team nearly pulled off a major upset on Sunday, but 10th-ranked UCLA held on for a 74-70, overtime victory over the Bears at Haas Pavilion.
The Bears (9-14, 1-11 Pac-12) rallied from an eight-point deficit with six minutes left in the fourth quarter to force an overtime period.
Cal took the lead in the extra period when freshman Leilani McIntosh scored 51 seconds into the overime. UCLA (21-2, 10-2) regained the lead and led by three before Cal's Jaelyn Brown tied the score with a three-point shot with 1:33 left in overtime.
UCLA star Michaela Onyenwere, who finished with 21 points, scored with 25.7 seconds left to put the Bruins back in front, and Brown shot an airball from the deep corner on Cal's next possession.
Two free throws by UCLA's Japreece Dean with 16 seconds left sealed the win and prevented Cal from pulling off its biggest win of the season.
The Bears shot just 37.7 percent from the field, but stayed in the game by dominating the boards. Cal outrebounded UCLA 55-39, and the Bears' 21 offensive rebounds led to 19 second-chance points.
Brown led Cal with 17 points, but CJ West's inside play helped Cal stay close. West had 11 points and 12 rebounds, but she missed a number close-range shots, finishing 3-for-12 from the field.
Cal trailed for most of the game, but West tied the score on a pair of free throws with 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. Cal freshman Cailyn Crocker scored 12 points, but she missed a three-point attempt in the final minute of regulation time that would have put Cal ahead.
Cal hurt itself by committing 18 turnovers, although the Bears had only six turnovers after halftime.
