Saturday’s matchup against the UCSB Gauchos had all the ingredients for a trap game. With Friday afternoon’s national travel nightmare, the 4-0 Golden Bears ended up taking a bus straight from the Oakland Airport to Santa Barbara, arriving around 11pm Friday night. UCSB is 3-0, including a 101-26 demolition of UC Santa Cruz, and an exhibition win over Stanford at Maples Pavilion. Though ESPN gave Cal a 81% win probability before the game, I felt this may be more of a coin flip, especially with Mjracle Sheppard still being out.
I was wrong.
Cal’s defense suffocated the Gauchos in the opening period, holding them to 3-of-18 shooting. After Thursday’s underwhelming win over Charleston, Coach Smith must have preached intensity during practice on Friday. Cal led 14-6 after the first period, with Lulu Twidale’s 6 points pacing the Bears.
Cal continually fought through ball screens and maintained intensive defensive pressure through the second quarter. There were no easy shots for the Gauchos, who were limited to 5-of-30 for the half, with no three pointers. Nine different Bears scored for the Bears in the half in a balanced offensive effort. Cal held a comfortable 36-16 halftime lead.
Cal’s defense continued to stifle the Gauchos over the second half, and Cal continued to have a balanced scoring attacked, as Cal cruised to the 79-47 win.
Cal’s team defense was on lockdown mode and the true MVP of the game, limiting UCSB to 24% shooting for the game, 10% from long range. Some more shooting notes below.
Cal shot 48% for the game, 41% from three point range. Cal scored 36 points from 2-pointers, 33 points from 3-pointers. Lulu Twidale scored 19 points, Gisella Maul added 15 points on plus shooting from both of them.
Notes and Observations
Cal committed 10 turnovers in the opening quarter, before committing only 11 for the remainder of the game. If it weren’t for 10 turnovers for Cal early on, this may have been a blowout from the beginning.
Cal’s interior defense was impressive. The help defense was well timed and well disciplined with no unnecessary flailing or swiping. UCSB was extremely frustrated.
The Gauchos have been averaging 84 points a game while shooting 50% from three point range, amongst the national leaders. Tonight USCB made their first three pointer with two minutes left in the third period, after missing their previous thirteen attempts. Their abysmal shooting was partially due to variance, and partially due to them trying long range shots early on instead of trying to go inside as the game went on.
After Thursday’s frustrating result, no doubt Coach Smith drilled home intensity and focus in the practices Friday and pregame. From my brief conversation with Coach Smith after the game;
BP: "Talk about the message that you had for the team after the Thursday game. And how do you think they responded to that message today?”
Coach Smith: “Yeah, I can’t really talk about that message. I think it was a needed thing. I didn’t like how we played, and I’m really proud of how our team responded, and I felt like this was Cal basketball.”
More from Coach Smith on today’s defensive focus;
“I thought Taylor and Lulu started us off with extreme defensive assertiveness. Not letting people get to their spots, standing their ground, that was really good. We forced them in to some tough shots, we knew they are a really good shooting team. A message for this game was discipline, and I think we were disciplined defensively.”
Shannon Dowell is leading the team in rebounding at 7 rebounds per game, unusual for a wing player. Lulu Twidale and Gisella Maul are right behind her, averagin 6 rebounds per game. Coach Smith, when asked specifically about Shannon’s rebounding;
“She told me she wanted to be a solid on the boards and rebound for us….I said okay go for it. And she’s been doing it. And when you have a guard that’s getting defensive rebounds, it really ignites our break. So, Lulu, Shannon, Gisella, they were all on the glass, and that helps our transition. So we want them to keep getting in there and getting those boards.“
Shannon Dowell was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line today, once again leading the Bears in attempts and makes. She remains perfect on free throws for the year, connecting on all 25 attempts.
Cal improves to 5-0 on the year. This was the Bears’ first road game. Cal travels to Hawaii next week, facing the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Friday and the Gonzaga Bulldogs the following Monday as part of the North Shore Showcase.