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'Sunday Showdown' women's basketball preview: California at No. 10 Stanford

by Adam Kadourhe
Feb 18, 2017

Who: Cal at No. 10 Stanford

 

When: Sunday, February 19th at 5 p.m. PT/ 6 MT on Pac-12 Network + Bay Area

On the call: Krista Blunk and Mary Murphy

On the home side: No. 10 Stanford(23-4, 13-2 Pac-12)

Stanford is tied for first place with Oregon State in the Pac-12 standings with a 13-2 record in conference play. This puts even more weight on what will be an intense Battle of the Bay matchup when they take on Cal at Maples Pavilion on Sunday.

Sunday’s game will also be senior day for the Stanford trio of Erica McCall, Briana Roberson and Karlie Samuelson, who’ll be honored in a postgame ceremony. McCall had a less-than-stellar performance against Cal on Thursday, so she’ll be looking for a big performance in her last regular season game at Maples.

This year’s matchup between Stanford and Cal features a home-and-home series, the first of which the Card won 72-66 at Haas Pavilion on Thursday. If the first meeting is any indication of the second, we’ll be in for a closely contested game that’ll come down to the wire.

Cardinal to watch:

Brittany McPhee:

The junior from Washington has been one of Stanford’s go-to scorers this season. She’s averaging 13.3 points per game, which is good for 14th in the Pac-12. She’s more than doubled her scoring output from last year, which only one other player in the Pac-12 has done. Another solid scoring output from McPhee would do well to ensure a victory for the Card on Sunday.

Marta Sniezek:

Stanford’s offense has been highly consistent this season, in large part due to their passing efficiency. Marta Sniezek is a big reason for that, averaging 4.6 assists per game for the Card. In the last 20 seasons, only Milena Flores, Jeanette Pohlen and Nicole Powell have averaged more assists than Sniezek in a season.

On the away side:  Cal(17-10, 5-10 Pac-12)

After a disappointing loss to the 10th ranked Cardinal on Thursday, the Bears will look to play spoiler in the final Battle of the Bay meeting on Sunday. Luckily for the Bears, their last two wins against the Card have come at Maples Pavilion after they lost the previous matchup at Haas Pavilion. The Bears will look to ruin Stanford’s plans of winning the Pac-12 regular season title, as the Card are currently tied with Oregon State for first place. The Bears will attempt to end a four-game losing streak Sunday. Their last win on The Farm came on February 22nd, 2015.

Bears to watch:

Kristine Anigwe:

One of the Pac-12’s premier scorers, Kristine Anigwe has done it all for the Bears this season. She’s currently averaging 21.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. She's also been a defensive stopper for the Bears, who've been desperately looking for another inside presence. Cal will need her to turn in another stellar performance if the women of Berkeley want to avoid the series sweep by the Card on Sunday.

Story to watch:

It’s no secret that Cal has little to lose going into Sunday’s matchup against first place Stanford. With all the talent that the Bears possess, they’ll likely take Stanford down to the wire. It’s also senior night for the Stanford, so expect the trio of Karlie Samuelson, Erica McCall and Briana Roberson to all give their very best effort against their cross-bay rivals on Sunday.

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