GW’s inside game struggled against Cal Friday night, surrendering a 44-28 points in the paint advantage to the Golden Bears en route to the 70-43 loss.
Though the Colonials pushed to overcome the No. 8-ranked Cal throughout play, it was a 20-0 second-half scoring run that gave the Golden Bears a key edge in the game, using that advantage to decisively widen the gap. GW was left reeling, unable to answer Cal’s offensive push before the final buzzer.
Senior center Sara Mostafa hit back-to-back baskets early in the first to tie it at four, but that was the closest GW would come to catching the Golden Bears throughout the rest of the game. Cal used a 12-5 run midway through the first half to widen its lead, and though the Colonials were able to keep it close before the break, a series of well-timed free throws gave the Golden Bears a 39-22 lead at the half.
Out of the break, the Colonials doubled down on their defensive pressure, forcing Cal to miss eight of its nine first attempts from the floor and commit seven turnovers over the first six minutes of play – after just three total in the first half. GW was able to pull within 11 before the Golden Bears exploded on their 20-0 run, taking a game-high 31-point lead before senior forward Megan Nipe was able to put the Colonials back on the board with a layup of her own. But it was too late to answer Cal’s crippling run.
The Colonials finished with 31.6 percent shooting on the game, while Cal shot 47.4 percent. Both teams made only one three-point basket apiece, but the Golden Bears grabbed a 41-32 victory on the boards, ensuring their control of the paint. And though the number of turnovers were almost equal – GW with 19, Cal with 16 – the Golden Bears were able to capitalize more effectively, earning a 25-8 points off turnovers advantage.
Nipe and fellow senior forward Shi-Heria Shipp paced GW with nine points each, while senior guard Danni Jackson added seven points and dished out four assists.
The Colonials continue their California road swing Sunday, when they head to Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., at 3 p.m.
