California Sports Journal

Coming off the bench early in the first half after center Jessica Lawson picked up two quick fouls, Coakley provided a spark with her defensive intensity and strong play on the boards. She finished the game with a team-high 11 points and 12 boards, just her second career double-double, her first coming last week against UCLA.

“I just wanted to give the team everything that I had,” Coakley said.

The Bears kept it close all game, a far cry from 81-50 blowout loss in Oregon on Dec. 27.

“(Coakley) played one of the best games I’ve seen her play,” Coach Caren Horstmeyer said after the game. “She really made our zone (defense) happen.”

The Ducks had a significant size advantage inside, particularly with 6’4” All-America candidate Cathrine Kraayeveld. But Cal was able to neutralize it and her much of the second half with an aggressive 2-3 zone.

“Cal said to us tonight that you’re going to have to beat us from the outside,” Oregon coach Bev Smith said.

When the Bears pulled within three with four minutes to play, the Ducks did just that. After a Coakley offensive rebound and put-back that made the score 48-45 in favor of Oregon, Kraayeveld took a pass at the top of the key and calmly nailed a three to kill the Cal rally.

On the next possession, Cal’s Kiki Williams tried match with what looked like a sure three from the top of the key. But the ball rattled in and out. It was the game in a nutshell for Cal.

“It was really frustrating,” Horstmeyer said. “We cut it close, but couldn’t make the big play.”

After trading buckets a few possessions later, Oregon’s Kristen Forristall sealed the win with another three to make the score 57-49.

“That really put the icing on the cake,” said Smith.

Mizuzawa, who grew up in Lafayette, had a nice homecoming, finishing with 9 assists in the game. It was particularly satisfying considering she dislocated a finger the day before in practice.

“She was just a true warrior for us,” said Smith.

Mizuzawa leads the Pac-10 for the second straight year with 7 assists per game, and is threatening to become only the fifth player in all of men’s or women’s college basketball since 1990 to finish her career with more assists than points. She currently has 594 career points and assists.

The game began well for Cal, who took an early 5-1 lead by going inside to freshman Lawson and relying on point guard Sarah Pool’s drive-and-dish skills. But Lawson sat after committing her second foul less than five minutes into the game, and Oregon went on a 7-0 run.

Kraayeveld asserted herself the rest of the half, scoring on a variety of inside moves and baseline drives. She led the Ducks with 8 first half points, and finished the game with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Cal was paced in the first half by freshman Krista Foster, who along with Lawson gave Bear fans something to be hopeful about next season. Foster scored most of her 7 first half points from the free throw line, going 5 for 6 after drawing a number of fouls with her aggressive play.