Gray Helps Cal Women Hold Off UCLA
BERKELEY (CBS / AP) -- Reshanda Gray scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half to jump-start California's sputtering offense and key a 67-58 victory over UCLA on Thursday night.
Brittany Boyd added 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds for California, which has won nine of its last 10 to take sole possession of second place in the Pac-12.
The Bears (18-6, 9-3) also snapped a seven-game losing streak to UCLA, beating their Southern California conference rival for the first time in more than three years.
Markel Walker scored 18 points for UCLA (12-11, 7-5), which made a late run over the final 9 minutes before falling.
Gray got off to a slow start but made her first three shots coming out of halftime while helping Cal build a 14-point lead. She finished 7 of 12 from the floor and added a season-high 14 rebounds for her third double-double this season.
The Bears, who had not defeated UCLA since Jan. 29, 2009, matched their win total from a year ago despite a rocky effort offensively.
Cal went scoreless for nearly 7 minutes in the second half and committed a season-high 25 turnovers before holding off the Bruins from the free throw line after UCLA pulled within 57-55 on Thea Lemberger's 3-pointer with 3 minutes remaining.
Gray, a freshman, made three free throws over the final 2:06 for the Bears. Talia Caldwell and Boyd added two apiece.
UCLA, which beat Cal 60-55 on Dec. 29 in the conference opener for both teams, didn't do much until its late surge.
The Bruins went just 2 of 12 on 3-pointers and were held to 26 points in the first half.
Cal led 25-20 late in the first half but committed three turnovers, missed two long jumpers and went scoreless over the final 2:09.
UCLA took advantage of the Bears' sloppiness and pulled within 27-26 at the break after a 19-foot jumper by Walker.
Walker, who had a triple-double in Saturday's victory over Washington State, scored 10 of her points in the first half. But only one other UCLA player had more than two points before halftime.
Rebekah Gardner, who helped fuel a 12-0 run by the Bruins in the second half, finished with 16 points and six rebounds while Lemberger had 10 points.
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