Feb. 26, 1998

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Adia Barnes, DeAngela Minter and Marte Alexander each scored 12 points and Mikko Giordano added 11 as the seventh-ranked Arizona Wildcats were able to hold off a late game surge by California to defeat the Bears, 67-57, Thursday night at the Kaiser Arena. The win was Arizona's sixth in a row over the Bears and improved the Wildcats to 19-5 overall, 13-2 Pac-10, on the season.

Cal's Paige Bowie led all scorers with 17 points, while Sherrise Smith and Masa Radovic each added nine for the Bears, who fell to 5-20 overall, 1-14 Pac-10, with the loss.

Cal got out to an early five point lead, 13-8, to open the game but Arizona came roaring back and used an 18-3 run midway through the opening session to build a 26-16 lead with 5:54 remaining in the first half. Arizona led by nine points at the half, 33-24.

Two baskets by Barnes to open the second half pushed the Wildcats lead to 13 at 37-34 but that's as comfortable as Arizona would get as Cal kept the margin in single digits for the majority of the second half.

Cal closed to within four points, 50-46, with 7:27 remaining and appeared to cut Arizona's lead to a single basket on a Bowie leaner, but the sophomore forward was called for a charge, wiping the bucket off the board. That play seemed to shift the momentum back in favor of the Wildcats, who pushed their advantage back into double figures in the game's final minutes to escape with the 67-57 victory.

Cal will close out its home season against Arizona State, Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Kaiser Arena in Oakland. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on a one-hour tape-delayed basis by Fox Sports Bay Area.

GAME STATISTICS
at Kaiser Arena (Oakland, CA)

California (57) -- Bowie 7-20 1-1 17, Lacey 1-7 2-2 4, Leander 2-7 2-2 6, Corley 1-6 0-1 2, 
Smith 4-11 0-0 9, Radovic 2-6 5-6 9, Chuchill 1-2 0-1 2-2, Ashbaugh 4-5 0-0 8, 
Johnson 0-3 0-0 0. 
Totals 22-67 10-13 57.

Arizona (67) -- Barnes 6-12 0-2 12, Willis 1-6 4-8 6, Griffith 1-7 1-2 4, Minter 5-10 2-2 12, 
Giordano 5-9 1-3 11, Hambrick 0-0 0-0 0, Crank 1-3 0-0 2, Alexander 4-6 4-5 12, 
Bristol 2-6 4-6 8. 
Totals 25-59 16-28 67.

Halftime Score - UA 33, Cal 24. 
3-Point Field Goals - UA 1-4 (Griffith 1-2, Giordano 0-1, Bristol 0-1), 
                      Cal 3-12 (Bowie 2-8, Smith 1-2, Corley 0-1, Johnson 0-1). 
Fouled Out -      None. 
Rebounds -        UA 44 (Willis 7, Giordano 7), 
                  Cal 46 (Leander 12). 
Assists -         UA 18 (Willis 10), 
                  Cal 14 (Smith 4). 
Total Fouls -     UA 18, 
                  Cal 21. 
Technical Fouls - None. 
Attendance -      505.