Pili, Kneepkens lead No. 8 Utah past California 87-62

By SONJA CHEN
Associated Press

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Alissa Pili and Gianna Kneepkens each scored 20 points to lead No. 8 Utah to an 87-62 rout of California on Sunday.

Kneepkens hit four of five 3-point attempts and had 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Jenna Johnson added 15 points for Utah (16-2, 6-2 Pac-12), which bounced back from Friday’s 74-62 loss at Stanford.

The Utes led by double digits after each quarter and rode a big third to the win, outscoring the Bears 30-19 on 65% shooting from the field.

Jayda Curry had 15 points and eight assists for California (10-9, 1-7), extending her streak of 41 consecutive games with a 3-pointer. Leilani McIntosh added 10 points, and Kemery Martin and Evelien Lutje Schipholt had nine apiece.

The Bears have lost five straight games, four of which have come against ranked opponents.

BIG PICTURE

Utah: The Utes evened the all-time series against the Bears at 14-all, winning the last four contests dating back to 2021. … Utah entered play ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting (.342) and shot 11 of 23 (47.8%) from deep Sunday. Six players made a 3 for the Utes.

California: The Golden Bears are 0-7 against ranked opponents this season. … Sunday’s loss clinched California’s first losing month of the season. The Bears have a 1-5 record in January after going 5-1 in November and 4-3 in December to open the season.

UP NEXT

Utah: The Utes kick off a two-game homestand against Southern California Friday.

California: The Bears are set to play their fourth straight ranked opponent when they host No. 23 Oregon Friday.

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More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll