Cal can’t weather No. 7 Louisville’s third-quarter run
By STEVE KRONER
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Tajianna Roberts scored 21 points and No. 7 Louisville extended its winning streak to 14 games with a 71-59 victory over Cal on Sunday.
The Cardinals (21-3, 11-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) remained tied with No. 20 Duke atop the ACC standings. The Blue Devils routed visiting Wake Forest 80-44 on Sunday. The Cardinals host Duke on Thursday. The Golden Bears (13-10, 4-6) had won three in a row.
Roberts also had five assists and four rebounds. Elif Istanbulluoglu had 15 points and a team-high seven boards for Louisville.
Gisella Maul led the Bears with 19 points. Mjracle Sheppard scored 13 points and Sakima Walker had 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
After Maul made a 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the third quarter to give the Bears a 34-32 edge, Roberts answered with a 3 to put Louisville ahead to stay.
It began a 14-2 run for the Cardinals in which Roberts hit two more 3-pointers. After that stretch, Louisville led 46-36 with 2:50 remaining in the third period. The Bears got no closer than five points the rest of the way.
Cal was without starting forward Taylor Barnes. She was injured in the Bears’ 80-69 win over Notre Dame on Thursday.
Up next
Louisville: hosts No. 20 Duke on Thursday.
Cal: at Georgia Tech on Thursday.