BERKELEY, Calif. -- The Wildcats mounted a furious rally to overcome what was a 17-point deficit, eventually claiming a two-point lead with just 5:47 remaining in the game, but couldn't quite hang on, as the Arizona women's basketball team fell to California 68-56 Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.
Senior guard Candice Warthen led Arizona (7-10, 0-6 Pac-12) in scoring for the 11th time this season, as she poured in 14 points, including scoring 10 in the second half, while dishing out a team-best three assists and pulling down a team-high tying seven rebounds.
Sophomore forward Breanna Workman notched her second straight double-digit scoring game, as she went for a season-high equaling 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while pulling down six rebounds in her first start of the season.
Freshman guard Charise Holloway also chipped in with her sixth double-digit scoring performance of the year, as she recorded 12 points and converted on three treys on the day in what was a homecoming game for her.
The Wildcats shot superb 19-of-23 from the free throw line, while they won the rebounding battle 45-42 and scored 15 points off of 10 forced turnovers.
Arizona won the battle of the benches 18-15, while it boasted a double-figure scorer off the bench for the ninth time this season. The Cats also won second chance point battle, 14-13 and held California (12-5, 4-2 Pac-12) to just 1-of-15 from three-point land.
The Wildcats came out ready to play right from the very beginning, matching the Bears bucket for bucket, as Cal didn't claim its first double-digit lead until the 6:57 mark of the first half.
The Bears eventually built their lead as high as 29-12 with 3:41 left to play in the first half, but the Cats outscored Cal 6-2 the rest of the period, as UA went into the halftime locker room facing a 31-18 deficit.
Arizona came out of the halftime locker room reenergized, as it scored the first six points of the second half, which turned into a 21-8 scoring run leading to a 39-39 ballgame with 10:46 remaining, after Holloway knocked down a pair of free throws.
Minutes later, Warthen splashed home a jumper from the left wing to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 48-46 with just 5:47 remaining in the contest.
The game continued to stay close until its conclusion, but Cal was able to escape with the victory.
