Box Score Stockton, Calif. - Hailie Eackles led Pacific with 14 points but the No. 14/15 Cal Golden Bears posted a 84-64 win over the Pacific women's basketball team Sunday at the Alex G. Spanos Center. Erin Butler added 11 points with seven rebounds, while freshman Desire Finnie posted a career-high eight points.
Madison Parrish handed out five assists with six points while GeAnna Luaulu-Summers and Emily Simons also chipped in six points each.
The Tigers never led, as they fall to 1-1 on the young season. Pacific has opened the season thin in front-court depth, with Kendall Kenyon missing the first two games, and suited up just post, Marjorie Heard. Heard was whistled for two fouls in the first two minutes and was limited to just 14 minutes as she finished with six points. The Bears held a 40-28 lead in points in the paint, and a 19-6 edge in second chance points as they out-rebounded Pacific 49-33.
Cal improves to 1-0 behind 27 points from Courtney Range. A trio of Bears joined her in double-figures: Brittany Boyd (12), Mikayla Cowling (18) and Reshanda Gray (17).
Pacific got off to a cold shooting start and couldn't recover. Cal opened to a 6-0 lead on a jumper by Brittany Boyd, a pair of free throws and a jumper from Gray. Eackles drained a three-pointer to cut the gap to 6-3, but Courtney Range's three-pointer stretched the Bears' lead to 11-3 with 15:25 to go in the first.
Eackles drove the lane for a pair and Emily Simons finished inside as the Tigers pulled within 16-10. Finnie was fouled shooting a three-pointer, and hit two of three before Kristina Johnson drove through the paint for a lay-up.
Boyd hit a triple as Cal surged ahead 24-14, and Simons brought the Tigers within single digits at 27-18. However the Bears posted back-to-back lay-ups inside.
Erin Butler hit a three-pointer, but the Bears took a 35-21 lead on a pair of free throws. Parrish posted a lay-up inside, but Range buried a three-pointer for a 38-23 Cal lead with 3:26 to go in the half. The Bears added a lay-up with one second left in the half to take a 41-24 lead into halftime.
Pacific finished the first half on a 2-of-12 drought from the field, and shot 28 percent in the half. Cal shot 44 percent (14-of-32) for the half.
Eackles opened the second half with a jumper, and Marjorie Heard scored while being fouled before an Eackles three cut the Tigers deficit to 12 at 43-31. Kristina Johnson's free throws capped a 7-0 run as the Tigers cut the gap to 10.
Butler and Cowling traded jumpers, before Luaulu-Summers drained a three from the corner. Butler answered a triple from Cowling with a three of her own as the Tigers pulled back within 11, at 54-43 with 13:46 to go.
Range hit a lay-up while Cowling added a three-pointer as Cal took a 20-point lead with 10:33 to play. Finnie tallied on the pull-up jumper, but Gray converted the three-point play on the other end.
Butler's three cut the Tigers' deficit to 73-56, but Pacific would get no closer. The rough and tumble game featured 47 total fouls and three players fouled out.
Pacific is back in action on Friday, with a home contest against Montana at 7 p.m.