Anigwe comes up big in overtime triumph

Late in the third quarter Saturday, sidelined with muscle cramps, Kristine Anigwe thought about her responsibility: I need to come up big.

The freshman forward did just that in No. 22 Cal’s 87-80 overtime win over Nebraska. In front of a Haas Pavilion crowd of 4,406, Anigwe battled through foul trouble to record 29 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

“We just know that Kristine is someone we can put in those (big) moments and will make plays,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

For more than two minutes at the end of the third quarter, Anigwe downed water and rode the stationary bike behind the Bears’ bench. The cramps hardly subsided.

Over the final 4:30 of regulation, with Nebraska (7-2) threatening to hand Cal (7-2) its second loss in a week, she hit a jumper and two layups. Anigwe stole an inbounds pass with 29 seconds left to help force the extra period.

In overtime, she accounted for five of the Bears’ 13 points. The 6-foot-4 Phoenix native netted three free throws to ice

the game.

“I could hear (associate head coach) Charmin (Smith) saying, when we looked at the clock and Kristine had the two big free throws, ‘You can make these, cramps or not,’ ” Gottlieb said. “She was real calm.”

Perhaps Anigwe’s biggest contribution came on defense. Nebraska forward Jessica Shepard, one of the top freshman forwards in the country along with Anigwe, was limited to six points and four rebounds before fouling out early in overtime.

The Bears used torrid shooting to overcome 19 turnovers, eight of which came from Anigwe. They finished 44.3 percent from the floor and 16-for-20 from the free-throw line.

With just nine active players, Cal has little margin for error. It’s why Anigwe, already the only Cal player to earn

three Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards, logged 38 minutes despite piling up four fouls.

“I have a lot of confidence in my team getting me the ball where it needs to be,” said Anigwe, whose Bears return to action Dec. 21 against UCLA. “Everyone’s energy just helps me elevate my game.”