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TUCSON, Ariz. – California fought a hard battle but closed out the regular season with a 75-62 loss to Arizona Saturday at the McKale Center. With the loss, the Golden Bears close out the year with a 12-16 record and an 8-9 Pac-10 mark. Arizona, which will likely earn a bid to the NIT tomorrow, ends the regular season with a 19-11 record and a 9-9 league mark.  

Cal coach Caren Horstmeyer shook up the starting lineup by adding senior Genevieve Swedor, sophomore Amber White and freshman Latasha O’Keith into the starting lineup along with regulars Courtney Johnson and Lauren Ashbaugh.  

“We played a defensive starting lineup with players that work the hardest,” said Horstmeyer. “I felt that was a group which had the winningest attitude. They pressure the ball. They’re aggressive. Their quick. They talk on defense. That group also has great chemistry.”  

Johnson led Cal with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. She concludes her career ranked 12th in Cal history with 1072 points and second in Cal and Pac-10 history with 286 steals. The tri-captain also finished her career with eight-straight games of scoring at least 16 points. White also was in double figures for Cal with 10 points.  

California jumped out to a 7-0 lead behind five points from Johnson, but Arizona responded with a 13-3 run. With the score tied at 30-30 with just under three minutes to play, a three-pointer from Jen Chesney capped a 7-2 Arizona closing burst which sent it into the locker room up 37-32.  

Six straight-points from Ashbaugh evened the score at 40-40 with 16:24 remaining in the game. The Bears went the next four minutes without a point as the Wildcats jumped out to a 48-40 advantage. A three-point play from Candace Allen extended UA’s lead into double figures for the first time at 58-48 with 7:48 to go. The Bears closed to within seven at 69-62 with 1:47 to go following a basket by Johnson, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the game.  

Elizabeth Pickney paced a quartet of double figure Arizona scorers with 20 points. Reshea Bristol added 18, followed by reserves Aimee Grzyb with 13 and Candice Allen with 10.  

Arizona shot a commanding 50 percent from the floor, while Cal shot only 32 percent.