WSU women’s basketball fell apart in the second half against University of California on Friday losing 67-54.

The Cougars (10-19, 3-14) trailed 29-28 at the end of the first half. Junior guard Alexys Swedlund said the Cougars did everything they were supposed to in the first 20 minutes.

“In the first half we shot the ball well I think we played amazing defense,” Swedlund said. “We talked, we moved well together and I think that was huge for us but we just didn’t do that well in the second half.”

Cal (19-9, 10-7) junior forward Kristine Anigwe had her way with the Cougars. She collected 30 points and 12 rebounds.

Interim Head Coach Mike Daugherty said Anigwe is one of the best players in the Pac-12.

“Great player, great hands, a little mean streak. Has some mid-range turn-around game,” Daugherty said. “My opinion, the best post in the league and there’s some good posts in this league. I think she’s probably the best.”

Swedlund had 19 points, with 15 coming from three-pointers. She made four of her seven attempted three-pointers in the first half and made just one of five in the second half.

“Getting a good rhythm feels good. My teammates were finding me, and I just happened to make them today,” Swedlund said.

Daugherty said he thought Swedlund was getting open shots all game, but Cal focused on her more in the second half.

“It was a matter of her hitting her open shots in the first half and then missing them in the second,” Daugherty said.

Sophomore forward Kayla Washington said WSU was unable to catch-up after the Golden Bears went on a 10-0 run in the third quarter.

“I feel like we had a great first half. We came out really strong and you could see the intensity in all of us,” Washington said.  “After halftime they got a run and I think that’s where our intensity kind of went down a little bit and that’s when the game got away from us. From then on, it was like we were trying to play catch up.”

In the third quarter, Cal outscored WSU 22-6 to make the score 51-34.

WSU was outshot throughout the game. In the first half, the Golden Bears made 14 of their 28 attempted field goals, while the Cougars converted on only 11 of their 30 shots.

It wouldn’t get better for WSU in the second half. The Cougars shot 2-12 in the third quarter, while Cal shot 10-14. WSU finished the game making 20 of their 64 shots, good for just over 31 percent.

Daugherty said the team got tired as the game went on.

“I thought we wore down a little bit. Their size and athleticism wore us down,” Daugherty said.

Washington said the Golden Bears were not doing anything different in the second half, but WSU didn’t perform the way they needed to down the stretch.

“I don’t think it was them, I think it was us,” Washington said.  “It wasn’t nothing they did special because I think they played pretty consistent the whole game. I think that was just our bad.”

Most of the points for the Golden Bears came in the paint. Cal scored 48 of its 67 points down-low.

Daugherty said a lot of those came from Anigwe, but the Golden Bears guards started to warm up as well.

“I think the other points in the paint, most of them came off of guard drives,” Daugherty said. “The start of the second half, the problem was that their guards got going a little bit. Up until then, it was just [Anigwe]. Their guards got lose a little bit and that basically was the game at that point.”

Washington said the Golden Bears played to their strengths.

“[Anigwe is] their primary scorer, she’s a for sure bucket most of the time so of course they’re going to get her the ball and they capitalized on it when our help wasn’t there,” Washington said. “That’s when the game got out of hand.”

WSU will try to bounce back in its final regular season game at 1 p.m. Sunday against Stanford University at Beasley Coliseum. The game can also be seen live on Pac-12 Networks.