SEATTLE (AP) — Asha Thomas scored 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter and California won its first-round game of the Pac-12 Tournament 71-68 on Thursday when Washington's Amber Melgoza missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Melgoza, who scored 30 points, had 14 of the Huskies 17 points in the fourth quarter as they erased a 10-point deficit with six minutes to go.
The fifth-seeded Golden Bears (21-9), who won at Washington 83-67 on Sunday, play fourth-seeded and ninth-ranked UCLA in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Thomas scored the last seven points of a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter to give Cal a 59-51 lead. After a Melgoza 3-point play, Jaelyn Brown scored the next five points for a 64-54 Cal lead. Mackenzie Wieburg had a 3-point play to start the Washington comeback. Melgoza's 3-point play made it 69-67 with 19.7 seconds remaining but Thomas made two free throws with 18.5 to go to restore the two-possession cushion.
Melgoza made a free throw and missed the second but the Huskies got the offensive rebound on a tieup with 10 seconds to go, giving Melgoza one last chance.
Jaelyn Brown and Mikayla Cowling scored 14 points each for Cal.
Weiburg had 10 for the 12th-seeded Huskies (7-23), who have lost 11 straight.
