Highlights from day 1 of the NCAA Tournament in Lubbock, Texas.

Clarendon scored 18 points and played all 40 minutes in California's 66-53 win over ASU on Friday, extending the Bears' longest winning streak of the season and keeping them in a first-place tie in the Pac-12. California also matched the 2008-09 team for the best record in school history after 22 games. 'You know what's my favorite stat? I had three assists,' she said after getting a career-high 20 points and 12 rebounds as the sixth-ranked Golden Bears beat Arizona 91-86 on Sunday.

Oregon State led 6-4 early before Cal used a 9-0 run to take the lead for good. Brandon scored five points in that stretch, and Eliza Pierre's layin finished it to give the Golden Bears a 13-6 lead. The Beavers later closed within 17-12 before Cal outscored Oregon State 10-2 over the last seven-plus minutes of the half to lead 27-14 at halftime. The Golden Bears jumped all over Oregon early and led by double digits for the final 36 minutes in a 72-45 victory on Sunday.

Call it another step in the maturation process for one of the Pac-12's most surprising teams this season. Gennifer Brandon had 13 points, 10 rebounds and a key block with 20 seconds left as Cal rallied from 16 points down in the first half to beat No. 20 Colorado 59-56 on Friday night. The seventh-ranked Golden Bears found it in a four-guard lineup and a full-court press defense that created all sorts of havoc for Utah. California beat Utah 71-54 on Sunday.

Four days after toppling the Cardinal, the Golden Bears rallied from six points down in regulation then held the Trojans without a basket in overtime to beat USC 71-63 on Thursday night. Three days after topping conference-leading USC, the Bears led nearly the entire game but had to hold off a late charge by the Bruins to move atop the Pac-12 standings.

Stanford has reigned for so long every other Pac-12 team only hopes to hang around each season. It had been almost four years since the Cardinal last lost against a conference opponent. Cal, whose only losses this season have come against Stanford and at No. 4 Duke, ended the Cardinal's impressive conference winning streak that dated to a 57-54 Bears win at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Jan. 18, 2009.

Friday night was an indication as the No. 7 Golden Bears survived a furious Utah rally to hold on for a 55-50 victory in the teams' conference opener and what amounted to the program's 600th all-time victory. The Golden Bears won their sixth straight since their only loss of the season, a 77-63 setback at No. 3 Duke. It was Cal's fourth win in a row against Colorado, which still leads the series 5-4.

The best start in school history? It's just taking care of business, says Talia Caldwell, who thinks there are better things ahead for the California women. Caldwell had a season-high 19 points and eight rebounds to help the No. 8 Golden Bears continue the best start in school history with a 70-43 victory over George Washington on Friday night. The victory was number 599 for the Cal program.

Layshia Clarendon scored a season high 28 points to help lead No. 8 California to an 88-79 victory against No. 19 Kansas Friday night at Haas Pavilion, a victory that matches the best start in program history at 9-1 and gives the Bears another marquee victory in the non-conference season. The Bears were able to grab the victory courtesy of dominant post play by Brandon, Caldwell and Gray in conjunction with transition baskets from the backcourt players. Of California's 88 points, 64 were scored in the paint.

Layshia Clarendon scored nine points in the final 45 seconds to help No. 8/11 California outlast Northwestern, 71-65, Monday morning at the Welsh-Ryan Arena. Brittany Boyd led the Bears in scoring for the third consecutive game with 18 points, and Gennifer Brandon posted her fifth double-double season of the season, but it was Clarendon's clutch free throws in the final minute that allowed the Bears to breakaway from the Wildcats. The senior hit 7-of-8 and scored nine of her 11 points in the climactic finish to make the Bears just the sixth squad in program history to begin a season 8-1. Talia Caldwell had a season-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go with six rebounds, and Brandon finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Cal returned to the road and responded with an 84-46 victory over CSU Bakersfield Friday night at the Icardo Center. The Bears were led by 19 points from both Brittany Boyd and Gennifer Brandon in a game that was never close. It was the second consecutive strong offensive outing for Boyd who put up 28 points in the Duke contest a few days ago. The total was a season-best for Brandon, who also collected nine rebounds in the game. Reshanda Gray and Justine Hartman both added 12 points for the Bears in a game that saw nine players hit the scoring sheet. Shooting 50.4 percent for the game, Cal out-rebounded the Roadrunners 48-23 and put the game away in the opening minutes as the first ranked opponent to visit the Icardo Center since CSU Bakersfield made the transition to Division I.

Behind the scenes look at Cal's first road trip along with game highlights! Go Bears!

'These are the kinds of games that separated us last year. The Ohio State game we lost, the Stanford game, the big games that we could have won and would have put us over the edge, but now I think that we are growing and that these are the types of games that are going to separate us and make us elite.' -Layshia Clarendon

'I loved the balanced scoring,' Gottlieb said. 'I really liked the defensive effort from the whole group and thought that it was a big step forward for us. This is a good Saint Mary's team that's really going to contend in the WCC. They just came back from a good trip to the Northwest so we knew that it would be a challenge, and I think we made a statement tonight just about us and how we intend to be this year.' - Coach Gottlieb

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Every season is a lifetime. However, the previous season always leaves an impact on the individuals as they embark on the upcoming season. Here is a look into the impression the 2011-12 season has had on the Cal coaches and players. And how this season has already been shaped by it.