Christina Marinacci is guarded closely inside. (Danny Lee/Neon Tommy)

Doubling the Women of Troy's points within five minutes of the game, the Golden Bears (23-2, 13-1 Pac-12) held a dominant 10-point lead for most of the first half. The Women of Troy trailed the entire game. 

The Women of Troy had to prepare for the other first-place team in the Pac-12 conference after losing to Stanford on Friday. "I came into this game knowing it's going to be physical," said junior forward Cassie Harberts, who led the team with 20 points, but shot just 4-17 from the field. 

USC also had to focus on the immense strengths of Cal's Brittany Boyd. Early on, the point guard fell and soon limped off the court. Boyd came back in the last two minutes of the first half and continued to rack up points in the second period, totaling 16 points. 

After the Galen Center celebrated the National Championship teams of 1983 and 1984, the Women of Troy (8-17, 5-9) came back in the second half, limiting their deficit to four points with 2:04 left in the game. USC could not keep up with the No. 6 Bears' 41 percent by the end of the game.

USC forced 16 turnovers and only committed 12, but were outscored in points off turnovers, 14-10.

"We came out with our focal press trying to get them to turn the ball over, which they did and we tried to convert on it," said Harberts.

Guard Ariya Crook added 15 points including three three-pointers. Crook grabbed two consecutive rebounds and made a three, closing the first period with 9 points. Crook and Harberts have led the team this season, averaging 17.8 and 13.5 points, respectively. 

The Golden Bears continue their 11-game winning streak--the longest current winning streak in the Pac-12, while the Women of Troy's losing streak extends to six. They haven't won in the entire month of February and have dropped nine of their last 10 after beginning Pac-12 play with a perfect 4-0 record.

The Women of Troy look forward to disrupting this unfortunate consistency when they play against UCLA this Tuesday at the Galen Center at 8:00 p.m. "These next two games [against UCLA] are very winnable games," said Harberts. "I think the matchups will work well in our favor."

Reach Staff Reporter Lisa Battaglia by email, or follow her on Twitter.