Denver Vs. California: Pioneers Look To Upset The Ranked Bears

It's not often that the Denver Pioneers get a chance to knock off a ranked team, but they'll get a crack at the 20th ranked California Golden Bears on Saturday in what will be one of their biggest games of the season. The Pioneers are fresh off an impressive 70-58 win over a St. Mary's Gaels team that is expected to compete with Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference title, while the Bears come into the game after an embarrassing 39 point loss at the hands of the Missouri Tigers in Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Pioneers made 10 of 20 threes against the Gaels bringing them to 42% on the season, and they'll be looking to continue that hot shooting against a Bears team that has held teams to 29% shooting from downtown on the season. On defense they'll have to contain Cal's lethal guard duo of Allen Crabbe and Jorge Gutierrez, both of whom average 13 points on the season with over four and a half rebounds. If the Bears have a distinct advantage over the Pioneers going into the game it may be on the glass, where the Cal has three players averaging over six boards a game, with Gutierrez almost there at 5.8 a game.

For more on this game stay tuned to SB Nation Denver.