2:59 p.m.: AGL went for the kill with a three-pointer, but the Bears fall short in a 60-58 heartbreaker. Good evening, everyone.

2:58 p.m.: 4.3 seconds left. Cal ball. 60-58, Stanford. It’s as big as it gets.

2:55 p.m.: Stanford’s missed the first attempts of the last three one-and-one opportunities, and the Bears are amazingly still alive. However, Cal’s last couple possessions weren’t the most inspiring either. Greif blew a good look at a three, and Gray-Lawson drove into a brick Cardinal wall in the paint.

2:53 p.m.: JJ Hones in for the one-and-one. She blows the first. On the ensuing possession, a pair of Stanford players harshly reject Walker, but the ball stays with Cal. 27.2 seconds left, and the Cardinal lead is two.

2:51 p.m.: The Cardinal has nine team fouls, but the Bears are 11-for-20 from the charity stripe. Stanford just called back-to-back timeouts. This might have annoyed the fans in attendance, and it certainly wasn’t good for me. I need to use the restroom, now. Now.

2:50 p.m.: Stanford opens a four point lead, but Walker cuts it to two. 60-58.

2:43 p.m.: Kelsey Adrian’s got six boards as a back-up three, and she’s making every one of them count.

2:42 p.m.: Appel gets the and-1 and lets out a brief roar. She really is the Tim Duncan-lite of NCAA women’s basketball.

2:39 p.m.: Cal embarks on a 10-2 run and grabs a 54-53 lead. Alexis Gray-Lawson, MIA for most of the game, plunges in for a drive-by layup. It is getting very, very loud in here.

2:37 p.m.: Appel is charged with her fourth foul and fifth sad face, as Hampton goes for the and-1. She misses from the stripe, and the Cardinal still leads 53-52. What a tease.

2:35 p.m.: LG with a circus shot. Wow.

2:32 p.m.: Appel dribbles awkwardly atop the key, briefly drives right and launches a brick. Vital isn’t the only one trying to extend her game.

2:28 p.m.: Vital misses a breakaway layup, but because she commanded so much attention, Walker gets the easy putback. Vital’s performance is shaping up to be truly Iverson-esque, right down to the poor shooting percentage.

2:27 p.m.: Vital answers with a three of her own.

2:26 p.m.: Vital misses both free throws, and JJ Hones responds on the other end with a trey. Stanford extends its lead to 46-39.

2:24 p.m.: Stanford’s dance team is very ’70s. By that I mean they’re not very … ethnic. Which sports-related job market is harder to crack for minorities—college football coaching or private school cheerleading?

2:17 p.m.: Vital returns, but the Cardinal acquire the lead. Appel has finally found her groove. Stanford, 43-39.

2:13 p.m.: The Bears are playing with a lot more poise and emotion, but their lead is only 39-36. It looks like Stanford’s picked their poison right—Vital is 2-for-13. Today’s game could either be a coming-of-age type of deal for Vital, or one of those traumatic experiences that sets back her development. She’s got 14:50 left to start sinking some shots. Boyle sits Vital to give her a breather.

2:05 p.m.: Appel picks up her third foul as well has her fourth sad face. She joins the bench after 12 seconds of play.

1:59 p.m.: Some quick hits before the start of the latter stanza. First, seven of Stanford’s nine field goals are from beyond the arc. The Bears aren’t closing in on the Cardinal shooters, but in a way that’s been limiting Stanford’s activity in the paint. Cal has outscored Stanford 14-4 in the colored area, to prove the point. When teams live and die by the three, they usually die, so coach Joanne Boyle might just be waiting on the Cardinal to cool down. In stark contrast to the debacle over at Maples a month or so ago, the Bears have established the paint, while Appel has just two field goal attemps to three sad faces made. As long as that ratio holds up, Cal’s got a good shot at its first win over a top-10 opponent of the season. One matter of concern for the Bears, however, is that Wiggins probably won’t blow too many layups in the second half.

1:53 p.m.: Four kids competed in a game of musical chairs on midcourt, and the winner just got booed. Repeat: 10,000+ adults just booed a kid. Well, he was at least a foot taller than the other three kids, and he shoved tiny Ishmael on the way to his seat during the final round. I guess he deserved it.

1:48 p.m.: Halftime, 32-32.

1:46 p.m.: It looks like Wiggins is going to enter the break shooting 2-for-12. I don’t think Lisa Leslie would be proud.

1:44 p.m.: VanDerveer calls a timeout. I don’t think she’s wearing a belt. My roommate Ezra told me that’s a fashion statement these days, but I believe it was ill-advised for him to ditch the leather for his consulting interview.

1:42 p.m.: Hampton splits a triple team, banks in a layup while drawing a block. 5-for-7.

1:41 p.m.: Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer didn’t like that last whistle. Walker returns to the charity stripe, where she’s been stellar all season.

1:39 p.m.: Appel picks up her second foul on a Walker putback, and the stoic sophomore from Pleasant Hill, Calif., joins the bench.

1:35 p.m.: Vital, meanwhile, is turning in a 1-for-8 performance. She’s creating room for some of the post players and it’s great to see some confidence from the Cal guards … but 1-for-8!?

1:34 p.m.: Hampton makes three straight, and now she’s 4-for-6. The crowd is once again treated to the Jayne Appel sad face.

1:31 p.m.: My boy Gerald Nicdao, who is seated to my left, just yelled out, “I love Stanford!”

1:30 p.m.: Appel goes up for what appeared to be an easy layup, but Walker comes out of nowhere for the block and foul. Appel’s not having it easy today. She’s being tossed around like a used tam…bourine.

1:28 p.m.: Wiggins blows a layup, Appel blows a putback. Appel looks quite tired. Almost as tired as I appeared after playing three minutes of my IM soccer game. The difference between us is that I threw up in the toilet at Maxwell Field after the contest … Appel won’t.

1:24 p.m.: Cal opens a 19-13 lead. I never really bought the whole “Battle of the Bay” marketing scheme, but man, this place is on fire. Fire.

1:23 p.m.: Stanford’s missed eight shots in a row. Wiggins blwws a layup to make it nine.

1:19 p.m.: Jayne Appel gets called for a travel, then gives the Tim Duncan sad face. Stanford timeout.

1:18 p.m.: Cal takes its first lead of the game, 15-13, on a pair of Hampton free throws. She’s 1-for-3 from the field, but looks a lot less frustrated from the double teams.

1:15 p.m.: Rama N’diaye sporting a new haircut. I just came from watching Juwanna Man, so I’m kind of tripping out.

1:13 p.m.: There’s a fine young gentleman sporting a Leon Powe Celtics jersey. Let’s cross our fingers that Powe’s average totals will guarantee him a third year.

1:10 p.m.: Stanford starts the game going 4-for-5 from three-point land.

1:09 p.m.: Patrick Christopher, Nican Robinson and Jerome Randal are here for the show as well.

1:08 p.m.: Candace Wiggins with her first couple points. She looks like a short Lisa Leslie.

1:06 p.m.: Natasha Vital is 0-for-2. At least she’s not shy to shoot it like last time.

1:03 p.m.: Joining you live from Haas Pavilion! I’ve never seen this many fans in attendance.