Cal Dominates Virginia In ACC Tournament Second Round

GREENSBORO – The seventh-seeded California women’s basketball team opened its ACC Tournament second-round game against 10th-seeded Virginia on a 9-0 run and didn’t look back in a wire-to-wire 75-58 win at the First Horizon Coliseum on Thursday night. The Golden Bears (25-7, 12-6 ACC) knocked down nine 3-pointers against the Cavaliers (17-15, 8-10 ACC) to set a new program record for single-season 3-pointers (286) breaking the previous record of 282 which was set last season. The total also broke into the ACC's all-time single-season top 10 list, taking the eighth spot.

Michelle Onyiah and Marta Suarez each had 16 points and 10 rebounds for their 11th and fifth double-doubles of the season. It marked Onyiah’s third consecutive double-double and the fourth time this season that the duo each had a double-double in the same game. Lulu Twidale added 16 points as well along with 4-of-8 from long distance.

The Bears hit 8-of-10 from the field to start the game and took an 18-7 lead with 4:39 to go. All five starters scored during the stretch and Cal shot 50.0% for the quarter and took a 24-13 lead heading into the second.

The Bears opened the second quarter scoring six unanswered and went up 30-13 with just under seven minutes to go. Jayda Noble found a cutting Onyiah for a layup which put Cal up 36-19 with 3:42 to go. On the Bears next possession Onyiah grabbed an offensive rebound and passed it out to an open Ioanna Krimili for a deep 3-pointer to put Cal up 20 and cap a stretch where the Bears hit 5-of-7 from the field. Cal stayed at 50.0% shooting for the half and took a 41-25 lead into the break.

Suarez scored the first five points for Cal to open the third quarter and extend Cal’s lead to 21. Suarez then found an open Twidale on the perimeter for her first triple on Cal’s next possession to fuel a 10-0 run. The Cavaliers’ first point of the quarter came on a free throw at the 7:30 mark. Virginia used a 10-0 run to get back into the game but Twidale was able to end it with a triple that set the new single-season program record. The Bears held the Cavaliers scoreless for the last 2:20 of the quarter and took a 62-39 lead into the final frame.

The Cavaliers threatened late, using a 12-2 run to get within 13 with 4:17 to go but that was as close as they would get as the Bears only allowed two more points the rest of the way to cruise to the win.

Virginia was led by Kymora Johnson’s 18 points.

NEXT UP

Cal faces No. 2 seed Notre Dame on Friday at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN2.