Lulu Twidale’s 32 Points Power Cal Past Pitt

The California women’s basketball team shot a blistering 65.5% from the field and 60% from deep and built a 25-point first half lead on the way to a 95-80 win against Pitt (8-17, 1-11 ACC) at the Petersen Events Center on Sunday afternoon. Lulu Twidale passed 1,000 career points and posted her second 30-point outing of the season after finishing with 32 points which included 7-of-11 from deep while adding seven assists. She became just the fifth player in Cal history to have two 30-point games in a season and just the fourth ACC player this season. The 95 total points were the most scored in a game this season and the Golden Bears (15-10, 6-6 ACC) hit 14 triples (nine in the first half) for the second time this season – tied for the fourth most in a game in program history.

Twidale became just the third player in the country this year with multiple games with at least 30 points and seven assists joining Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt). She is also the only player in the country to have not only one but two games with at least 30 points, seven assists and seven triples.

Gisella Maul posted her second straight double-double (fifth overall) with a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds while tying her career high with five triples – three of which came in the first half. Mjracle Sheppard added 14 points while dishing out a game-high eight assists and Sakima Walker scored an efficient 18 points (9-of-14) and grabbed six rebounds. This marks the second game this season in which Maul and Twidale each knocked down at least five triples in the same game – making them the only duo in the ACC to do so.

Cal started the game 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep to take a 17-7 lead midway through the first quarter. Maul drained two early 3-pointers during that stretch. The Bears shot 73% from the field for the quarter and Maul finished with 11 points and three triples to help Cal take a 28-17 lead into the second quarter.

Twidale’s second triple of the game with 5:42 to go in the second quarter put her over the 1,000-point career mark and gave Cal a 41-24 lead. She followed up with another make from distance a couple of possessions later to give the Bears their largest lead of the game at 25 points with 3:24 to go and Cal took a 54-32 lead into the break. The Bears’ 54 points marked the most in a half this season as did the nine 3-pointers.

The Panthers cut the deficit to 11 points midway through the fourth quarter, but Twidale responded with her seventh triple of the game to regain momentum for the Bears. That was the closest Pitt would get the rest of the way.

“I thought we came out with the right mindset, and were really good in the first half,” Cal head coach Charmin Smith said. “Obviously, we made shots offensively and we were locked in defensively and did a really good job. We struggled to keep that momentum in the second half, but we're on the road in ACC play, so I'm happy that we got a sweep, and this helps us have momentum moving into the Virginias. These were games that we had to win, so we took care of business. We did what we needed to do to keep our postseason hopes alive. So now we have to get ready for two really good Virginia teams at home.”

Pitt was led by Theresa Hagans’ 19 points.

NEXT UP

Cal returns home to face Virginia on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT.