Cal Fends Off Virginia in Statement Win, Keeps Postseason Hopes Alive
With their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, Cal women’s basketball delivered a gritty, much-needed win on Thursday night at Haas Pavilion. Facing off against #36 NET-ranked Virginia, the Bears held off a late push from the Cavaliers to secure a 64-58 victory - a Quad 2 win that could carry serious weight come Selection Sunday.
This was the first of two critical home games for Cal, who came into the night ranked #51 in the NET and needing every quality win they can stack. Virginia Tech, currently #44 in the NET and fresh off a win over Stanford, comes to town on Sunday, but first: Cal had to deal with a tall, physical Virginia squad led by standout point guard Kymora Johnson.
Cal Comes Out Firing
The Bears wasted no time setting the tone. Lulu Twidale scored the team’s first five points, and Cal’s defense forced a pair of early turnovers to build a quick 7-2 lead, prompting an early timeout from Virginia. The Bears’ inside-out execution was sharp - they weren’t just surviving against Virginia’s size, they were attacking it.
Twidale finished the opening frame with eight points, while Sakima Walker added six of her own. Cal led 17-15 after one, and more importantly, looked fully in control of the tempo.
Second Quarter Surge
Virginia briefly pulled even to start the second quarter, but then the Bears turned up the heat. A 14-4 run gave Cal a 10-point cushion, and they never looked back from there. Puff Morris, still working her way back from injury, knocked down a pair of threes - a welcome sight for a team that’s missed her perimeter presence.
Cal shot a blistering 57% from the field in the second quarter, stretching their lead to 45-29 at halftime. Just as impressive was their defensive effort. Johnson, Virginia’s engine, was held to just four points on four shot attempts in the half, and the Cavaliers shot only 36% from the field, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Coach Charmin Smith clearly made defense a point of emphasis after Sunday’s win over Pitt, where Cal allowed a late surge despite holding a comfortable lead. This time around, the Bears were locked in - fighting over screens, staying connected, and making life difficult for Virginia’s backcourt.
A Game of Runs
The third quarter flipped the script. Virginia came out aggressive, scoring the first six points of the half and forcing Coach Smith to burn a timeout.
It was a quarter defined by runs - an 8-0 Virginia burst, followed by a 7-1 Cal response, then seven straight from the Cavaliers to close the period. The Bears went just 3-for-13 from the field in the quarter, and their lead was trimmed to 53-45 heading into the fourth.
Virginia kept coming. They opened the final period with a 6-2 spurt, cutting the deficit to 55-51.
Cal’s offense had gone cold - just 25% shooting over the third and fourth quarters - and Virginia was finding easy looks in transition. With under two minutes to play, the Bears’ lead was down to 60-58.
But Cal didn’t blink.
Closing Time
With the game on the line, Cal’s defense stepped up once again. Virginia had two clean looks to tie the game in the final minute - both missed.
And when it came time to ice it, Lulu Twidale delivered. The freshman calmly knocked down four free throws in the final ten seconds to seal the win.
Sakima Walker led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds, anchoring the Bears on both ends. Twidale added 17 points, including those clutch free throws, and Gisella Maul chipped in 12.
For Virginia, Johnson was held to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting, though she still managed to dish out eight assists and grab five boards. The Cavaliers' size advantage was neutralized - Tabitha Amanze and Sa’myah Smith combined for 25 points, but needed 27 shots to get there.
Postgame Reactions
“It’s really hard to keep a good team down,” Coach Charmin Smith said after the game. “I think we could have done some things better in the second half, and we got the win.
We had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter against Duke and we didn’t hold on, right? So this is progress for us to be able to do this.
We are growing. We are a better team than we were in January, than we were in December.”
There’s no question this team is maturing. Puff Morris, in just her second game back from injury, played 21 minutes off the bench and brought energy on both ends - even if her stat line (6 points, 3 fouls) didn’t jump off the page. Her teammates felt her presence.
“I’m so happy that Puff is back,” Walker said postgame. “It makes me really excited.
I love my freshies. When she hit her first three, I was running back, like, BOOM.”
Coach Smith also praised the defensive effort, particularly the way her guards handled the challenge of defending Johnson and Virginia’s perimeter threats.
“I told them to be confident and have an attitude,” Smith said. “They’re really good guards, but you know what?
I’m going to be up. I thought we displayed that in the first half.
We have a lot of respect for Kymora, and Paris, and Gabby and we knew we were going to have to be solid defensively to guard them. And I like how we stepped up to that challenge.”
Looking Ahead
The announced attendance was 1,310 - a modest crowd for a Thursday night, but those who showed up got a high-level, high-stakes battle. And with Virginia Tech coming to Haas on Sunday, the stakes only get higher.
The Hokies just took down Stanford and represent another Quad 2 opportunity for Cal. A win on Sunday could very well push the Bears onto the right side of the tournament bubble.
The message is clear: Cal is growing, defending, and finding ways to win. And with March creeping closer, they’re starting to look like a team no one wants to see on the bracket.