Lulu Twidale Takes Over in OT as Cal Stuns Stanford in Rivalry Thriller
BERKELEY - On a Sunday afternoon packed with drama, heart, and a whole lot of grit, Cal women’s basketball delivered a signature win that could mark a turning point in their season. In front of a lively Haas Pavilion crowd of 4,519, junior guard Lulu Twidale took over in overtime, scoring 10 points in the extra frame to lift the Bears to a 78-71 win over rival Stanford.
This wasn’t just a win - it was a statement. And head coach Charmin Smith wanted her team to soak it in.
“You have to have special moments in order to be a special team,” Smith said after the game. “I want them to celebrate.
I want them to feel this. We beat Stanford, and we’re going to act like it - because of the respect we have for them.”
Smith’s message was clear: victories like this don’t come easy, and they don’t come often. Especially against a program like Stanford.
Cal Delivers When It Matters Most
The Bears, now 12-9 overall and 3-5 in ACC play, improved to a dominant 10-1 at home and earned a season split with the Cardinal (15-6, 4-4). For a team still searching for its first win over a Quad 1 or 2 opponent entering the day, this was the kind of breakthrough performance Cal needed.
Twidale, who dropped a career-high 36 points just last week against Boston College, had been relatively quiet for much of the afternoon. But when the lights got brighter, she turned it on.
With 14 of Cal’s final 17 points, including a dagger 3-pointer to open overtime, Twidale showed exactly why she’s become the Bears’ go-to closer. She finished with 24 points, but it was the timing of her buckets that made the difference.
“She’s a great shooter,” said Stanford head coach Kate Paye. “We were very aware of her.
I thought we did a good job early. But we gave her too many good looks late.
The 3s were really kind of killers down the stretch.”
Twidale’s clutch gene kicked in late in regulation as well. With 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter, she buried a three to give Cal a 64-62 lead. Then, after hitting one of two free throws with 13.8 seconds remaining, Cal looked poised to close it out.
But Stanford wasn’t done yet.
Freshman Lara Somfai, trailing the play, stepped into a deep three off a screen from Chloe Clardy and drilled it with 7.5 seconds left to tie the game. Cal’s Mjracle Sheppard had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but her shot was blocked by another Cardinal freshman, Alexandra Eschmeyer, sending the game to overtime.
That’s when Twidale took over.
“To have Lu be able to finish down the stretch the way she did - it’s what we expect of her and it’s what we needed,” Smith said.
Freshman Standouts Shine for Stanford
Despite the loss, Stanford’s young core showed serious promise. Eschmeyer and Somfai each scored 16 points, with Eschmeyer adding seven rebounds and four blocks - all while managing four fouls through crunch time. Somfai nearly posted a double-double with nine boards, and Clardy chipped in 15 points of her own.
But the Cardinal couldn’t quite close it out, despite mounting a strong fourth-quarter rally after trailing by seven with seven minutes to play.
“We’re obviously very disappointed in the outcome,” Paye said. “It would have been easy to kind of throw in the towel.
We had a great fourth quarter. But there are no moral victories.”
Paye, in her second season at the helm after taking over for Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer, is trying to steer Stanford back to the NCAA Tournament after the program’s 36-year streak was snapped last season. This loss won’t sink their chances - Stanford entered the day ranked No. 36 in the NET - but it certainly didn’t help.
Cal Eyes Bigger Goals Ahead
While this win won’t vault Cal onto the NCAA Tournament bubble just yet - they were No. 58 in the NET coming into the day - it’s a critical step in the right direction. And with upcoming home matchups against Notre Dame and No. 8 Louisville, the Bears have a real chance to build on the momentum.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Smith said. “We need to start getting some wins against high-quality opponents, and this was a great game to get us on the right track.”
Alongside Twidale’s heroics, Cal got key contributions from Taylor Barnes (15 points) and Sakima Walker (13 points, three blocks), both of whom played big roles in keeping the Bears competitive throughout.
Injury Watch
Stanford suffered a scare late in regulation when junior forward Nunu Agara hit the floor hard after drawing her third charge. She did not return, and Paye had no immediate update on her condition.
“I hope she’s OK,” Paye said.
Final Word
This one had all the makings of a classic - a rivalry game, a dramatic finish, and a star performance that fans won’t soon forget. For Cal, it was more than just a win over Stanford.
It was a reminder of what this team is capable of when it locks in. And for Twidale, it was another chapter in what’s quickly becoming a standout season.
The Bears are still climbing, but Sunday’s win? That was a big step.