Fresh off its first ACC sweep of the season with wins over No. 21 NC State and Florida State at Haas Pavilion, the California women's basketball team (16-2, 4-1 ACC) rose in the national rankings to No. 18 in this week's AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll – both the highest since it was ranked No. 18 in both polls on Dec. 31, 2018.
 
The Golden Bears will put its three-game ACC winning streak to the test when it hits the road to take on No. 16 Duke (13-4, 4-1 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT. The game will mark Cal's second top 25 matchup in seven days as it took on NC State last Thursday.
 
This game marks the fifth meeting between the two programs with Duke owning a 3-1 series advantage and having won the last two matchups. The contest is also the first top 20 matchup for Cal since it was No. 14 and took on No. 1 UConn on Dec. 22, 2018.
 
A win against Duke would be Cal's first ranked road win since beating then-No. 24 Arizona State in Tempe on March 5, 2020 and highest-ranked win since beating then-No. 13 Arizona in Tucson on March 1, 2020. It would also mark Cal's third ranked win of the season (#19 Alabama, #21 NC State) and tie for the most in a season since the Bears took down three top 25 teams during the 2019-20 season.
 
Duke is led by fifth-year head coach Kara Lawson who has led the team to two 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of the last two years. The Blue Devils feature three players averaging at 11.0 points per game led by freshman Toby Fournier (11.9 ppg).
 
Thursday's game will be broadcast on ACC Network with Angel Gray and Aja Ellison on the call.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Thursday, Jan. 16 | 5 p.m. PT
Broadcast: ACC Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
QUICK HITS
In the 82-70 win against Florida State on Sunday:

• The Seminoles' 70 points tied for their season low after coming into the game averaging an NCAA second-best 94.3 points per game. 
• Cal held the nation's leading scorer Ta'Niya Latson (27.7 points per game) to just three points (all on free throws) in the first half and 13 points for the game.
• Lulu Twidale nailed five triples - her fourth game this year with at least five 3-pointers.
• Ioanna Krmili, Marta Suárez and Kayla Williams pulled down seven rebounds each.
• The Bears scored a season-high 44 points in the paint.

 
NCAA Team Rankings (as of Jan. 13)

• Total 3-pointers made - 2nd (180)
• 3-point makes per game - 7th (10.0)
• 3-point percentage - 15th (37.3%)
• Field goal percentage - 35th (46.2)
• Scoring - 37th (77.5)
• Field goal percentage defense - 43rd (36.9%)

 
Player Notes

• Krimili is currently the nation's leader in both career triples (394) and most career games with at least five made 3-pointers (26). She ranks fourth in the NCAA in career points (2,392) among all active players.
• Krimili needs just six 3-pointers to reach 400 for her career - a milestone only 16 other players in the history of college women's basketball have reached. If she maintains her pace of 3.3 triples per game she can finish in the all-time top 10 list.
• Krimili and Twidale are the best 3-point shooting duo in the nation. Krimili is 5th in the NCAA with 75 made triples and Twidale is 8th with 56.
• Twidale currently leads all sophomores in the nation in made 3-pointers.
• Suarez is averaging 16.3 points per game over her last four outings and is shooting 50.0% from the field and 53.8% from deep during that span.
• Suarez is one of just two forwards in the country and only one in the ACC shooting at least 50% from the field and 45% from deep this season (min. 50 3PTA).
• Suarez is also 1 of just 7 forwards in the country and only 1 of 2 in the ACC shooting at least 49% from the field and 42% from deep (min. 50 3PTA).
• Williams has done a great job facilitating and contributing to the team's offensive output this season. She is just 1 of 2 players in the nation shooting at least 50.0% from the field, 44.0% from deep and dishing at least 80 assists on the season. The other is Notre Dame's Olivia Miles.

 
Team Notes

• At 16-2, Cal is off to its best start under Smith and since the 2012-13 season (16-2).
• The Bears are one of 21 teams in the country with at least two Quad 1 (NET) wins.
• Cal is currently 7-1 against teams from the 2024 NCAA Tournament with wins over #19 Alabama, #21 NC State, Florida State, Gonzaga, Auburn, Arizona and Stanford.

 
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