The California women's basketball team (15-10, 6-6 ACC) will look to build off its first-ever ACC weekend road sweep after defeating Georgia Tech and Pitt when it hosts visiting Virginia on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion.
 
This will mark the seventh overall meeting between the two programs with the series tied at 3-3. Cal won the most recent matchup, 76-70, in Charlottesville on Feb. 20, 2025. In that game, Lulu Twidale hit the biggest shot of the night when she nailed a triple in the corner that put Cal up by six with just 15 seconds left.
 
Virginia, which will be making its first-ever trip to Haas Pavilion, is 17-7 overall and 9-4 in ACC play. The Cavaliers are led by fourth-year head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, who guided the team to a sweep over Miami and Notre Dame last weekend. The Cavaliers feature Kymora Johnson, who was named a 2025 All-ACC First Team selection and currently leads the conference in assists per game (6.3) and 3-pointers (73).
 
Thursday's game will steam on ACCNX with Layshia Clarendon and Chris Sylvester on the call.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Thursday, Feb. 12 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Broadcast: ACCNX
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
QUICK HITS
In the 95-80 Cal win at Pitt on Sunday:

• 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.
• 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.
• Sakima Walker scored an efficient 18 points (9-of-14) and grabbed six rebounds.
• It marked 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 shot a blistering 65.5% from the field and 60% from deep and built a 25-point first half lead.
• It marked just the 18th time in the NCAA this season that a team shot over 50% from the field and deep while shooting over 80% from the line in a game (min 20 3PA and 15 FTA).           

Starting Five

• Maul received USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honors on Tuesday after back-to-back double-doubles in wins at Georgia Tech and Pitt.
• Over her last four games, Sheppard is averaging 14.5 points on 61.8% shooting along with 6.3 assists and 3.0 steals.
• Since Jan. 1, Maul leads the ACC in 3PT% (51.1%), paces all guards in double-doubles (4) and ranks eighth in rebounds (82). She is also one of just 13 guards across the country with at least four double-doubles in 2026.
• Since Jan. 1, Maul is the only player in the country to shoot over 50% from the field and deep (min. 40 3PA) while pulling down at least 80 rebounds.
• Since Jan. 1, Twidale ranks fourth in the country in 3-pointers (38). 

Inside Maul's week at Georgia Tech and Pitt
For the week:

• Averaged 18.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 3-pointers
• Posted back-to-back double-doubles and shot 56.5% from the field and 50.0% from deep.
• Was the only player in the ACC and one of two in the country to shoot over 50% from the field and deep (min. 10 attempts) while grabbing at least 20 rebounds.
• Nine of her 24 rebounds for the week came on the offensive end.
• Only guard in the ACC and one of three players overall to record two double-doubles.

At Georgia Tech:

• Maul finished with 10 clutch points in the fourth quarter.
• On four separate occasions in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech cut the Bears' lead to one possession and each time Maul answered with a 2 or 3-pointer to prevent the Yellow Jackets from taking the lead - including a baseline jumper with 35 seconds left to put Cal up by five.

Inside Twidale's performance at Pitt

• Twidale became just the second 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 now the only player in the country to have two games with at least 30 points, seven assists and seven triples.
• 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.

Inside Twidale's Week at Syracuse (1/15) and Boston College (1/18)
 
For the week (1/12 – 1/18):

• Led the ACC in points (52), assists (21) and 3-pointers (12).
• Led the country in assists.
• Was second in the country in 3-pointers.
• Was seventh in the country in points.
• Only player in the country to rank in the top 10 across all three categories.
• Averaged a double-double at 26.0 points, 10.5 assists and 6.0 3-pointers.
• Was one of only four players in the country to have at least 12 assists in a game.
• Was one of only two players in the country to average 10-plus points and 10-plus assists.

At Boston College:

• Became the only player in the NCAA not named Caitlin Clark (4 times) to post 36 points, eight 3-pointers and nine assists in a game since at least 2002-03 (according to Stathead)
• The eight 3-pointers were second most in a game in program history (Asha Thomas: 9 vs Manhattan on Nov. 24, 2017), the second most by an ACC player this season and tied for the seventh most in ACC history.
• The 36 points were the most by a Cal player since 2018 (Kristine Anigwe: 37 vs Houston on Nov. 6, 2018).
• Became just the fifth player in program history to score at least 36 points in a game.

At Syracuse:

• Posted first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 12 assists along with four triples for second consecutive game.
• Became just the fifth ACC player to have at least 12 assists in a game this season.
• Became just the seventh player in Cal history with at least 12 assists in a game.
• Nailed two crucial 3-pointers in the final 21 seconds of the first overtime (including one with .3 seconds left) to force double-overtime.

STAY POSTED
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