With the win (83-75) at Kansas State on Sunday, the California women's basketball team (21-14, 9-9 ACC) earned the right to host one final home game when it faces Columbia (22-8, 11-3 Ivy League) in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament at Haas Pavilion on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT.
 
With a win, the Golden Bears will advance to the semifinals, which will be held on Monday at Charles Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State in Wichita, Kansas.
 
This marks just the second meeting between the two programs with the first taking place in a 71-36 Cal win in what was then the Contra Costa Classic on Dec. 3, 2005.
 
Columbia is led by 10th-year head coach Megan Griffith who is the winningest coach in program history and has guided the team to NCAA Tournament appearances the last two seasons. The Lions are led by Ivy League Player of the Year Riley Weiss and Defensive Player of the Year Perri Page.
 
Thursday's game will be streamed on ACCNX with Ashlee Jones and Chris Sylvester on the call.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Thursday, March 26 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Broadcast: ACCNX
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
QUICK HITS
In the 83-75 win at Kansas State in the second round of the WBIT:

• Sakima Walker had career highs of 28 points (13-of-18) and 16 rebounds, becoming just the 11th player in program history to pull down at least 16 boards in a game.
• Lulu Twidale had one of her best all-around games of the year, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists.
• Twidale also knocked down four 3-pointers to become the program's all-time leader for 3-pointers in a season (99) and career (234).
• Taylor Barnes played her most minutes (38) since returning from injury and tied her season high with 17 points, which included a career-high five 3-pointers.
• Mjracle Sheppard had multiple steals (3) for the fourth straight game.
• The Bears shot over 50% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc for the fourth time this season.

Starting Five

• Twidale is tied for second in the nation for 3-pointers since Dec. 1 - just one behind national leader Azzi Fudd from UConn.
• Walker has scored in double figures in four straight games averaging 20.8 points per game over the stretch while shooting at a 64.4% clip and grabbing 9.5 rebounds per game.
• Sheppard has had multiple steals in four straight games, averaging three per game over that span.
• Gisella Maul has grabbed at least eight rebounds in five of her last seven contests at an average of 7.6 per game.
• Over the last two games, Puff Morris has dished out 11 assists while committing just two turnovers, while Barnes averaged 13.5 points per game on 50.0% shooting along with 6.5 rebounds per game.

Inside Twidale's Performance at Florida State (Feb. 19)

• Marked her third 30-point game on the road - led the ACC and ranked second nationally at the time.
• Twidale ranked second in the ACC and 15th nationally with her three 30-point games at the time.
• She is one of only eight players to post a 30-9-6 game this season and one of three to do it with five 3-pointers.

Inside Maul's week at Georgia Tech and Pitt
For the week of Feb. 2:

• 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 for the week.
• 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 for the week. 

At Georgia Tech:

• Maul took over the game in the fourth quarter, finishing with 10 clutch points in the period.
• 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 not only one but 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 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 (four 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).
• 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 12 assists in a game this season.
• Became just the seventh player in Cal history with 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. 

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