Cal Falls At Miami – California Golden Bears Athletics

The California women’s basketball team played even with Miami for three quarters but was outscored 21-12 in the second which proved to be the difference in a 69-60 loss at the Watsco Center in Miami on Sunday afternoon. It marked the Golden Bears’ (17-12, 8-8 ACC) first conference road loss in four games as the Hurricanes improved to 14-12 overall and 7-9 in ACC play.
 
Lulu Twidale had a game-high 18 points which included four 3-pointers that moved her past Alexis Gray Lawson for second place on Cal’s all-time career 3-pointers list. Gisella Maul barely missed out on her sixth double-double of the season with nine points and nine rebounds while adding five assists.
 
Twidale grabbed a rebound and took it the distance for a layup and then followed up with a triple to give Cal an early three-point lead, but Miami responded with a 7-0 run to take a 12-8 lead with 2:50 remaining in the first quarter. Down two and with time winding down Sakima Walker grabbed an offensive rebound and found Maul on the wing for a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave Cal a 15-14 lead going into the second quarter.
 
The Canes scored the first nine points of the second quarter before Mjracle Sheppard grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback at the 6:42 mark. Down by 10 points, the Bears held the Canes scoreless for a four-minute stretch but were still down 27-21 with just under two minutes to go in the half. Miami would hit three-straight field goals to end the quarter and took an 11-point lead, but Claudia Langarita was able to find Puff Morris on the wing for a 3-pointer as the game clock expired to cut the deficit to 35-27 going into the break.
 
The Bears wasted no time getting back into the game, scoring the first six points of the quarter to get within two points. Miami responded and used a stretch where it went 6-for-7 from the field to go up 49-40. After Twidale scored a layup, Lola Donez got fouled on a 3-point attempt but only made one out of three to keep the Bears’ deficit at six points. The Canes would hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to take a 54-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Cal held Miami to a four-minute scoring drought and Sheppard drove the baseline for a layup to get the Bears within 58-52 with 4:51 left in the game. Twidale’s third 3-pointer cut the Canes’ lead to five at the 3:49 mark but Miami connected on consecutive shots from deep in response and Cal was not able to get any closer the rest of the way.
 
Miami was led by Ra Shaya Kyle’s 16 points and 14 rebounds.
 
NEXT UP
Cal returns home to face Clemson on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT.
 
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