Tag: California Golden Bears

Playing Your Best Basketball Now? Cal Women Say Yes in 79-65 Win Over Georgia Tech

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Michelle Onyiah didn’t need the obvious reinforced, but that’s what she got after Cal’s impressive 79-65 win over Georgia Tech on Thursday night.

Michelle, we need you. As much and as often as we can get.

Onyiah’s 12 minutes followed by her disqualification for fouls against Virginia Tech in a painful three-point loss wasn’t enough. Onyiah’s 33 minutes against the visiting Yellow Jackets was more like it, and she held up like Northern California wine with 24 points, 10 rebounds and superior 11-16 shooting from the floor.

“Michelle Onyiah didn’t foul until sometime in the third quarter,” coach Charmin Smith said in almost a formal declaration. “It’s the key to us winning games.”

With one regular season game remaining, the Bears (23-7, 11-6) are locked into the seventh seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. They clinched that spot by distancing themselves from Georgia Tech with the win. After their regular season-concluding matchup with Miami on Sunday, the seeding and placement machines will churn and hopefully land Cal in a favorable location with preferrable matchups. While observers can see that a quarterfinal win against Notre Dame or North Carolina State could propel Cal into a situation that could yield an upset in the NCAA Tournament, Smith can’t. She’s wearing blinders and simply demanding that her team show up for Miami and take care of business.

“All that matters is we beat Miami. We can’t control all of that,” Smith stated.

Cal played big throughout with 42 points in the paint, and a 42-28 edge on the glass. A first quarter 12-0 run created the separation they needed, and Tech’s trio of scorers weren’t all present and accounted for. Dani Carnegie, Tech’s sensational freshman super sub played just 13 minutes, and was 1 for 7 from the floor.

Lulu Twidale scored 17 points for Cal, Ioanna Krimili added 15 in putting inside-outside pressure on Tech’s defense. Krimili continued her ascent on the all-time NCAA scoring list, with 2,550 points total, including 428 made threes. Cal’s season-long search for bench support seems to have landed on Jayda Noble, who played 18 minutes and contributed a key three-point play in the first quarter.

Mustang Mash: Cal In Danger of Missing The ACC Tournament After An 81-77 Loss to SMU

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–The Cal Bears season has added a measure of intrigue that isn’t exactly ideal.

The Bears loss to SMU on Wednesday puts them in the undesirable position of possibly missing the ACC Tournament, if they fall behind Boston College in the league standings and finish among the bottom three teams.

What didn’t seem likely was marred by what is now a five-game losing streak after SMU had their way in a wire-to-wire 81-77 win at Haas Pavilion. Cal now has three regular season games meeting with their one shot at Boston College coming up first on Saturday.

Chuck Harris led the Mustangs with 21 points and B.J. Edwards added 18 in the visitors win in which they led with the exception of a moment with 5:33 remaining where the score was tied at 66. Samet Yigitoglu’s free throw gave SMU the lead again, then his dunk 30 seconds after that extended the lead to 69-66.

The Bears’ poor shooting doomed their evening with just 39 percent shooting from the floor. In addition, they missed 10 free throws. All the misfiring hurt a positive defensive effort that saw them force 18 turnovers.

Jeremiah Wilkinson led Cal with 20 points, but he missed 11 of his 18 shots from the floor. Mady Sissoko added 16 points and eight rebounds.

The Mustangs won for the sixth consecutive time on the road to give their NCAA Tournament hopes a major boost. Currently, they appear to be outside the field of 68 but have only one or two teams to jump to get into the field. For them, that’s quite a turn as they began January with a pair of decisive losses to Duke and North Carolina.

Tech Tough: Cal Women Come Up Short at Virginia Tech, Lose 87-84

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By Morris Phillips

The Cal women’s dilemma regarding turnovers took on a new dimension on Sunday afternoon: while they found a way to hold on the ball, they couldn’t dislodge it from host Virginia Tech, gets stops or force enough missed shots.

A defense without teeth… on the road, on Tech’s Senior Day was not the recipe for a significant win. The Bears fell in their final road game of the season, 87-84 in a game where any defensive stop–even one of a possession or two–could have changed the outcome.

“I just think we didn’t defend well enough,” coach Charmin Smith said. “They shot the ball well. We had trouble guarding ball screen action and it’s just one of those games where we did a lot of things right offensively but couldn’t prevent them from scoring. It’s frustrating and disappointing. We had opportunities and we couldn’t capitalize.”

The Hokies shot 55 percent from the floor, and committed just five turnovers in 40 minutes, a new school-record low. Still Cal never wavered or went away, and Ioanna Krimili’s made basket would have tied the game with 13 seconds remaining would have tied the game had her foot not been on the 3-point line.

With the game tied at 69 with 5:39 remaining, Carleigh Wenzel’s short jump shot gave Tech a lead they wouldn’t relinquish down the stretch. Cal shot 53 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter, along with 7 for 7 shooting from the foul line but could never get even or gain a lead after Wenzel’s make.

Wenzel and Mathilda Ekh led the Hokies with 19 points each, and Carys Baker added 14. The Bears put four starters in double figures, led by Marta Suarez with 20 and Krimili with 19. Michelle Onyiah fouled out in the final seconds of the third quarter and played just 13 minutes and scored 8 points.

More than 6,000 attended the game, Tech’s final home game of the season after their disappointing overtime loss to Stanford on Thursday. The Hokies were no doubt motivated by that loss and a soft NCAA bubble that seemingly has them as the only team in America that is neither in or out of March Madness. One thing seems certain: Virginia Tech (17-10, 8-8) is the only unresolved Power 4 team, and that alone had them poised for a big performance, and they delivered.

Agent Orange: Williams Scores Late, Carries Cal Women to 75-69 Win Over Syracuse

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–In the new, unknown, expansive world of ACC basketball, you never know who is going to walk out of the visiting locker room. At least, most times you don’t. Again, this isn’t a world of kissing cousins.

At Haas Pavilion on Sunday, the downward-trending Syracuse Orange busted out of their personality with mayhem and an upset on their minds. Almost immediately, the Cal women were put on watch.

In a game with 13 lead changes and as many gut checks, the Golden Bears prevailed with a big fourth quarter in a 75-69 win.

“It was a game that was pretty tight there and could have gone either way, and I thought we imposed our will, and that’s something we’re going to need on the road for sure,” coach Charmin Smith said.

While the visitors played well for three quarters, making shots and denying Cal the three point looks they desire, Cal held on, waiting for their opportunity to surge, although neither team held more than a six-point lead at any point.

Kayla Williams came up with maybe the biggest basket of the game with Cal leading 68-65 with 1:16 remaining. Williams drove to the basket and scored to give the hosts a two-possession lead. Williams led Cal with 21 points, five assists and just one turnover. Cal played out of character with just five made threes on the afternoon, and only 12 turnovers. The sure-handed ball possession was key in such a close contest in which both teams shot it well until the Syracuse shooters faltered late.

Marta Suarez, Michelle Onyiah and Lulu Twidale also scored in double figures for Cal. Georgia Wooley led Syracuse with 23 points, and Sophie Burrows added 10.

The Bears (21-6, 9-5) hit the road again next week, traveling to Virgina for games against Cavaliers, and a second contest against Virginia Tech.

Cal Women Beat Visiting Boston College, Coach Smith Wins 20th Game For The First Time

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–A first time 20th win of a season for Coach Charmin Smith is a moment of celebration. Keeping star post player Michelle Onyiah on the floor, and out of foul trouble, is just the opposite, a point of frustration.

Taking the good with the bad is just part of the job, and on a night that Onyiah put up 21 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out in Cal’s 73-62 victory, Smith will undoubtedly take it.

The Cal women rebounded from a rough weekend in the ACC Midwest outposts of Louisville and Notre Dame in which two losses knocked them from the AP Top 25. The Bears settled into their season’s finishing stretch with a nice win against decidedly lesser competition, but one they desperately needed.

The Bears built a 42-25 lead midway through the third quarter, then saw the visiting Eagles start to make shots and narrow their deficit. But in the end, Cal made free throws and got the win.

Statistically, the Bears were something different from the norm by making only five threes. Again intersecting with the good and bad theme, they did turn it over 26 times. But while others struggled to shoot it, Onyiah did not. Her 9 for 13 effort from the floor, carried Cal, and was ably supported by Marta Suarez who contributed 18 points and nine rebounds.

Cal enjoyed a healthy edge on the glass as well, 40-28.

T’yana Todd led Boston College with 22 points and Nene Ndiaye contributed nine points off the bench.

Cal got good news from the ACC scoreboard as Florida State and Georgia Tech suffered unexpected losses, which means those spots at the top of the conference standings that will first round byes–and double byes for the top four–are still up for grabs.

Cal (20-6, 8-5) faces Syracuse, another team looking to just solidify their position as an opening day entrant for the ACC Tournament, on Sunday at Haas Pavilion.

Rankings Don’t Matter: Cal Women Outclassed By No. 3 Notre Dame in 91-52 Loss

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By Morris Phillips

If the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have another gear, the Cal women don’t want to see it.

As it was, the Bears found themselves as unwilling passengers in a vehicle speeding east on Interstate 90 in Northern Indiana, barely hinged with their seat belts unfastened. The ride wasn’t comfortable or in anyway enjoyable.

For Notre Dame, the same experience could be described as cruise control. The Irish walloped Cal, 91-52 in winning their 16th straight game, just another statement in their quest to be ACC Champions and Final Four participants this season.

Regardless of the outcome, the largest margin of victory by Notre Dame over another ranked team since 1999, Coach Charmin Smith made it clear that her team must embrace what they experienced.

“Notre Dame is a really good team, and we had moments in which we were able to do to play at that level and to contain them and keep them off the boards and do a better job of taking care of the ball,” Smith said. “And then it wasn’t something that we could sustain for 40 minutes. So that’s our process, working on being at an elite level for 40 minutes. Obviously, you’ve got household names and first round WNBA draft picks on that team, and I’m proud of how we stayed with it, and we were still fighting in the fourth quarter.”

Smith’s Bears (19-6, 7-5) found the pace unsettling, as they committed 21 turnovers, shot just 32 percent from the floor and missed 20 3-point attempts. Cal trailed by 21 points at the half, and by 37 points after a particularly lopsided third quarter.

Throughout, Notre Dame’s ball and player movement at the offensive end was constant and flawless, as potential WNBA guards Olivia Miles and Hannah Hildalgo took turns getting to the basket or finding cutting teammates for layups. For the game, Notre Dame shot 55 percent from the floor, and 50 percent from three.

“Offensively, I think we’re growing and getting better spacing,” coach Niele Ivey said. “I thought we did a great job. We had 46 points in the paint, and we had 20 assists.”

Cal still has a hefty NCAA Tournament resume, but their seeding will undoubtedly take a hit just because of uncompetitive losses at Duke by 34 points, and by 39 points on Sunday afternoon. The remainder of their announced schedule is kind, and it’s critical that Cal take advantage of all six opportunities to boost their win total.

The Bears were led by a trio of starters that scored in double figures topped by Lulu Twidale with 14 points. Michelle Onyiah and Marta Suarez scored 10 points each with Suarez also grabbing eight rebounds.

The Bears return home on Thursday to face Boston College at Haas Pavilion.

Cal Women Empty The Bench in Blowout Win Over Pitt, 84-53

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Back in character, the Cal women blew past Pittsburgh, 84-53 and matched their win total for all of last season with eight games remaining.

The Golden Bears (19-4, 7-3) took off early, outscoring Pitt by nine in the first quarter, and 19 in the second. Their 46-20 halftime lead allowed Coach Charmin Smith to play her reserves extensively in the second half.

“We started off rough with the turnovers, but once we settled in, it looked like Cal basketball,” Smith said.

Lulu Twidale led Cal with 17 points, Ioanna Krimili added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. With the outcome no longer in doubt, 12 Bears played and found their way into the scoring column. The performance was nice bounce back from Wednesday’s loss to North Carolina, the Bears first at home this season, and one in which they scored just 52 points, and seven in the decisive fourth quarter.

“Just make sure that our next game is the most important game of our lives. We always talk about that,” Marta Suarez said. “We knew we wanted to come out and execute. It was an opportunity for everyone to get minutes, and that’s important in a team game. We care about each other, we have team chemistry. I think that helps.”

Cal needed a win, in advance of their biggest road trip of the ACC schedule with games at Louisville and Notre Dame this week.

Marley Washenitz led Pitt with a career-best 20 points. Khadija Faye added 16 points, five rebounds for the Panthers, who are in trouble of missing the ACC Tournament with a 1-8 start conference play.

The Bears celebrated the memory of Kay Yow, the longtime N.C. State head coach in the Play4Kay Game. Cal wore pink uniforms and auctioned off custom-made t-shirts for the occassion.

Tar Heels Leave Cal Women Stuck, Win 65-52 at Haas

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–North Carolina’s ACC-leading defense, as advertised, gave the Cal Bears fits on Thursday night.

The Tar Heels forced Cal into catch-up mode from the start and kept the hosts out of step until the conclusion of the third quarter, which ended with the Bears trailing by just two points. But the fourth quarter saw the visitors’ pressure intensify, holding Cal to just seven points the rest of the way in a disappointing 65-52 loss.

The Bears squandered an opportunity to move closer to the top 16 teams nationally, who hold aspirations of hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Cal remains entrenched in the post-season picture, but their opportunities to move up in the rankings could be limited to their upcoming road trip to Louisville and Notre Dame.

In the absence of a win, the highlight of the evening for Cal was leading scorer Ioanna Krimili’s 400th career 3-pointer. The 6th year guard moved into a select group of 16 women that have achieved the feat.

Krimili led Cal with 20 points, and Michelle Onyiah added 14 despite being limited to 18 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble and cramping. Marta Suarez and Lulu Twidale suffered rough nights shooting with a combined 5 of 23 accuracy.

UNC’s Alyssa Ustby, in her 132nd start, was again the key to the visitor’s defensive effort, limiting Suarez and Twidale individually while helping the Heels control the glass with a 38-28 edge.

“Their defensive pressure, their intensity gave us some trouble,” coach Charmin Smith said. “They kind of bullied us off our lines in trying to set screens, let alone use screens.”

Cal played without Natalia Ackerman and Giselle Maul which limited their bench production, and made the fourth quarter especially rough as fatigue and missed shots allowed UNC to increase their lead to as many as 14 points. The Bears lost at Haas Pavilion for the first time this season after rattling off 11 consecutive wins.

Cal’s weekend at home concludes with a contest against the Pitt Panthers, who have won just one of their nine conference games and are in danger of being one of the three teams that don’t qualify for the ACC Tournament. That game is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.

Rough And Tumble: Cal Women Survive Stanford’s Late Rally, Win 75-72

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By Morris Phillips

STANFORD, CA–For 35 minutes, the Cal women were themselves, offensive savants taking advantage of whatever the Stanford defense provided, which at times was a lot.

The other five minutes, littered with rough fouls, a technical foul out of nowhere, and a significant injury, spoke to a hard fought contest that Stanford was reluctant to relinquish. It was those five minutes that almost sent Cal home with an unlikely loss.

But Cal’s experienced leadership, principally graduates Ioanna Krimili and Kayla Williams, made the plays down the stretch in Cal’s milestone 75-72 win.

The win gave Cal a historic sweep of Stanford, 39 years after the last occurrence in 1986, the first season of Tara VanDerveer’s 38 years on the Farm in the long disposed Pac West Conference.

Smith, who went 0 for 11 against VanDerveer, her college coach, who subsequently suggested that Smith take up coaching, acknowledged the moment and its significance for Cal.

“This is special for me,” Smith said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be 18 threes like it was at Haas. But to be able to hold on and fight through a number of mistakes and adversity to get the win, I’m just really proud of this team.”

Cal made 17 of their first 20 two-point shot attempts and built a 53-37 lead and quieted Maples Pavilion without relying on 3-point shooting. But the deficit didn’t break the hosts’ resolve. Instead, Coach Kate Paye continued to change her personnel in hopes of a defensive stand. That finally happened in a stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters that saw Stanford outscore Cal 16-2 and make it a game.

“We forced some turnovers, and that really got us going,” Paye said.

Down the stretch, the play grew more physical as Michelle Onyiah, Cal’s center, and reserve Jayda Noble were thrown to the floor. Noble got tangled with Stanford’s Shay Ijiwoye and had to be helped off the court as a leg injury prevented her from walking on her own. After a video review, Ijiwoye received an intentional foul resulting in free throws for Cal and possession of the ball.

“They called an intentional foul. I watched it. I didn’t agree with the call at all. That was a game changer,” Paye said of the critical exchange with 2:40 remaining and Stanford trailing 66-64.

Krimili, shooting in place of the injured Noble, converted both free throws. Williams was fouled on the ensuing possession and made one of two free throws to put Cal up by five.

Nunu Agara, who had 19 points for the hosts, hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to get Stanford within 73-71 with 49 seconds remaining. But Cal held on as Krimili and Williams came up with a trio of baskets on drives into the paint to preserve the win.

“We knew the game was going to bring adversity. In those moments, we were telling ourselves,“‘we’re good, we’re going to get through this,'” Williams said.

Cal improved to 18-3 with the win, and that has them in a group of 6-2 teams with North Carolina and Louisville, tied for fourth in the ACC standings behind Duke and North Carolina State with one loss and 8-0 Notre Dame.

The Bears have the weekend free ahead of home games against the Tar Heels and Pittsburgh next week.

Cal Women Rebound, Beat Wake Forest 67-55 To Improve To 17-3

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By Morris Phillips

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.–The only women’s basketball coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a career losing record left Lawrence Joel Coliseum a winner on Sunday afternoon, another sign that things are changing quickly for Charmin Smith.

Smith’s Golden Bears racked up a tidy 67-55 win over Wake Forest that solidifies their position among the ACC’s elite, a small group of teams that have multiple weekend aspirations for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. A lopsided loss on Thursday to Duke didn’t help Cal’s hopes, but the quick bounce back against the Demon Deacons did. The team’s play at both ends was exactly what was needed to right the ship.

“I feel like we all knew we got our butts kicked, and we were all eager to have a chance to do it better,” Smith said. “I don’t think you have to say much when you when you get beat the way that we did (at Duke). Everybody knew that it wasn’t our best performance and we had to clean up a lot.”

Cal’s defensive hiccups came early when they struggled to cover Wake Forest in the paint. That kept the game close until the second quarter when Cal pulled away with a mix of starters and reserves. Ioanna Krimili and Lulu Twidale combined for five threes in the second quarter, and Cal led comfortably at halftime, 32-24.

“When we shoot the three-ball well, we’re really hard team to beat, and Ioanna did a great job of knocking down shots when we really needed it,” Smith said.

Wake Forest, desperate to get their initial conference win, played well initially but saw their energy drained by missed shots. The hosts shot 32 percent from the floor and missed 16 3-point attempts. The rebounding disparity was a bigger issue for Wake as Cal controlled the glass, 45-26.

Marta Suarez came up with a personal bounce back performance after she was plagued by turnovers against Duke. The senior led Cal with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Cal returns to the Bay for Thursday’s rematch with Stanford in Palo Alto. The Cardinal fell to 10-7 with an uneventful loss at Duke.